(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com)

The Nesivos Shalom provides an essential understanding to Yom Kippur.

The Gemorah in Yuma (85b) cites a statement made by Rabbi Akiva:� �Fortunate are you, O Israel, for before Whom you are purifying yourselves, and Who is purifying you!�

It is possible that Rabbi Akiva is actually responding to a previous statement of Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah.� Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah understands the words �lifnei Hashem� in the verse, �Mikol Chatosaichem Lifnei Hashem Tit-haru� as attached to Mikol Chatosaichem.� He, therefore, darshens that on Yom Kippur it is only the sins that are Bain Adam LaMakom � the chatosaichem lifnei Hashem that are purified.�� But there is no forgiveness on sins that are Bain Adam Lechaveiro.

Rabbi Akiva darshens the verse a different way.� He has Lifnei hashem connected to Tit-haru. �Mikol Chatosaichem Lifnei Hashem Tit-haru�

One can ask, what additional insight is Rabbi Akiva providing us with?� What is special about this tahara � specifically?

The Nesivos Shalom explains to us that Rabbi Akiva is revealing to us the fundamental essence of how atonement on Yom Kippur works.��� The Maharal at the end of his Shabbos Shuvah drasha explains Rabbi Akiva�s words as �that which Klal Yisroel achieves atonement on Yom Kippur is because they have a Dveikus with Hashem yisaleh, as it states (Dvarim 4:4), �va�atem hadveikim lashem elokaichem..�

On this Rabbi Akiva comments, �Fortunate are you O� Israel before Whom you are purifying yourselves� � because there is no greater Maaleh � or quality. He further adds � �And who purifies you?� Your father in Shamayim.�� Because Klal Yisroel is entirely attached to Him – the Dveikus in and of itself removes and eradicates the sin from Klal Yisroel.� Because regarding HaKadosh Boruch Hu � there is no chait � sin� it removes sins from those that cleave to Him.

This is what the posuk means �Lifnei hashem tit-haru� that through the fact that you stand before Hashem and cleave and have Dveikus to Him this in and of itself purifies.� When a Jew truly cleaves to Hashem all his sins and Tumah become eliminated.� �Kol Hamechubar laTahor tahor.� Whatever is connected to that which is pure � is pure. [This is a Mishna in Kailim 12:2]

The Maharal cites a proof from Mikvah� The Mikvah is the source of purity.� One who sticks to it with no chatzitzah (something interpolating in between), is free from Tumah.� The same is true with purifying Klal Yisroel through complete Dveikus to hashem � with no Chatzitzah in between.

Through this we can explain the words of a Chazal in Meseches Shabbos (118b):� �Whomsoever observes Shabbos properly � even if he served Avodah Zarah like the generation of Enosh � he is forgiven.�� Now how could the most serious sin in the Torah be rectified by through the zchus of keeping Shabbos?� The answer is only because Shabbos is also the �Day of Dveikus� of Klal Yisroel with Hashem in heaven, as the posuk says, �Bris Olam Baini Uvain Bnai Yisroel..�� Therefore this great sin is forgiven through the mechanism of �whatever is connected to Tahor is tahor.� [See Mishna Kailim 12:2 dealing with the laws of purity and impurity].

According to this, the essential Avodah of Yom Kippur is Dveikus Bashem.� This is the secret of purity and atonement.� This is the essence of the day.

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