The ARI"zl says that Yom Kippur is Yom KiPurim, literally translated as the day of atonement is like Purim. The story of purim revolves around a tiny seemingly insignificant plot point. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews overhears two workers plotting to kill the king. This small moment of silent attention sets into motion a chain of events that will eventually save the entire Jewish people.
A major theme of Purim is reversal. The evil decree against the Jews was reversed. The same is true of Yom Kippur, we reverse our bad habits and evil decrees against us are overturned. Yom Kippur and Purim are the inverse of each other. On Yom Kippur we feast then fast, on Purim we fast then feast.
At Mincha on Yom Kippur we read the book of Yonah. A theme of this book is also reversal. In most of the books of the Prophets the prophet delivers a message to the people to repent. In Yonah the prophet is delivered a message by the people. Their repentance teaches Yonah a lesson.
When Yonah is on a boat in the middle of a storm the sailors encourage the prophet to call out to his God. Yonah is then thrown in the ocean and is swallowed by a giant fish. Which gave him some time to think which he didn't take advantage of. Later he influences the town of Ninveh to repent from sin and he sits outside the town observing the people. Again the prophet has time to think but does not take advantage.
Each of these events was a wake up call to Yonah. He was supposed to listen with silent attention as Mordechai did, and understand the significance of what he was hearing. Hashem wanted to send Yonah a message about the possoblity of repentance, of mercy, of hope.
On September 11th 2001 my father came late to work, his office was on the 72nd floor of Tower 2 at the World Trade Center. The reason he was late was because he listened to Mr. Lifshitz the 80 year old man he used to give a ride to. Mr. Lifshitz instructed my father to go vote in a small seemingly insignificant primary election. My father decided to listen and it might have saved his life.
As we see from the Purim story as well as the story of Yonah there is no such thing as an insignificant detail.This Yom Kippur I will spend time praying, begging and bargaining and perhaps as a bit of a reversal from my usual behavior I will try and listen and pay silent attention to the seemingly insignificant details.
A major theme of Purim is reversal. The evil decree against the Jews was reversed. The same is true of Yom Kippur, we reverse our bad habits and evil decrees against us are overturned. Yom Kippur and Purim are the inverse of each other. On Yom Kippur we feast then fast, on Purim we fast then feast.
At Mincha on Yom Kippur we read the book of Yonah. A theme of this book is also reversal. In most of the books of the Prophets the prophet delivers a message to the people to repent. In Yonah the prophet is delivered a message by the people. Their repentance teaches Yonah a lesson.
When Yonah is on a boat in the middle of a storm the sailors encourage the prophet to call out to his God. Yonah is then thrown in the ocean and is swallowed by a giant fish. Which gave him some time to think which he didn't take advantage of. Later he influences the town of Ninveh to repent from sin and he sits outside the town observing the people. Again the prophet has time to think but does not take advantage.
Each of these events was a wake up call to Yonah. He was supposed to listen with silent attention as Mordechai did, and understand the significance of what he was hearing. Hashem wanted to send Yonah a message about the possoblity of repentance, of mercy, of hope.
On September 11th 2001 my father came late to work, his office was on the 72nd floor of Tower 2 at the World Trade Center. The reason he was late was because he listened to Mr. Lifshitz the 80 year old man he used to give a ride to. Mr. Lifshitz instructed my father to go vote in a small seemingly insignificant primary election. My father decided to listen and it might have saved his life.
As we see from the Purim story as well as the story of Yonah there is no such thing as an insignificant detail.This Yom Kippur I will spend time praying, begging and bargaining and perhaps as a bit of a reversal from my usual behavior I will try and listen and pay silent attention to the seemingly insignificant details.
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