01/10/2025
The Yom Kippur Perspective: Unbound, Forgiven, Free
We are about to enter Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. A day when we rise above physical needs and step into the essence of who we are. A day when the very sanctity of time itself brings atonement.
But Yom Kippur begins in a surprising way. Kol Nidrei is not lofty prayer—it is a legal declaration. Why start here? The Rebbe explains that Kol Nidrei frees us from the inner vows that chain us to smallness. Rabbi Soloveitchik teaches that it releases us from the prison of guilt. Together, they show us that before we can rise, we must first unbind.
From Kol Nidrei to Neilah, the journey is one of release to embrace. At the close of the day, the gates of Heaven do not lock us out—they seal us within G-d’s love, purified, forgiven, and renewed.
In honor of Eretz Yisroel – May G-d protect our brave soldiers and return all the hostages in Gaza immediately.
Dedicated in loving memory of Edward Ben Efraim, Shlomo Ben Edward, and Yirachmiel Daniel Ben Gedalia.