'If atonement is not granted on Rosh Hashana, I will grant it on Yom Kippur, and if they do not attain atonement on Yom Kippur, I will grant it on Hoshana Rabba.'
Yom Kippur concludes 10 days of soul-searching, atonement and repentance– the holiest Jewish time - which begins on Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish year, commemorating the creation of the first human-being, Adam.
When reading about the service of the two goats this coming Yom Kippur, let us be reminded of a life lived in the path of God versus a meaningless existence.
As the Talmud says, “There were never happier days for the Jews than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur.” What is it about Yom Kippur that makes it such a happy day?
Why did God choose the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, as the 'Day of Judgment,' and what are this holiday's wider implications for the rest of the world?
Just as the mirrors on our walls help us to look our best, the Yom Kippur season brings with it spiritual mirrors. Be sure to use your personal spiritual mirror.
Yes, we have to feel remorse, and yes, it may very well be appropriate on an individual level to be moved to tears, but on the whole, our sages teach us that the confessional is actually a time to be happy.