The day which we normally refer to as “Yom Kippur” is actually called in the Torah by a slightly different name – “Yom Kippurim.” The name “Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement,” whereas “Yom Kippurim” is a plural term, which literally means, “Day of Atonements.” The Torah’s use of the name “Yom Kippurim” thus gives rise to the question of which “atonements” are referred to. Which different types of atonement are indicated by this name?
One possibility is that the name “Yom Kippurim” refers to the two basic categories of sins – violations “Ben Adam La’Makom” (between man and G-d), and “Ben Adam La’habero” (between a person and his fellow man). On Yom Kippur, we must seek forgiveness for both kinds of infractions – the wrongs we have committed against the Almighty, and the wrongs we have committed against other people.
But there may also be an additional explanation.
The Talmud teaches that on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, G-d opens the “Sifreh Haim” and “Sifreh Metim.” These are commonly translated as “the book of life” and “the book of death.” Meaning, G-d inscribes in one book the names of those given another year of life, and He inscribes in the second book those who are given the opposite judgment, Heaven forbid.
However, one of the great Sephardic scholars, the Pahad Yishak, explains differently. He writes that on the Days of Awe, G-d judges both the “Haim” – the living – and the “Metim” – the dead. Even those who have already passed on, and are no longer with us in this world, are judged on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
If so, then we can understand the meaning of the term “Yom Kippurim” – “Day of Atonements.” Atonement is granted not only to us, to those who are fortunate enough to still be alive, but even to the deceased. For them, too, Yom Kippur is a time of forgiveness and atonement.
This, of course, begs the question, why do the deceased require atonement? For what are they judged now for which they had not already been judged? They were judged once they departed this world, and, quite obviously, they could no longer perform Misvot or commit sins since then. Why, then, are they judged again each year?
The answer is that the “ripple effect” of our actions continues well after we leave this world. The consequences of our behavior, both positive and negative, continue indefinitely.
A devoted teacher educates hundred or thousands of students over the course of his career, inspiring them to follow the Torah, and equipping them to lead a Torah life. Each year, the Misvot performed by these students, by their children, and by everyone whom their students and children influenced, are credited to this educator, even many years after his passing. And thus every year, he is judged anew, receiving countless new merits because of the Misvot that were performed as a consequence of his hard work and devotion.
The same is true of each and every one of us. Every Misva we perform, every kind word we say, every good decision we make, has a ripple effect. It impacts upon the people around us, and they then influence others as a result. We are credited with, and rewarded for, not only the Misvot we perform, but also their long-term positive effects, for all eternity.
However, the opposite is also true.
One of the kings of Yehuda was the wicked king Menashe, who did not just worship idols – but worshipped every pagan deity that existed in his time. However, toward the end of his life, he regretted his idolatry, and repented. Curiously, his eventual Teshuba is not mentioned in the Book of Melachim, where we find the primary account of his rule. It is mentioned only in the Book of Dibreh Hayamim, which was written much later. During his lifetime, although Menashe repented, the effects of his sinfulness were still widespread and tangible throughout the kingdom. He himself regretted his idolatry, but all the people whom he had influenced to worship idols continued doing so. It was only much later that the impact of his sins began to wane, and thus it was only then that his repentance was worth mentioning.
Each day of our lives, and even every moment, we are planting seeds which will yield plants that will continue reproducing for generations to come. And it is up to us to determine what kind of “plants” will be produced as a result of our actions.
Every piece of Torah we learn, every small Misva we perform, every bit of inspiration we experience, has a long-term impact. I still tell my family words of Torah and pieces of wisdom which I heard from my teachers as a youngster. We need to take advantage of every opportunity we have to learn, to grow, and to perform Misvot, because their value is infinite, lasting for generations.
Let us be mindful of the ripple effect of our Misvot, and make the commitment to pursue every Misva opportunity that we can, and avoid all wrongdoing, so that the seeds we plant will yield beautiful vegetation for the future.