YOM KIPPUR-The Hidden Light of Atonement, Soul Renewal, and Oneness with God.

Mr. Murthy Gaddi
Oct 1
7 min read

Yom Kippur for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 2 October 2025.

“Gaddi’s Notes on the Eternal Wisdom of the Prominent Sages”: Tuesday, 30 Sep 2025,9th of Tishrei, 5786

1. What is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר), the “Day of Atonement,” is the holiest day of the Jewish year (Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:27–32). It is observed on the 10th of Tishrei and is marked by fasting, prayer, repentance, and seeking reconciliation with both God and fellow human beings.

The Torah describes it as a day when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to offer incense and blood sacrifices for the atonement of Israel. Today, without the Temple, the focus is on prayer, teshuvah (repentance), and acts of righteousness.

The sages describe Yom Kippur as the day when the gates of heaven are opened, and God’s mercy flows most abundantly, offering forgiveness to those who return to Him wholeheartedly.

2. Deep Concepts from the Jewish Sages

A. The Power of Teshuvah (Return)

Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah 7:6): Even if a person sinned his entire life, if he repents on the day of his death, none of his sins are remembered. Yom Kippur reveals God’s infinite readiness to accept sincere teshuvah.
Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 29:9): Teshuvah was created before the world itself. Yom Kippur taps into this primordial light of forgiveness.

B. Five Afflictions and the Five Levels of the Soul

Zohar (Vayikra 102a): The five afflictions (no eating, drinking, bathing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, or marital relations) correspond to the five levels of the soul — nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, yechidah.
By abstaining, we elevate each layer of the soul back toward its source, achieving purity.

C. White Garments and Angelic State

Talmud (Yoma 35b): Israel is compared to angels on Yom Kippur, wearing white garments and abstaining from physical needs.
Rav Kook (Orot HaTeshuvah 14): On Yom Kippur, the human being reveals their deepest essence — the Godly soul, untouched by sin.

D. The Day Itself Atones

Mishnah (Yoma 8:9): “Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and God, but not for sins between man and his fellow until he appeases him.”
The day itself holds a cosmic power of atonement, but it demands ethical repair in the human realm as well.

E. Oneness and the Name of Hashem

Ramban (Vayikra 16:30): On Yom Kippur, Israel unites as one before God, just as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies alone. The unity of the people reflects the unity of God.
Chassidut (Sefat Emet, Yom Kippur 5631): The five prayers of Yom Kippur represent ascending stages of union with God, culminating in Ne’ilah, the closing of the gates, when we reach yechidah — the singular spark of divine oneness in the soul.

F. Joy Hidden Within Awe

While Yom Kippur is awe-inspiring, the sages reveal it also contains deep joy:
Taanit 26b: “There were no days as joyous for Israel as Yom Kippur and the 15th of Av,” because on Yom Kippur sins are forgiven, and the bond between God and Israel is renewed.
This joy is hidden under the solemnity of the day, much like the soul’s hidden light shining through fasting and prayer.

3. Summary

Yom Kippur is not merely a day of abstinence but a day of elevation, oneness, and renewal . The sages teach that through teshuvah, prayer, and righteousness, the soul ascends to its root, becoming angelic, purified, and united with the Creator. Its essence is love cloaked in awe, where forgiveness and joy emerge through divine closeness.

“Yom Kippur in PaRDeS: From Atonement in the Temple to the Soul’s Union with the Infinite.”

1. Weights (Simple / Literal Level)

Textual Basis:

“For on this day He shall atone for you, to purify you; from all your sins before Hashem you shall be purified” (Leviticus 16:30).

Explanation:

On the simplest level, Yom Kippur is the Torah-ordained Day of Atonement. The High Priest performed the service in the Beit HaMikdash, sprinkling blood in the Holy of Holies, confessing on behalf of Israel, and sending away the scapegoat (se’ir la’azazel) to atone for the nation.

Rashi: Yom Kippur is a special day of grace from Heaven, set aside for forgiveness.
Mishnah Yoma 8:9: It atones for sins between man and God, but requires reconciliation for sins between people.

👉 The Peshat level emphasizes the halachic obligations — fasting, refraining from five pleasures, and engaging in prayer and teshuvah.

2. Remez (Hint / Allegorical Level)

Hints in Numbers and Practices:

The five afflictions correspond to the five levels of the soul (nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, yechidah) (Zohar, Vayikra 102a).
The white garments worn in synagogue hint at Israel’s resemblance to angels (Talmud Yoma 35b).
The scapegoat sent away hints at casting away negativity and redirecting it toward its proper rectification.

👉 Yom Kippur hints that man, though clothed in flesh, has the capacity to transcend and touch eternity, shedding physical layers to reveal the soul’s radiance.

3. Drash (Homiletical / Interpretive Level)

Ethical and Spiritual Teachings:

Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah 7:6): Teshuvah is always accepted, but Yom Kippur magnifies its power.
Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 29:9): Teshuvah was created before the world — meaning forgiveness is embedded in creation itself.
Talmud (Taanit 26b): “There were no days as joyous for Israel as Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av,” teaching that beyond solemnity lies a hidden joy — the joy of being cleansed and renewed.

👉 The Drash level shows Yom Kippur as an existential teaching: man can always return, repair, and be embraced by Divine mercy.

4. Sod (Mystical / Secret Level)

Kabbalistic and Chassidic Insights:

Zohar (Acharei Mot, 67b): Yom Kippur is “the day of Yechidah,” when the deepest point of the soul (yechidah she’banefesh) unites with the Oneness of God.
Arizal (Sha’ar HaKavanot, Yom Kippur): The five tefillot (prayers) correspond to the ascent through five spiritual worlds, culminating in Ne’ilah, where the soul cleaves to Ein Sof beyond all veils.
Sefat Emet (Yom Kippur 5631): On Yom Kippur, the light of the soul is revealed without obstruction, for fasting removes the dominance of the body, leaving the pure essence of the neshama.
Rav Kook (Orot HaTeshuvah 14): The day itself is a revelation of the “hidden point of holiness” in every Jew, showing that sin never touches the essence of the soul.

👉 The Sod level reveals Yom Kippur as a cosmic reunion — the day when heaven and earth unite, when Israel mirrors the angels, and when the innermost spark (yechidah) encounters the Infinite.

Medicine for the Soul: Repentance, Prayer, and Righteousness during Yom Kippur

1. The Threefold Path: Teshuvah, Tefillah, Tzedakah

The High Holy Days liturgy famously proclaims:

“U’Teshuvah, U’Tefillah, U’Tzedakah ma’avirin et ro’a ha’gzeirah — Repentance, Prayer, and Righteousness remove the evil of the decree.” (Unetaneh Tokef, Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)

The sages emphasize that these three are the spiritual remedies for the soul — not just abstract virtues, but actual medicine that heals spiritual illness and restores connection with the Divine.

2. Teshuvah (Repentance / Return)

Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah 7:5): Teshuvah brings one closer to the Divine Presence. The sinner who repents is no longer distanced but stands beloved before God.
Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 29:9): Teshuvah was created before the world itself — meaning it is the primordial cure, anticipating human frailty and providing the soul with an eternal pathway back.
Zohar (Vayikra 106a): Teshuvah heals the “wounds” of the soul. Just as a physician removes poison from the body, teshuvah removes spiritual toxins.

👉 On Yom Kippur, repentance is the medicine that detoxifies the soul and allows it to breathe freely in God’s presence.

3. Tefillah (Prayer)

Talmud Bavli, Berachot 6b: “Prayer stands at the height of the world, yet people take it lightly.” On Yom Kippur, prayer becomes a ladder, ascending through the heavens.
Ramban (Vayikra 16): The High Priest’s prayer in the Holy of Holies mirrors the individual’s inner prayer. Just as the incense cloud filled the sanctuary, so prayer fills and sanctifies the heart.
Chassidut (Sefat Emet, Yom Kippur 5631): Each prayer of Yom Kippur corresponds to ascending levels of the soul — Kol Nidrei awakens nefesh, Shacharit elevates ruach, Musaf refines neshamah, Minchah touches chayah, and Ne'ilah reveals yechidah.

👉 Prayer is the medicine that realigns the soul, reattunes it to its Source, and draws divine compassion into the world.

4. Tzedakah (Righteousness / Charity)

Proverbs 10:2: “Tzedakah saves from death.”
Midrash Tanchuma (Noach 12): Charity is more powerful than all sacrifices.
Rambam (Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 10:1): Giving to the poor is the surest sign of righteousness because it imitates God’s kindness.
Zohar (Terumah 128a): Tzedakah not only redeems the giver but sweetens harsh decrees for the entire world.

👉 On Yom Kippur, righteousness is the medicine that heals relationships — it restores balance between man and fellow man and extends divine mercy outward into society.

5. The Healing Integration

The sages explain that these three remedies work in harmony:

Teshuvah heals the past (cleansing the soul of stains).
Tefillah strengthens the present (attuning the heart to God in the moment).
Tzedakah secures the future (channeling blessing and life into the world).

Rabbi Saadia Gaon compares them to a physician’s regimen: repentance is the removal of poison, prayer is the strengthening of the immune system, and righteousness is the nourishment that keeps the body and soul healthy.

6. Mystical Dimension

Arizal (Sha’ar HaKavanot): These three correspond to the divine triad of Chesed (Tzedakah), Gevurah (Tefillah), and Tiferet (Teshuvah). When performed sincerely on Yom Kippur, they unify the higher worlds and draw down divine light of healing and forgiveness.
Baal Shem Tov: The soul is a candle. Teshuvah removes the soot, Tefillah fuels the flame, and Tzedakah spreads its light to others.

Final Insight

Yom Kippur is not a day of denial but of healing. The sages reveal that Repentance, Prayer, and Righteousness are not punishments or restrictions but medicines for the soul, designed to restore vitality, joy, and closeness to God. When all three converge, the human being becomes renewed, whole, and aligned with the Divine purpose.