The Secret of the Akeidah and the Holiness of Eating on Erev Yom Kippur

Class No. 156 | * Tuesday, 9 Tishrei, Erev Yom Kippur 5759 - Class at a Bris in the Rav's Home

An in-depth article explaining the inner connection between a Bris Milah (circumcision), the secret of Akeidas Yitzchak (the Binding of Isaac), and Erev Yom Kippur. The Rav explains according to Kabbalah how the mitzvah of eating on the eve of the fast builds the spiritual vessels to receive the immense lights of the Ne'ilah prayer.

Every Bris Milah is rooted in the secret of the Akeidah. It is brought down in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer that the Binding of Isaac took place on Yom Kippur. When Avraham Avinu saw the command of Hashem to offer Yitzchak upon the altar, he enacted a spiritual reality for all generations. Every time a father brings his son to a Bris Milah, he is literally fulfilling the mitzvah of the Akeidah.

Afterward, it was said to Avraham: "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him." At that moment, the sweetening of the Gevuros (strict judgments) began. The entire essence of the Ten Days of Repentance, from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, is to sweeten all the Gevuros and harsh judgments in preparation for the new year.

Building the Vessels During the Ten Days of Repentance

According to Kabbalah, during the Ten Days of Repentance, we build the spiritual structure of the Sefirah of Malchus (Kingship), which is called "Rachel." Each day, a different Sefirah (Divine emanation) is built: on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Keser (Crown) is built; on the second, Chochmah (Wisdom); on the third, Binah (Understanding); on the fourth, Daas (Knowledge); on the fifth, Chesed (Loving-kindness); on the sixth, Gevurah (Strength/Judgment); on the seventh, Tiferes (Beauty); and on the eighth, Netzach (Eternity/Victory). On Erev Yom Kippur, the Sefiros of Hod (Splendor), Yesod (Foundation), and Malchus are built together.

During the preceding days, we built the entire spiritual structure, from Keser down to Malchus. The entire purpose of Yom Kippur is to draw the five Gevuros, the inner essence, into this structure. During the Ne'ilah prayer, we merit to draw in these five Gevuros, after ascending to the level of "Atika Kadisha" (the Holy Ancient One), as the holy Zohar states in Parashas Acharei Mos.

Sweetening the Judgments of Yitzchak

Yitzchak Avinu represents the aspect of harsh judgment; he is entirely Gevuros. Therefore, when we merit to perform a Bris Milah on Erev Yom Kippur, it is an aspect of a double Akeidah: The Bris Milah itself is the secret of the Akeidah, and Erev Yom Kippur is also the time of the Akeidah, when every person binds himself before Hashem.

We must now sweeten all the Gevuros for the entire year, so that, Heaven forbid, there will be no harsh judgments, but only Gevuros of holiness—the strength and discipline of serving Hashem. The sweetening of Yitzchak is accomplished through Rivkah, since the names "Yitzchak" and "Rivkah" together have the gematria (numerical value) of "Shirah" (song), as well as "Tefillah" (prayer) and "Va'eschanan" (and I pleaded) (515).

The Secret of Eating on Erev Yom Kippur

Here lies an immense secret regarding the mitzvah of eating on Erev Yom Kippur. The eating and drinking on the ninth day are what build the Sefiros of Yesod and Malchus. The holy Zohar explains that these Sefiros are rectified specifically through eating and drinking.

"Whoever eats and drinks on the ninth, the Torah considers it as if he fasted on both the ninth and the tenth" (Yoma 81b).

Eating on Erev Yom Kippur creates the vessels for us to receive the five *Gevuros* on the tenth day. Rachel cannot receive these lights if she lacks Yesod and Malchus. If we do not eat and drink on the ninth day, there will be no place to draw in the immense lights during the Ne'ilah prayer. Through eating, we create Yesod, and through drinking, we build Malchus.

A Seal Within a Seal and a Wall of Fire

When we reach the Ne'ilah prayer, we merit the aspect of a "seal within a seal," the secret of a "sealed spring." The holy Arizal explains that "Ma'ayan" (spring) has the gematria of 180, which equals the four expansions of the names of Hashem (Av, Sag, Mah, and Ban). This is the spring that we merit on Yom Kippur.

The holy Zohar says that if a person merits the holiness of the Bris (covenant), everything becomes holy fire, and a "wall of fire" is created around him. This wall of fire is the seal within a seal that we merit during Ne'ilah. All of this immense light is drawn from the holiness of the Bris Milah, which is the true preparation for receiving the holiness of Yom Kippur.

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