That’s how it falls this year, 2024, Yom Kippur later in the same week as the first secular-year anniversary of October 7th. We did a Torah-Tuesday class this week exploring concepts and messages to be learned from this. We’ll try to capture some of the “October 7th and Yom Kippur” Torah-Tuesday discussion and message in this post.
First we passed around Post-It notes for students to jot down their thoughts on this calendar juxtaposition and what it could mean and what to learn from it. Students said a whole bunch of things, some overlapped, here’s some of what they shared:
Both are serious days, somber.
Yom Kippur and October 7th are both times for reflection.
They’re both a time for increased prayer.
The hostages seek a fresh start and clean slate, as we pray for on Yom Kippur.
Both make us reexamine and shift our priorities and perspective.
The ominous high holiday “Unesaneh Tokef” prayer “Who will live, who will die?” all the more poignant.
Both are times to connect with G-d and with community.
These are among the connections that students shared at the two Torah-Tuesday classes this week. We discussed these responses together as a group, all meaningful and relevant.
I’d like to add one more point, that becomes more apparent once you know how Chassidus views Yom Kippur.
Literally Yom Kippur translates to “Day of Atonement”. Punny perhaps, but this twist captures what Chassidus adds to the atonement piece. Yom Kippur is a “Day of At-ONE-ment”. Yom Kippur is that one day a year, not only once a year, but that oneness of the year, that peels away all the layers of the soul, revealing its inner core, its internal oneness.
There are 5 layers and levels of the soul: Nefesh = Action, Ruach = Emotion, Neshama = Intellect, Chaya = Drive, Yechidah = Soul-Core. It’s innermost essence. Yom Kippur is the only day of the year when Jews pray 5 times, 5 prayers, 5 Amidahs. Most days we pray 3x, on Shabbat and holidays we add a fourth, only on Yom Kippur are there 5 prayers. And this represents that striving towards the Yechidah, finding that inner spark, the core within.
Yechidah is also known as the Pintele Yid, the Jewish spark, the indestructible Jewish core. It’s that pilot flame that is hidden, tucked away. Yechidah may seem dormant for years but it never goes away or is diminished or disappears. It’s always there. It’s our Jewish identity. Not our Jewish expression or Jewish observance, those are more external layers of the soul. Yechidah is the hidden innermost core. Even Jews whom you don’t see much externally, its not evident, they’re not involved, deep down there’s a dormant Yechidah soul-core.
Sometimes that soul-core gets triggered, awakened. Tanya 18 speaks of this.
For many Jews all around the world, of all backgrounds and persuasions, what happened on October 7th and its aftermath was a Yechidah shake-up and wake-up. Their inner core Jewishness came roaring to the fore! The Yechidah/Pintele Yid/Essence of Jewish Identity was triggered and awakened, and revealed full-force.
Spiritually, from a Chassidic lens, Yom Kippur seeks to do the same. To awaken that oneness, that inner core.
Recognizing the Yechidah and awakening it, is a great emphasis of the Rebbe, his vision and teachings, and it comes to life in Chabad Houses and Jewish communities all around the world.
(This written piece may not fully express what was discussed and explained in the Torah-Tuesday class, but its a taste).