A fast such as this.

 

As I sit here this Shabbat contemplating my own short comings and seeking true Teshuva. I am thinking how when this Shabbat ends the holiest day of the biblical year begins. Yom Kippur, (The Day of Atonement). It is this day that we are restored completely to the father and all past wrongs done away with and remembered no more. The tradition for this day, is that we fast to afflict our souls, because the father says that he will cut off from among the people anyone who does not afflict his soul. But what does that truly mean. How does one afflict their soul? The only way I know how to figure these things out is to go to the scriptures and search.

 

Every year I have people contact me and ask what it really means to afflict your soul. They ask questions like “does it really mean to Fast” or is it something more. Some will say I have medication that requires me to eat, or some other physical ailment, should I fast as well. I normally give them some generic short answer which I believe to be correct but that is really not teaching them it is just answering them. The goal should always be to teach them so they are able to answer their own questions when they arise. So let us get started doing just that.

 

Lev 16:29-31  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

 

Lev 23:27-32  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

 

Num 29:7  And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:

 

Three times in the torah this feast day is reiterated, and as if that would not be an important enough fact when we take a look at the context we find something that sets this feast apart, from the other feast. The Father said anyone who does not afflict their soul on that day will be cut off from their people (Put outside the camp so to speak). But then he goes further. He said that anyone that does any work on that day he will DESTROY from among his people. It is for this reason that I say this is the most serious feast day out of them all.

 

From Sundown (erev) on the 9th day until after sunset on 10th day we are to afflict our souls and not do any work. This according to the three accounts in Torah. However There are unmoors accounts of the way we should approach this feast day, we call this evidence to account and establish Halicah. Halicah is the order or the way something is to be done. So before I go any further with this lets take at least two more looks at this feast day through the Prophets.

 

The first account we will take a look at is found in the book of Zechariah.  Zechariah 8:19 will be the focus though. Zec 8:18-19  And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

 

This passage seems to support the traditional interpretation of how one afflicts their soul but it also mentions some other moths that we can not support with scripture. A fast in the fourth, fifth, and tenth month. To find these fast we have to look to Talmud. As many of you know it is very rear case in which I will use Talmud to make an argument. I only use it when an argument concerning Halicah or scripture can not be settled using scripture alone. However that is not the case in this instance so I will not use it in the article either. I think with the next passage we can lay this argument to rest.

 

Before we go there though lets state what the argument is again. The argument is does the praise afflict your souls in the previous passage really mean to fast from food. To some people going with out food from one sundown to the next is really not afflicting their soul. To others though missing one meal is really afflicting their soul. Some people because of medical reasons can not fast at all, and are always looked at in a lesser light. I personally believe this is why Avinu stated it as AFLICT your souls and not as simply as just calling us to a fast and you will see why by the writing of the prophet Isaiah

 

Isa 58:2-10 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

 

Now here we see some very compelling things concerning Yom Kippur. First of all the father makes note that some people are delighting in afflicting their souls only so they can through it up in his face later. This is a spirit of Arrogance and manipulation as if they can control HaShim by their actions and their piety. Avinu then says you have taken pleasure in your fast and have exacted your labors. Meaning that, you have already received your reward for your labor.

 

He said that we fast for strife and debate so we can smite with the fist of wickedness. This wickedness that he is referring to is Lashon hurrah the evil tongue. They are only doing this so they can brag about what they have done and their obedience to the father. It is the honor of a father and mother when their children are obedient. We do not reward them for what it already expected of them. Sure we may reward them when they are learning but when we know that they are fully aware of what is expected of them we do not reward them for that. And if they brag about just doing the minimum we certainly do not give them praise. The father is a good father and if we know how to care for our children how much more so does he care for us.

 

He said do we think this is what he expected of us when he called us to this fast. Of course not, it’s not that he called us to bow are heads as a tree that has been bent under the pressure or like we are morning the death of our family sitting in Sackcloth and ashes, he goes on to tell us exactly how we should fast in this day that he has called us to fast on.

 

We are to loose the bands of wickedness while we fast and to undo our heavy burdens. This is when we have participated in Lashon hurrah or if we have anything against our brother (sisters) in the faith. Go to them even if you know you will not be received and free your soul. That if you are oppressing anyone that you stop, if anyone is oppressing you that you break the yoke they have put upon you. Its not that you give your food for the day to the poor or to bring them into your home so you can show them how holy you are that you are fasting. But more so that you do not hide yourself from you own family both immediate and extended that you might have hard feelings with.

 

Only when we are able to do this in our fast will Avinu (our father in heaven) allow our light to break forth as the morning, and our health will return to us steadily. Then we will cry out to HaShim and ask for his forgiveness and for him to break the yokes on us, we will draw out our soul or do those things that might be uncomfortable to us that someone else’s hungry soul will be released. Then our light will rise out obscurity and the darkness that was once hidden in our hearts will be able to be know as though it had been shown at noon day.

 

So when we say we are called to a fast buy HaShim on Yom Kippur we are exactly right but we are called to his fast for his glory in protecting us not so we can boast before men in how righteous we are, or how obedient we are. Nor to use it in manipulation of the father to try and get him to move on our behalf. His fast that he has called us to so he can atone for our sins is that we come to him in a true spirit of Teshuvah (repentance) with clean hearts and hands before him. It is more then just denying our flesh of food. It is denying our souls of the sin that has reigned in our beings. It is our opportunity to forgive every one who has wronged us justly or unjustly because it should not matter any longer who was right or wrong. By releasing those of their wrong doing you are actually releasing yourself.

 

This Yom Kippur truly afflict your soul before the father, not just your flesh. Cheg samech Yom Kippur mishpokah. ( have a joyous day of atonement family)