The seventh day of the week is kadosh. Yom Kippur is kadosh, and shmittah is kadosh. So when they all fall out together, like this year, we cannot even begin to imagine how holy the day is. In truth, there is a strong connection between these three kedushos:They are all referred to as “Shabbos.”
Regarding Yom Kippur, in Parshas Acharei Mos (16:31) it states, “Shabbos Shabboson he lachem, ve’inisem es nafshoseychem – It is a Shabbos of Shabbasos for you, and [a day upon which] you must fast.” About shmittah the Torah states in Parshas Behar (25:2). “Veshavesah ha’aretz Shabbos la’Hashem – the land must be given a rest period, a Shabbos to Hashem.” The reason why all three are called Shabbos is that during each one we refrain from certain activities. On Shabbos we refrain from the 39 melachos – all work and positive actions of creation. During shmittah we refrain from agricultural activities and collection of loans, and on Yom Kippur we refrain from all physical pleasures.
But looking at the pesukim, we see something interesting. Regarding Shabbos, the pasuk says (Shemos 31:15), “Shabbos Shabbason, kodesh la’Hashem – a Shabbos of Shabbasos, holy for Hashem,” while regarding Yom Kippur it states that it is a Shabbos “for you.” Shouldn’t it be the opposite? On Shabbos, when we are commanded to eat and enjoy the wonderful world Hashem created, shouldn’t it say that Shabbos is “for us”? And since we dedicate Yom Kippur to repentance and prayer, shouldn’t it say it is “for Hashem”? Even more difficult, the verse seems to imply that the reason we must afflict ourselves on Yom Kippur is because it is “for us.” On the contrary – is that not a reason why we should enjoy ourselves?
Rav Hirsch in his commentary on Chumash (Vayikra 16:31) explains that the reason it states la’Hashem regarding Shabbos and shmittah is because in both cases we are declaring that Hashem is the King and that we are totally subservient to him. By observing shmittah we show that Hashem owns our land and money. By refraining from work on Shabbos we demonstrate that He is the source of all our income, our Boss! Therefore, we say that these days are Shabbos to Hashem. But on Yom Kippur we go a step further. We declare that not only are we loyal subjects of Hashem, but in truth we do not have our own existence. Therefore, we refrain from all human pleasures.
What does this mean?
The Sma’ag writes in the preface to his famous work that the human being consists of a body that is animalistic in nature and an angelic soul. The body desires animalistic pleasures – eating, drinking, etc. – while the soul is disgusted by such activities. The neshama wants to perform only spiritual activities and tries to get closer to Hashem. So why did Hashem create this “odd couple”? He explains that our job in this world is to raise our materialism to a higher and holier plateau. Thus, both components are needed: the body, to perform materialistic acts; the soul, to elevate them. Through this the world will attain its purpose, and the human body itself will become a more spiritual entity.
Who Am I?
But which part is the real “me?” Obviously it is the neshama, the part of us that will continue to exist even after we die. This is the “chelek Elokah mi’mal,” our connection and similarity to our Creator, Hashem. The body is just the tool we need to elevate this materialistic world. Therefore, the neshama is supposed to be in charge, just as the human who rides a horse guides it and controls it. The problem is that our body is similar to a wild stallion that needs a lot of effort to control and to break its wild nature. The pasuk in Iyov (11:12) says, “Ayar perah adam yivaled – man is born as a wild mule!” We must tame that wildness using our holy neshama.
Throughout the year, by listening to our bodies and following the bad character traits we are supposed to uproot, we have covered our neshamos with a layer of filth. We have no idea how many of the things that went wrong this past year were due to that accumulation. But more important, we must worry how much we will lose out in the Next World as a result. This is why we need Yom Kippur. The Ramchal tells us (Derech Hashem, 4:8) that Yom Kippur is the day that Hashem is prepared to accept our teshuva and wipe away all the destruction our sins caused. On this day, a special light shines and brings holiness. However, only those who keep the commandments of this day, especially the mitzvos of affliction, will receive this great light.
Now we can understand everything. The reason resting from pleasure is “for us” is because this day is for the real us – our neshama. In order to give it the soul-cleansing it so badly needs, we must leave our animalistic desires and focus on our neshama. By doing so we prepare ourselves to receive the great light of Yom Kippur that will bring us back to where we belong. Therefore, the Torah tells us, since this day is for us, we should afflict ourselves. And perhaps this is what Rav Hirsch meant. On Yom Kippur we demonstrate that our physical aspect does not have its own existence – for the real “us” is our neshama, the part which is a chelek Elokah mi’mal.
Knowing this will help us fast. If you feel weak and hungry, don’t start thinking, “When will this fast be over?” – you will have missed the point. Rather, you should be happy that you have the opportunity to show that your soul is the real you. Your telling Hashem that when you sinned and missed out on opportunities to do mitzvos, it was because your body pulled you into it. You wish that it would not have happened, and you take actions to ensure that it won’t happen again.
This year there are many things to help us accomplish this great task. The onset of the Shabbos of shmittah began on Rosh Hashanah. Even those of us who do not live in Eretz Yisroel can take part in declaring that Hashem is the Master of the world in two ways: First, through learning about shmittah,especially the laws of the cancellation of loans, which is also applicable in Chutz La’aretz. Second, by giving monetary support to those brave farmers who are keeping shmittah.
Then on Yom Kippur itself, when we refrain from melachos, we should do so not only because melacha is forbidden on Yom Kippur, but also because it is Shabbos. And each time that we mention that today is Shabbos in davening, we can focus on the fact that Hashem is our Master. And finally, when we refrain from worldly pleasures because it is Yom Kippur, our neshama will fly out of the shackles of our body and soar up into the loving hands of Hashem, back to where it came from! Then He will lovingly clean it off and give it back to us so that we can make a new start for the year 5775 – the year of shmittah and, hopefully, the year of the true redemption!
