Yom Kippur, milah, and the Jew's essential holiness

עשרת ימי תשובה הם הנהגה מיוחדת מעולם התשובה.

The Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance) are a special mode of conduct drawn from the world of teshuvah.

These ten days belong to a higher realm of teshuvah, a unique avenue Hashem opens for return that is not available the rest of the year.

וכמו ששבת בז' ימי המעשה מיוחד לבני ישראל כן יוהכ"פ בעשי"ת מיוחד לבנ"י.

Just as Shabbos within the seven days of the week is unique to Bnei Yisrael, so too Yom Kippur within the Ten Days of Repentance is unique to Bnei Yisrael.

Shabbos is the special portion of Bnei Yisrael among the weekdays; in the same way Yom Kippur is their special day among the Ten Days.

כי בר"ה כל באי עולם עוברים לפניו.

For on Rosh Hashanah all who enter the world pass before Him.

Rosh Hashanah is a universal day of judgment for all of mankind, not for Bnei Yisrael alone.

ויוהכ"פ מיוחד רק לבנ"י.

But Yom Kippur is unique only to Bnei Yisrael.

The day of atonement is given specifically to Bnei Yisrael, expressing their special bond with Hashem.

ור"ה ויוהכ"פ הם בחי' ברית הלשון והמעור.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur correspond to the bris halashon (covenant of the tongue) and the bris hama'or (covenant of circumcision).

These two days parallel the two covenants a Jew carries — the covenant of speech and the covenant of milah — each rooted in a different dimension of kedushah.

ולכן בר"ה יום תרועה יהי' לכם.

Therefore of Rosh Hashanah it says, "It shall be a day of teruah (shofar blasts) for you."

Rosh Hashanah is centered on the sound of the shofar, which corresponds to the covenant of the tongue — the dimension of holy sound and speech.

והיא הקול תורה שזכו בני ישראל לקבל ברית הלשון ומקודם הי' שפה אחת ואח"כ נשאר לשון הקודש לבנ"י כמ"ש זכור ימות עולם כו'.

This is the voice of Torah, through which Bnei Yisrael merited to receive the covenant of the tongue; originally there was one language, and afterward lashon hakodesh (the holy tongue) remained with Bnei Yisrael, as it says, "Remember the days of old…"

After the generation of the dispersion, mankind's single language was split; the holy tongue was preserved as the unique inheritance of Bnei Yisrael, the language of Torah and of the shofar's voice.

ויוהכ"פ ברית המעור הוא חותם המילה שזה מעולם מיוחד רק לבנ"י שקיבל אברהם אע"ה זה הברית לזרעו אחריו.

Yom Kippur corresponds to the covenant of milah, the seal of circumcision, which from its very origin is unique to Bnei Yisrael, for Avraham Avinu received this covenant for his descendants after him.

Milah is the eternal sign sealed into the body of every Jew, given to Avraham as an everlasting covenant for his offspring — and Yom Kippur draws on that very covenant.

וכ"כ בפרקי דר"א כי אברהם אע"ה נימול ביוהכ"פ ע"ש דכתיב בעצם היום כו'.

And so it is written in Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, that Avraham Avinu was circumcised on Yom Kippur, as it says, "on the very essence of the day…"

Chazal connect Avraham's milah to Yom Kippur itself, showing that the day of atonement is bound up with the covenant of circumcision from the start.

ועל ב' בחי' אלו כתיב קרוב אליך הדבר כו' בפיך זה ברית הלשון ובלבבך הוא בחי' [ברית] המעור.

Concerning these two aspects it is written, "For the matter is very near to you… in your mouth" — this is the covenant of the tongue — "and in your heart" — this is the aspect of the covenant of milah.

The Torah itself is accessible through both covenants: "in your mouth" alludes to holy speech, and "in your heart" alludes to the inner seal of milah.

והם בחי' תורה שניתנה בדיבור בעשרת הדברות ואח"כ בלוחות בכתב והוא רשימה דברית מילה.

These correspond to the Torah, which was given through speech in the Ten Commandments and afterward in writing on the Luchos — and the written form is the imprint of the covenant of milah.

The spoken Torah parallels the covenant of the tongue, and the engraved, written Torah parallels milah — a permanent imprint etched into Bnei Yisrael.

מכ"ל חטאתיכ"ם לפנ"י ה' ס"ת מילה.

The final letters of "mikol chatoseichem lifnei Hashem" (from all your sins before Hashem) spell "milah."

A hint in the verse: the purification of Yom Kippur from all sins is accomplished specifically through the power of the covenant of milah hidden in those words.

ולכן ניתנו הלוחות ביוהכ"פ שהוא בחי' חותם בלבות בנ"י ואות ברית מילה הוא מעין עוה"ב ולכן ניתנה בשמיני כמ"ש למנצח על השמינית כו'.

Therefore the Luchos were given on Yom Kippur, which is the aspect of a seal upon the hearts of Bnei Yisrael; and the sign of milah is a foretaste of Olam Haba (the World to Come), which is why it is given on the eighth day, as it says, "For the conductor, upon the eighth…"

Both the giving of the second Luchos and the act of milah carry the quality of an eternal seal that points beyond this world; milah on the eighth day reflects that "eighth" dimension above nature, the realm of Olam Haba.

וכתיב אנכי אנכי מוחה פשעיך אנכי הוא התורה.

And it is written, "I, I am He who wipes away your transgressions" — "Anochi" (I) refers to the Torah.

The doubled "Anochi" alludes to the Torah, which is the very power that erases sin.

וב"פ אנכי הם אנכי שבעשרת הדברות בדיבור ואנכי שבלוחות בכתב ועל ידיהם נמחה הפשעים כפי מה שמכניסין עצמם לתוך התורה שנקראת מים כך נמחין הפשעים.

The two instances of "Anochi" are the "Anochi" of the Ten Commandments given through speech, and the "Anochi" of the Luchos given in writing; through them transgressions are wiped away — for to the degree a person immerses himself within the Torah, which is called water, so are his transgressions erased.

The two "Anochi"s correspond to the spoken and written Torah, the covenants of tongue and milah. Just as ink dissolves in water, sins dissolve when a person plunges himself into the "waters" of Torah.

וע"ז אמרו מקוה ישראל כמו שמקוה מטהר כך הקב"ה מטהר כי התורה כולה שמותיו של הקב"ה כדאיתא קוב"ה ואורייתא כולא חד.

Concerning this Chazal said, "Mikveh Yisrael (the Hope/Mikveh of Israel) is Hashem" — just as a mikveh purifies, so does Hashem purify; for the entire Torah is composed of the Names of Hashem, as it is taught, "the Holy One and the Torah are entirely one."

Because the Torah is wholly Hashem's Names and is one with Him, immersing in Torah is like immersing in the mikveh of Hashem Himself — and this is what purifies a person on Yom Kippur.

ויוהכ"פ הוא התורה שבכתב בחי' מילה כנ"ל.

Yom Kippur corresponds to the Written Torah, the aspect of milah, as above.

Yom Kippur draws specifically on the written, sealed Torah, paralleling the engraved covenant of milah.

ולכן מוציאין ס"ת בכל נדרי ומתודין על חטא ופגם אות ברית קודש כי התורה שבכתב ומילה בחי' אחת היא.

Therefore we take out a Sefer Torah at Kol Nidrei and confess over the sin and blemish of the holy sign of the covenant, for the Written Torah and milah are one and the same aspect.

Because the Written Torah and milah share one essence, Yom Kippur's atonement specifically repairs any blemish to the bris kodesh, and we open the night with the Sefer Torah.

ולכן לובשין ביוה"כ טלית מצויצת כי הציצית רומז גם כן לברית מילה כמ"ש במ"א.

Therefore we wear a tallis with tzitzis on Yom Kippur, for the tzitzis too allude to the covenant of milah, as explained elsewhere.

Even the tzitzis worn on Yom Kippur night point to the same covenant of milah, reinforcing the theme of the holy seal.

ולכן נוהגין למול התינוק בטלית וציצית ומנהג ישראל תורה.

Therefore the custom is to circumcise the infant wrapped in a tallis and tzitzis — and a custom of Israel has the force of Torah.

The minhag of wrapping the baby in a tallis at his bris reflects this very connection between milah and tzitzis, and such a custom carries the authority of Torah.

וכמו שיש יום מיוחד בשנה לטהר כל הימים כמו כן בשס"ה גידין גיד המילה שנותן טהרה לכל הגידים.

And just as there is one special day in the year to purify all the days, so too among the 365 sinews, the sinew of milah grants purity to all the sinews.

Yom Kippur stands to the year as milah stands to the body: one central point of purity from which taharah radiates to the whole.

וכמו שאין השטן שולט ביוה"כ כן הוסר הערלה מגיד המילה.

And just as the Satan has no dominion on Yom Kippur, so too the orlah (foreskin) is removed from the place of milah.

Both Yom Kippur and milah strip away the covering that gives the forces of impurity a foothold, leaving the Jew exposed in his pure inner essence.

ובנוסח התפלה הן יעביר זדון למשוגה שמתפללין שיחשב מזיד כשוגג.

In the wording of the tefillah, "He removes wanton sin into error," we pray that the intentional sin be reckoned as unintentional.

We ask Hashem to treat our deliberate sins (zadon) as though they were mere mistakes (shogeg).

ואין מובן הסיום כי לכל העם בשגגה שהרי מבקשין מחילה גם על הזדונות.

The conclusion "for all the people acted in error" is difficult to understand, for we are asking forgiveness even for the intentional sins.

If we admit to deliberate wrongdoing, how can we describe the entire people as having sinned only "in error"?

אך הענין היא כי בבנ"י כתיב ועמך כולם צדיקים כי החטא בישראל במקרה לא בעצם.

But the matter is this: regarding Bnei Yisrael it is written, "And your people are all tzaddikim," for sin in Israel is incidental, not essential.

At their core every Jew is a tzaddik; sin is never an expression of his true self but only an accident that attaches from outside.

וזהו עדות חותם אות ברית קודש שחתם בנו הקב"ה וגלוי וידוע לפניו כל העתידות.

This is the testimony of the seal, the sign of the holy covenant that Hashem sealed into us; and all that is destined is revealed and known before Him.

The milah is Hashem's own testimony, sealed into the Jew, that his essence is holy — and Hashem, who knows all the future, affixed this seal with full awareness.

אך שראה כי בנ"י הם בעצם צדיקים והחטא הוא במקרה.

Rather, He saw that Bnei Yisrael are in essence tzaddikim, and the sin is incidental.

Hashem placed His seal upon us precisely because He perceived that our inner essence is righteous, and any sin is only a passing accident.

ולכן אין מחשבה רעה מצטרף למעשה בישראל הואיל והחטא במקרה.

Therefore an evil thought is not joined to the deed in Israel, since the sin is incidental.

Because a Jew's sin does not flow from his essence, Hashem does not combine his sinful intention with the act to magnify the guilt, as He does for the nations.

ומיד כשאיש ישראל חוטא חוזר ומתחרט.

And the moment a Jew sins, he immediately turns back and regrets it.

The holy inner point reasserts itself at once, so that a Jew's natural reaction to sin is remorse and the impulse to return.

ורמז לדבר כי לכל העם בשגגה ס"ת אותיות מילה כי המילה מעיד שבעצם בנ"י צדיקים והחטא במקרה שנכנס בו רוח שטות לשעה.

A hint to this: the final letters of "ki l'chol ha'am bishgagah" (for all the people acted in error) form the letters of "milah," for the milah testifies that in essence Bnei Yisrael are tzaddikim and the sin is incidental, a momentary spirit of folly that entered him.

The very phrase that calls all sin "error" conceals the word milah, teaching that the covenant itself is the proof that our sins are only a fleeting madness, not who we truly are.

וזהו ג"כ בקשת אהרן למשה אל תשת עלינו חטאת כו' כי יודע הי' מרע"ה שאהרן ומרים הם צדיקים גמורים ונכשלו בחטא במקרה לכן אין לחשוב להם לזדון.

This too is the request of Aharon to Moshe, "Do not place sin upon us…," for Moshe Rabbeinu knew that Aharon and Miriam were complete tzaddikim who stumbled in sin only incidentally, and therefore it should not be reckoned to them as a wanton transgression.

Aharon's plea rests on the same principle: when wholly righteous people slip, the sin is an accident, not a deliberate rebellion, and should not be counted as zadon.

וכמו כן בקשת בנ"י מלפני אביהם שבשמים:

And likewise is the request of Bnei Yisrael before their Father in Heaven.

On Yom Kippur we ask the same of Hashem: since our essence is righteous and our sins are mere accidents, let our deliberate sins be reckoned as unintentional.

Summary: The Sefas Emes ties Yom Kippur to the bris milah and the Written Torah — both being eternal seals that Hashem engraved into the essence of Bnei Yisrael. Because that seal testifies that a Jew is essentially a tzaddik and his sins are only incidental accidents, Yom Kippur uniquely purifies Bnei Yisrael, immersing them in the "waters" of Torah so that even deliberate sins can be wiped away and reckoned as mere error.