| "There is no day as good for Israel as the day of Yom Kippur (Ta'anis 26b). If we make the proper preparations to improve our deeds, then we have nothing better than the Day of Atonement..." (Ohr Yisrael, Letter Seven)
Usually, Yom Kippur is perceived as a somber day of fasting and prayer. What does the Talmud mean when it says that Yom Kippur is the best of days?
There was once a wise and mighty king. One night, while the kingdom was sleeping, all the members of the royal family and all the royal servants came to the palace. One by one, each person dumped a load of garbage at the king's gate. By the time the night was over, there was a mountain of putrid garbage outside the palace door.
What insolence! What an outrage! What would be the consequences of their actions?
When the morning came, the king readied himself to take his daily stroll in the royal garden. He passed through the entrance and immediately saw a massive pile of garbage.
Astonishingly, the king showed no anger whatsoever. On the contrary, a joyful smile appeared on his face! (Parable based on Tanna D'vei Eliyahu)
Our Sages use this parable to illustrate what takes place on Yom Kippur. If we cast off our misdeeds on Yom Kippur, HaShem will be happy with us. He will forgive us and cleanse all of our impurities!
Our primary task on Yom Kippur is to cast off our misdeeds. HaShem loves us and wants to cleanse us of our impurities and grant us forgiveness.
Today: Imagine unloading all your misdeeds, flaws, and mistakes on Yom Kippur and having HaShem wash them away, leaving you feeling totally pure and cleansed!
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