Unity completes Yom Kippur's tikkun

יום הכפורים הוא זכות מרע"ה שהוריד לוחות אחרונות.

Yom Kippur is the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu, who brought down the second luchos.

The day's power flows from Moshe Rabbeinu, who descended with the second set of tablets on Yom Kippur, the sign that Hashem had granted kapparah for the Cheit Ha'egel.

והנה בנ"י נשתתפו בתענית יום האחרון של מ' ימים האחרונים עם מרע"ה וזיכה מרע"ה את כל בנ"י והוא נקרא איש האלקים דכתיב אמרתי אלקים אתם ובני עליון כולכם שהיו עתידין להיות כמלאכי השרת.

Now Bnei Yisrael joined in the fast of the last day of the final forty days together with Moshe Rabbeinu, and Moshe Rabbeinu bestowed merit upon all of Bnei Yisrael; and he is called "the man of God," as it is written, "I said, you are angelic beings and sons of the Most High, all of you" — for they were destined to be like the ministering angels.

On that climactic day Yisrael fasted alongside Moshe, and through him merit was conferred on the whole nation. Moshe, the "ish ha'Elokim," embodied the lofty state the pasuk describes — all of Yisrael were meant to be like malachei ha'shareis.

ומשה רע"ה נשאר בזה המדריגה ולא כולכם.

And Moshe Rabbeinu remained on this level, but not "all of you."

After the sin, only Moshe held fast to that angelic madreigah; the rest of Yisrael fell from "all of you" and lost it.

רק ביום הכפורים נדמו כל בנ"י למלאכי השרת בכח הארת מרע"ה שהכניס עצמו בכלל ישראל לכן צריכין להיות אגודה אחת ביוה"כ ואז שורה זכות משה רע"ה.

Only on Yom Kippur do all of Bnei Yisrael become like the ministering angels, through the power of Moshe Rabbeinu's radiance, for he included himself within Klal Yisrael; therefore we must be one bound bundle on Yom Kippur, and then the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu rests upon us.

Once a year, on Yom Kippur, all of Yisrael recover that angelic state — but only because Moshe folded himself into the nation, sharing his light with all. Hence Yisrael must form a single agudah on this day, and then his zechus settles upon them.

ואיתא לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כיוהכ"פ שבנות ישראל יצאו בכלים שאולין וכל ישראל שואלין זה מזה ע"ש סוף תענית.

And it is taught: there were no festivals for Yisrael like Yom Kippur, on which the daughters of Yisrael would go out in borrowed garments, and all of Yisrael would borrow one from another — see the end of Maseches Ta'anis.

The Mishnah's image of the maidens going out in borrowed clothes, everyone lending to everyone, expresses the unity of the day: no one stands apart on his own possessions.

שכל עיקר הכח בזה היום נתן לנו מרע"ה במתנה א"כ צריכין כל אחד למסור חלקו לצבור.

For the entire power of this day was given to us by Moshe Rabbeinu as a gift; therefore each one must hand over his portion to the community.

Since the whole strength of Yom Kippur is a free gift from Moshe to the klal, the proper response is for each person to surrender his private portion into the shared treasury of the tzibbur — the "borrowing from one another."

ובאמת לא נגמר התיקון רק ע"י כלל ישראל הצדיקים והבינונים כדאיתא שם יפיפיות שבהן אומרות תן עיניך ביופי. מיוחסות אומרות תן עיניך במשפחה מכוערות אומרות קחו מקחכם לשם שמים.

And in truth the tikkun is completed only through Klal Yisrael — the tzaddikim and the beinonim — as it is taught there: the beautiful among them would say, "set your eyes on beauty"; those of distinguished lineage would say, "set your eyes on family"; the homely ones would say, "make your choice for the sake of Heaven."

The rectification of the day requires every type of Jew together. The Gemara's maidens — the beautiful, the well-pedigreed, and the plain — symbolize three categories within the nation, each contributing to the whole.

והרמז שיש צדיקים שמעשיהם רצוין לפני הקב"ה. והם היפיפיות.

The hint is that there are tzaddikim whose deeds are desirable before the Holy One — and these are the "beautiful ones."

The "beauties" who point to their own beauty are the tzaddikim, whose own ma'asim are pleasing before Hashem.

ויש פשוטים שחל עליהם כח השורש מאבותינו כמ"ש שחורה אני במעשי ונאוה אני במעשה אבותי.

And there are simple people upon whom rests the power of the root from our forefathers, as it says, "I am black in my own deeds, yet comely in the deeds of my fathers."

The "well-pedigreed" maidens are the plain Jews who, lacking distinction in their own deeds, draw on the merit of the Avos — black in their own actions but lovely through their ancestral root.

ויש עוד בחי' מה שעושין לשם שמים ומשתוקקין לעשות רצון אביהם שבשמים. אעפ"י שלא עלתה בידן.

And there is yet another aspect — those who act for the sake of Heaven and yearn to do the will of their Father in Heaven, even though they did not succeed.

The "homely ones" who say "take us for the sake of Heaven" represent the Jews whose deeds are unremarkable, yet who sincerely long to fulfill ratzon Hashem even when their efforts bear no visible fruit.

מ"מ נעשים כל ישראל אגודה אחת להתקרב לאביהם שבשמים:

In any case, all of Yisrael become one bound bundle, to draw close to their Father in Heaven.

All three types together — the righteous, those who lean on ancestral merit, and those who merely yearn sincerely — unite into a single agudah, and only through that wholeness do they all draw near to their Father in Heaven.

Summary: Yom Kippur draws its power from Moshe Rabbeinu, who brought down the second luchos and folded himself into Klal Yisrael, sharing his angelic light with all. Therefore Yisrael must become one bound bundle, each surrendering his portion to the tzibbur — like the maidens borrowing garments. The tikkun is complete only when every type of Jew (the tzaddik, the one who leans on ancestral merit, and the one who sincerely yearns despite failure) unites as a single agudah to draw near to their Father in Heaven.