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Parshat Achrei-Mot describes the meticulous but mysterious Avodah service that Aharon, the Kohen Gadol, performed on Yom Kippur in order to attain kaparah, atonement, for himself, his family and the whole Jewish people. But Aharon also needed to make atonement for certain items in the Mikdash as well, including the Holy of Holies and the Tent of Assembly, “Which dwells among the people in the midst of their impurity” (Vayikra 16:16). What does this mean? According to the Talmud, “Which dwells among the people in the midst of their impurity” means, “Even when the people are impure, God's presence will still be with them” (B. Talmud, Yoma 56b).
The Tent of Assembly represented God's presence on earth, it was the emblem of God's abiding faithfulness to reside among His people. And so, the Talmud is telling us that even though we can only be totally pure one day out of the entire year, don't think that God is only with us on Yom Kippur, when we're like the angels. Don't think that God's presence will only abide in our midst when our sins have been totally forgiven. Instead, this passage is teaching us that during the other three hundred and sixty-four days of the year – days when we fail in our commitments, when we don't live up to our resolutions, when we fall short of following through with our promises – God will still be with us through it all. As long as we can feel God's presence planted squarely in our midst, situated firmly at the center of our lives, we can all maintain the conviction, we can all have the strength, the courage and the faith it takes to face the challenges of the real world – to try and fail, to try again and fail again, knowing that God will be there for us, that God will be there with us to help us along on the journeys of our lives, wherever they may lead.
The ultimate message of Yom Kippur isn't how we can achieve perfection for one day. No. The ultimate message of Yom Kippur is how we can achieve perseverance every day. Thus, Parshat Achrei-Mot teaches us that God will never abandon us. And so, it's up to us to try with all our might not to forget that as we travel down the long road ahead.
Shabbat Shalom!
- Rabbi Dan
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