Yom Kippur: A Day Like Purim – Transformative Joy from Mourning to Celebration
October 11, 2024
By Rus Devorah Wallen

I’m Rus Devorah Wallen, and I’d like to share my T for 2, my Torah thought for two minutes, more or less.

This coming Shabbos, we will observe Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement. Interestingly, it is also called Yom HaKippurim or Yom Kipurim, which can be playfully interpreted as “a day like Purim”. This comparison seems puzzling: Yom Kippur involves fasting, prayer, and abstention from physical pleasures, while Purim is a celebration of feasting and joy. How could these two opposite days be linked? Additionally, we’re in the week of the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7th, which many of us live with daily…October 7th is not just an indelibly ingrained date, it’s a continuous reminder of Israel, the single lamb amongst so many wolves.

Sadly, often we need to grow, learn and become more resilient from opposing situations. We’re in the 10 Days of Teshuva – Repentance, or technically return. Once again, this year, as we approach Yom Kippur, we are hopefully on the ascending spiral of spiritual growth as we return to our higher and more loyal, purest and only source, Hashem.

Chassidus reveals that both Yom Kippur and Purim share a profound similarity in their ability to connect us to the Divine. The phrase Yom Kippurim hints that Yom Kippur is indeed like Purim, pointing to the joy and transformation that lie beneath the solemn surface of the day.

On Yom Kippur, we seek closeness to Hashem through fasting and negation of the physical, peeling away our material layers to reveal the soul’s pure essence. In contrast, Purim teaches us to elevate physicality itself, revealing G-d’s guiding hand even within the seeming randomness of our lives.

The connection between these two holy days lies in their shared potential for joy and deep spiritual intimacy. Although Yom Kippur is solemn, it is not a day of mourning. The Talmud (Taanit 26b) teaches that it is one of the most joyous days of the year because it offers the chance for a fresh start, cleansed of past mistakes, with the slate wiped clean. Chassidic teachings go further, emphasizing that the true essence of Yom Kippur is not just repentance but reunion with G-d—teshuvah in its deepest sense, a return to our Divine source. Once atonement (or “at One-ment”) is achieved, we can celebrate with the same joy as Purim, rejoicing in our renewed closeness with Hashem.

This idea becomes even more meaningful as we move into the holidays that follow Yom Kippur: Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Immediately after Yom Kippur, we transition from fasting to feasting during Sukkot, the time of our joy, where we dwell in the protective embrace of the sukkah, symbolizing G-d’s sheltering presence. On Simchat Torah, we reach the peak of joy, dancing with the Torah and celebrating our connection to G-d’s wisdom, no matter our level of knowledge or scholarship.

The cycle from solemnity to celebration mirrors the broader theme of redemption: even in the darkest moments, G-d’s presence is with us, leading us to ultimate joy. Reflecting on October 7, a day marked by hardship and tragedy for the Jewish people, we can hold on to this hope. Even in the depths of pain, we are promised that joy will come. The journey of the soul, whether through Yom Kippur or through life’s challenges, transforms pain into closeness, fear into trust, and mourning into dancing. The Psalmist reminds us of our mitzvah to serve Hashem with joy, (which according to Kabbalah, breaks through spiritual barriers). May we all merit to transform our days of fasting into days of feasting, and our tears into laughter, as Yom Kippur, like Purim, leads us to redemption and joy, and peace for Israel – our Land and Our People.

 

Rus Devorah Wallen is an accomplished musician, performer, social worker, psychotherapist, and educator.