ספר ערבי נחל - פרשת בהר וחיות האדם נחלק לנפש רוח ונשמה חיה יחידה, וביארנו כמה פעמים כי זה הוא מעשה דיבור ומחשבה ושכל והוא נפש רוח נשמה חיות וכל אחד משתלשל מהקודם, ובחינת יחידה הוא רצון פשוט אשר הוא דק ורוחני עוד יותר מבחינת השכל והחכמה והוא מבחינת כתר : ספר ליקוטי תורה - פרשת בלק שבחי' פנימי' נקודת הלב היא בחי' יחידה שאין לה אלא רצון אחד לאביה שבשמים והיא המעלה והמדרגה שאין דוגמתה ולא בערכה נמצא בגשמיות כלל רק לה' לבדו נמצא בבנ"י עם קרובו: Welcome to the Erev Yom Kippur Edition We're quoting from Rabbeinu Yonah in the fourth gate of his Sefer Sha'arei Teshuvah (The Gates of Repentance). In the eighth letter, he explains that a person who has sinned, even after performing Teshuvah (repentance), still requires a final Kapparah (atonement), which arrives with Yom Kippur . Therefore, the entire year should be spent yearning and waiting for this great day. Why? So that we may once again find favor in God's eyes . This divine favor is the ultimate source of life for both the body and the soul—it is the source of everything. As the pasuk (verse) in Tehillim (Psalms) says: "Chaim bi'Rtzono" — Life comes from God's will. The Joy of Atonement: Why We Eat on Erev Yom Kippur Rabbeinu Yonah uses this concept to explain why we are instructed to eat and drink on Erev Yom Kippur (the day before Yom Kippur). The festive meal holds the value of Yom Kippur itself because it is a way to express our happiness over the great atonement that is about to come. He also presents a second, related reason: Every holiday involves a meal or Seudah because the holiday itself is a Mitzvah (commandment). We eat and drink to celebrate the Mitzvah, following the principle that the happier a person is about a Mitzvah, the greater the reward for fulfilling it. Conversely, serving God without joy limits the reward. Since Yom Kippur is the only holiday on which we are commanded not to eat, we shift the celebratory meal—the Simchat HaMitzvah (joy of the Mitzvah) of Yom Kippur—to Erev Yom Kippur . This celebratory meal becomes a testimony to our profound concern and worry over our sins, and our absolute certainty and joy in the coming atonement. Therefore, we should be in a happy mood and celebrate the great day of Yom Kippur and its atonement. The Five Levels of the Soul and the Power of Ne'ilah To add further depth, Rav Wolbe (as do many other holy books) teaches us about the unique nature of this day. We normally have a day with three or four prayers, but never five. This fifth prayer, Ne'ilah , corresponds to the five sections of our soul: Nefesh (Corresponds to the liver) Ruach (Corresponds to the heart) Neshamah (Corresponds to the brain) These first three are the standard parts of the soul within us: Moach, Lev, Kaved (Brain, Heart, Liver). Chayah (Life) - A part of the soul hovering above us. Yechidah (Singular/Unique) - The highest part, rooted in God. Every soul is a "chelek Eloka mi'ma'al" — a piece of God from above . This highest root, the Yechidah , is a point of pure connection where we are simply "plugged in" to God without question, beyond the realm of good and bad or choice. Rav Wolbe explains that each of the five prayers on Yom Kippur ignites one of these parts of the soul. Finally, at Ne'ilah , the highest part of our soul—the Yechidah , which is often dormant all year—is engaged and enlightened. This is the ultimate source of the Kapparah (atonement) that happens during Ne'ilah, granting us an understanding of God's Oneness ( Yichud ). The Meaning of Ne'ilah : Locked In with God The word Yechidah shares the same root as Yichud , which means to be alone. One understanding of why the final prayer is called Ne'ilah , which means to close, is that the gates of mercy are closing . However, a deeper understanding suggests that we are now being locked in a room alone with God . Just as a bride and groom enter a locked room for Yichud to begin their marriage, we are granted the opportunity to be alone with God in a special way. The moment of Yechidah is that moment when we are alone with God and achieve that ultimate clarity. This is also what we look forward to—this is Rtzono , His will and desire to be alone with us in such a special way. Let us therefore look forward to Yom Kippur not with dread, but as a wonderful day to be embraced, taking in every moment of this unique time that will give us life for the whole year: "Chaim bi'Rtzono," life that comes with His will.