Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar Delivers Yom Kippur Message of Repentance and Forgiveness

Just before the start of Yom Kippur, Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, delivered a special message to the public via 'Kikar HaShabbat'. Dressed in the white garments worn only on Yom Kippur, he called for strengthening faith, spiritual awakening, and seeking forgiveness for all of Israel.

Rabbi Amar delved into the origins of Yom Kippur, referencing the verse "For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the LORD." He explained that this day marks the completion of the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai after the sin of the Golden Calf and the breaking of the first tablets. Moses' prayers and pleas to God, which lasted forty days, were answered on Yom Kippur with the divine declaration, "I have forgiven as you requested."

"These days are imbued, every second and every moment, with the secrets, intentions, and pure prayers of Moses, who was in the heavens, he did not eat or drink, but only prayed," Rabbi Amar emphasized. He highlighted the immense spiritual level of Moses' prayers.

Rabbi Amar also stressed the importance of utilizing the remaining time before Yom Kippur for introspection and self-improvement. "Even if we have not utilized this time properly to increase Torah and merits to tip the scales, let us now increase in Torah and commandments," he urged. "We have a duty to look inward: if we have bad conduct, let us remove it, distance ourselves from all evil, and cling to the good to strengthen it."

He further emphasized the unique power of Yom Kippur itself, stating, "Let us come to Yom Kippur with strengthened resolve, with the knowledge that the essence of the day atones. Every second of this day atones, and how much we must hold onto this day and not belittle even one moment of it."

Concluding his message, Rabbi Amar focused on a central tenet of the eve of Yom Kippur: interpersonal relationships and the obligation to forgive wholeheartedly. "One of the most important things is to forgive everyone who has wronged us," he said emotionally. "Whether they took money, insulted us, or shamed us, forgive and pardon with a whole heart and a willing soul. This is the greatest thing we can do." He cited the Talmudic principle, "Whoever overlooks transgressions is forgiven all his iniquities," explaining that God reciprocates the human act of forgiveness.