Parashat Yom Kippur

Leviticus 16:1–16:34 and Numbers 29:7–29:11

This week's commentary was written by Rabbi Marc Wolf, vice chancellor and chief development officer, JTS.

I have a favorite parable that finds its way into much of my writing and speaking. In fact, it has made its way into parashah commentaries and sermons throughout the year. But I think its greatest relevance is during this season, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—the ten days of return. The story is one that David Foster Wallace included in a commencement speech at Kenyon College:

There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way. The older fish nods at the two young fish and says, "Morning, boys. How's the water?" The two young fish swim on for a bit, and, eventually, one of them looks at the other and says, "What the heck is water?"

The lives of these two young fish were such that their external reality was, at best, taken for granted and, at worst, ignored. They lived a life oblivious of their external surroundings. This, I believe, highlights the disparity between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. On Rosh Hashanah our view is panoramic; on Yom Kippur it is myopic. This difference between the two holidays is intentional; the holidays are designed to live in stark contrast. Remarkably, just eight days ago, our focus was totally different than it is now.

On Rosh Hashanah, for example, we gaze globally; on Yom Kippur, we exist locally. Allow me to illustrate with some of the liturgy from the Mahzor.

Painting the picture of God on Rosh Hashanah, we turn to the Malchuyot section of the Musaf 'Amidah. One of the three central pillars to the Musaf service, Malchuyot sets the tone for speaking of God's kingship and sovereignty. The language is universal, "Our God and God of our ancestors: in Your glory, rule over the entire universe; in Your splendor, be exalted over all the earth" (Mahzor Lev Shalem, 157).

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