Yom Kippur as Root of All Shabbosos

כתיב לאדם שטוב לפניו נתן חכמה ודעת ושמחה.

It is written: "For to a man who is good before Him, He has given chochmah (wisdom), da'as (knowledge), and simchah (joy)" (Koheles 2:26).

The Sefas Emes reads the three gifts of the passuk as corresponding to three gifts Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael at this season of the year.

הוא ר"ה יוה"כ וסוכות שניתן לבנ"י.

This refers to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos, which were given to Bnei Yisrael.

Chochmah, da'as, and simchah map onto the three festivals of Tishrei given to Bnei Yisrael.

כי ר"ה הוא בחי' חכמה כמ"ש שופר חכמה ואינה מלאכה.

For Rosh Hashanah is the aspect of chochmah, as it is said: the shofar is chochmah and is not [forbidden] labor.

Sounding the shofar is classified as chochmah, a wisdom-act rather than a melachah, marking Rosh Hashanah as the day of chochmah.

והיא בחי' יראה כדכ' הן יראת ה' היא חכמה וכתיב מה ה' אלקיך שואל כו' כי אם ליראה לכן רמזו אינה מלאכה שהוא רק הביטול בחי' כח מה.

And it is the aspect of yirah (awe), as it is written, "Behold, yiras Hashem — that is chochmah" (Iyov 28:28), and it is written, "What does Hashem your God ask of you… but to fear" (Devarim 10:12); therefore they hinted that it is "not labor," for it is only bittul — the aspect of "koach mah" (the power of "what," self-nullification).

True chochmah is yiras Shomayim, which is essentially bittul — making oneself into "mah," a nothing before Hashem. That is why the shofar is "not labor": it expresses pure self-nullification rather than any act of doing.

ואמרו אם אין יראה אין חכמה.

And they said: if there is no yirah, there is no chochmah.

Chazal teach that wisdom cannot exist without yiras Shomayim as its foundation.

וסור מרע בינה הוא בחי' יוכ"פ לפני ה' תטהרו ועיקר ביוהכ"פ להיות נעשין סור מרע שכל ימי השנה א"י מכח לכלוך החטאים ועונות.

And "turning from evil is binah" (cf. Iyov 28:28) — this is the aspect of Yom Kippur: "before Hashem you shall be purified" (Vayikra 16:30); and the essence of Yom Kippur is to become "one who turns from evil" — which all the days of the year one cannot fully be, because of the defilement of sins and aveiros.

Da'as/binah is expressed in "sur mei-ra," turning away from evil — the avodah of Yom Kippur, the day of purification. Throughout the year the soiling of aveiros prevents a person from truly separating from evil; on Yom Kippur it becomes possible.

ועתה שיום כפרה הוא צריך לשוב בתשובה להיות סור מרע.

And now, since it is a day of atonement, one must return in teshuvah so as to become "one who turns from evil."

The atonement of the day calls for teshuvah, whose purpose is to free oneself from evil entirely.

וזוכין לבינה כי יש נ' שערי בינה וביוהכ"פ נפתח שער הנ' והוא שבת העליון מכל שבתות השנה ולכן כ' ועניתם כדי להתקרב לבחי' עוה"ב שאין בו אכילה ושתי'.

And [thereby] one merits binah, for there are fifty Gates of Understanding, and on Yom Kippur the fiftieth gate is opened; and it is the Shabbos that is highest of all the Shabbosos of the year. Therefore it is written "and you shall afflict [your souls]" (Vayikra 16:31), in order to draw near to the aspect of Olam HaBa, in which there is no eating and drinking.

Yom Kippur opens the fiftieth and loftiest Gate of Understanding; it is the supreme Shabbos. The inuy (affliction) of fasting is meant to bring us close to the world-to-come, a realm with no eating or drinking, by lifting us above the body.

והנה בכל שבת כתיב ביני ובין בנ"י [אות הוא] ובזוה"ק ויקהל איתא כי רוח עליון היורד בשבת נהנה מעונג שבת ע"ש פי' ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת.

Now, regarding every Shabbos it is written, "between Me and Bnei Yisrael [it is a sign]" (Shemos 31:17), and in the Zohar HaKadosh, parashas Vayakhel, it is brought that the supernal spirit (ru'ach elyon) that descends on Shabbos takes pleasure from the oneg Shabbos; see there, in the explanation of "and Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos."

Every Shabbos a higher soul-spirit descends and delights in the oneg of the day; this ru'ach is the "sign" that bonds Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

וכאן כתיב ועניתם את נפשותיכם הוא ג"כ ע"י הרוח שבו יש התקשרות ביני ובין בני ישראל.

And here it is written, "and you shall afflict your souls" — this too is by means of the ru'ach, through which there is a bond "between Me and Bnei Yisrael."

On Yom Kippur the afflicting of the nefesh works through that same descending ru'ach, which forges the special connection between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

וכמו שבנ"י מענגין השבת לשם שמים כענין ישמח ישראל בעושיו.

And just as Bnei Yisrael give pleasure to the Shabbos for the sake of Heaven, in the manner of "Yismach Yisrael — Yisrael shall rejoice in their Maker" (Tehillim 149:2).

On an ordinary Shabbos Bnei Yisrael serve through oneg and joy in Hashem.

כן עתה מעלה הרוח את נפשות בנ"י להיות להם אחיזה בחלק העליון שאין בו אכילה ושתי'.

So now [on Yom Kippur] the ru'ach raises up the souls of Bnei Yisrael, so that they have a grasp in the higher portion in which there is no eating and drinking.

Whereas regular Shabbos is served through bodily oneg, Yom Kippur's ru'ach elevates the neshamos to a supernal level above food and drink entirely.

ועניתם היא מלשון עונין על הן הן להיות נמשכין אחר הארת זה היום הטהור והקדוש.

"And you shall afflict (v'inisem)" is also from the expression "answering (onin)" — to answer "yes" to the "yes," to be drawn after the illumination of this pure and holy day.

The Sefas Emes reads "v'inisem" as "responding": Bnei Yisrael answer Amen to Hashem's call, allowing themselves to be drawn after the light of the holy day.

וזה לא יוכל להיות רק ע"י עינוי מאכילה ושתי'.

And this can come about only through the affliction of abstaining from eating and drinking.

Only by setting aside bodily needs can a person be drawn fully after the day's holy light.

וגם בכל שבת אמרו חז"ל שהוא מעין עוה"ב ויוהכ"פ הוא שורש כל השבתות.

And of every Shabbos too Chazal said that it is a semblance of Olam HaBa, and Yom Kippur is the root of all the Shabbosos.

If ordinary Shabbos is a taste of the world-to-come, Yom Kippur is the source from which all Shabbosos draw that quality.

לכן הוא יום אחד בשנה.

Therefore it is one day in the year.

As the root of all Shabbosos, Yom Kippur stands alone — a single, singular day each year.

ובנפש כל עבודות יוהכ"פ אין כשרים רק בכ"ג שהוא אחד המיוחד מכל בנ"י.

And correspondingly, all the avodos of Yom Kippur are valid only through the Kohen Gadol, who is the singular, set-apart one of all Bnei Yisrael.

The unique day requires a unique servant: only the Kohen Gadol, the one elevated above all Bnei Yisrael, may perform the day's service.

ובמקום מיוחד בקדשי קדשים שהוא בשורש העליון למעלה מן הטבע.

And in a singular place — the Kodesh HaKodashim — which is in the highest root, above nature.

The service is done in the one set-apart place, the Holy of Holies, which corresponds to the supernal root that transcends the natural order.

ואיתא בזוה"ק המתענה בשבת קורעין לו גז"ד של ע' שנה לכן בנ"י שמתענין בשבת שבתון נמחל להם כל העונות.

And it is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh that for one who fasts on Shabbos, a harsh decree (gezar din) of seventy years is torn up; therefore, when Bnei Yisrael fast on the "Shabbos Shabbason," all their aveiros are forgiven.

Fasting on Shabbos has the power to annul evil decrees; since Yom Kippur is the supreme "Shabbos Shabbason," the fast of that day wins forgiveness for all of Bnei Yisrael's aveiros.

וכמו דבכל שבת יום הששי מכין לשבת כמו כן עיו"כ מכין התענית של יוהכ"פ:

And just as for every Shabbos the sixth day prepares for the Shabbos, so too Erev Yom Kippur prepares for the fast of Yom Kippur.

As Friday is the day of preparation that readies us for Shabbos, Erev Yom Kippur is the preparation that makes us ready for the holy fast of Yom Kippur.

Summary: The chochmah, da'as, and simchah of Koheles correspond to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. Rosh Hashanah is chochmah — yiras Shomayim and the bittul of "koach mah," expressed in the shofar that is "not labor." Yom Kippur is binah and "sur mei-ra": through teshuvah a person finally separates from the soiling of aveiros, and the fiftieth Gate of Understanding opens. As the supreme Shabbos and root of all Shabbosos, Yom Kippur's descending ru'ach lifts the neshamos to a portion above eating and drinking — "v'inisem" meaning both affliction and answering Amen to be drawn after the holy light. Performed by the singular Kohen Gadol in the singular Kodesh HaKodashim, the fast tears up harsh decrees and wins forgiveness for all aveiros, with Erev Yom Kippur serving as its day of preparation.