On Yom Kippur we bow on the floor 4 times. Why? Well this is why we don't. Jews don't generally kneel because (1) it's like other religions (even though they copied us) (2) ״מפני חטאנו״ - we sinned and now were no longer able to go bow in the בית המקדש בירושלים. Bowing was normal there- since it was destroyed were no longer able to do what was essential. There's no בית המקדש I go to.
So why on Yom Kippur? Because on this day were virtually in the בית המקדש. So when we get to the words of when the כהן גדול said השם המפורש (Hashem's real name that we don't know) we bowed on the floor.
When the חזן says השם המפורש we prostrate. This is what kept us alive for 2000 years. We never left the בית המקדש. It's very important to be a part of מוסף. The idea of Yom Kippur is prominent we do a lot of things rooted In this principle.
Side note: We don't bow down on ראש השנה because of this, it's because we're crowning Hashem with כתר המלוכה. There's a difference between Hashem being king because he just is and Hashem being king because we accept him and were pledging allegiance.
ויקרא, פרק טז פסוק ז
ז וְלָקַח, אֶת-שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם; וְהֶעֱמִיד אֹתָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.
The two goats have to be identical. You put them both on the altar. One goes up to Hashem and one gets thrown off a mountain to die. What does this represent?
In life there are always choices. A million a day. Sometimes you don't even realize you're making a choice. Lets say you go down a road and get to a fork. At the moment you're in that spot, you can go either way. Think carefully with every choice you take. The two animals look the same. There's no objective, logical, rational, reason why each goes its way. But look at the difference! Ones קדש בבית המקדש ביום כיפור and one is destroyed! We can end up קדש or destroying our entire life. The little turn to the way you go can lead to crazy different roads. (Animals don't have a choice but we do)
We need to get people to take their lives more seriously. We can kill an animal בידי צער בעלי חיים once a year for this reason.
פסוק יז
יז וְכָל-אָדָם לֹא-יִהְיֶה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, בְּבֹאוֹ לְכַפֵּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ--עַד-צֵאתוֹ; וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ, וּבְעַד כָּל-קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל
No one could be in אוהל מועד when the כהן גדול does his עבודה. Why does it say "וְכָל-אָדָם לֹא-יִהְיֶה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד״ ??
"במקום שאין איש, השתדל להיות איש-
Be a "mentch." The pasuk is (i might want to say-vaguely) alluding to this is too. When no one is around being good- be a man!!!
פסוק כג
כג וּבָא אַהֲרֹן, אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וּפָשַׁט אֶת-בִּגְדֵי הַבָּד, אֲשֶׁר לָבַשׁ בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל-הַקֹּדֶשׁ; וְהִנִּיחָם, שָׁם.
After עבודה the כהן wears regular every day clothing but they also have special clothes for Yom Kippur. At the end of the עבודה he has to remove the בגדי בד and go back to regular clothing. Where does it go? He just leaves them there. --> "והניחם שם״-
רשי Comments on this
We learn that it was required to bury them in גניזה because they're holy. You don't use them ever again for any other Yom Kippurs. Does this make sense?
This emphasizes how every עבודה has to be new and vibrant. It's not a repeat performance.
Everything we do in our lives has to be done with meaning.
We pray the same words every day but we have to keep it fresh and spice it up. Put your life and heart into it. It needs vibrance. It was put away and never used again.
פסוק ל
ל כִּי-בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם, לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם: מִכֹּל, חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, תִּטְהָרוּ.
Unique sanctity of Yom Kippur. We repeat this line so much. On this day Hashem will forgive us and we'll become pure. "לפני ה׳ תטהרו״ --> 3 words!!
R. Soloveitchik says
So what, we walk in with sin and walk out טהור?
Before Hashem you become pure - literally. If you can really feel Hashem's presence - if you figure out what that means, you ARE in Hashem's presence.
To the degree, you can put yourself there, it's to that degree, the טהרה will take place. Whatever it is, it is.
Try and feel like you're in the בית המקדש.
If you made it through this- I hope y'all have a meaningful Tom Kippur. MAKE it meaningful because what you put in, you get out.
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