The Interconnection between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the beginning of our focus on teshuva, leading up to the Yamim Noraim and the Aseret Yemei Teshuva. Sephardi communities begin to recite selichot – penitential prayers – from Rosh Chodesh Elul. Throughout the Jewish world, Elul takes on solemn character, marked by Cheshbon HaNefesh (self-accounting) and repairing our relationships between ourselves and others, as well as between us and Hashem. 

To me, this raised a question. Teshuva isn’t a feature of Rosh Hashana at all. Does that mean that our teshuva process is detracting from our preparation for Rosh Hashana? Or does doing teshuva in Elul somehow contribute toward Rosh Hashana? If so, how?

In this article, we are going to explore the avoda of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and see how far from being two disparate areas, they are, in fact, very much interlinked.

First, let us take a look at the avoda of Rosh Hashanah. If we had to summarize Rosh Hashanah in a nutshell, we can say that it is about crowning Hashem as King, recognizing that He is the Sovereign over the world. Throughout the davening, we proclaim ‘Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach, Hashem Yimloch l’olam va’ed – Hashem is King, Hashem was King, Hashem will be King forever.’ Rosh Hashanah enables us to come to a greater realization that Ein Od Milvado – there is none other besides Him.  

Yom Kippur, on the other hand, is about repenting for past sins and imploring Hashem for forgiveness and kapara (atonement) to wipe the slate clean.

So again, what does doing teshuva in Elul have to do with Rosh Hashanah if it is not a feature of the day? In reality, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are symbiotic, with the work of one leading to the work of the other. Let’s see how this is the case.

Rosh Hashanah instantly reminds me of the expression ‘da lifnei mi ata omed – know before Whom you stand.’ It is about gaining an awareness of Who Hashem is, and how He governs the whole world as well as each of our lives through Hashgacha Pratit – individual Divine supervision. This understanding should naturally fill us with a sense of shame. Not, G-d forbid, shame that we are lowly, terrible people and there is no hope for us – this is not healthy and not at all in line with Torah thought. Rather, it is a feeling of shame about how unbefitting our behavior has been before the King of Kings. How deficient our service has been toward the Master of the Universe. The following story told of Rav Saadya Gaon illustrates this concept:

Once Rav, Saadya lodged with an innkeeper who was ignorant of his illustrious guest’s true identity. He put the Rav in a simple room and served him as he would to his regular guests. When word escaped that the leader of the generation was passing through the town, all the townsfolk flocked to the inn to glimpse Rav Saadya. The innkeeper finally realized who his illustrious guest was, and approached the Rav, with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Rebbi, please forgive me!”

“Forgive you? What have you done wrong? You treated me very well,” came the response.

“Rebbi! I didn’t know who you were! Believe me, had I known that the great Rav Saadya Gaon was staying under my roof, I would have treated you like royalty!”

This heightened awareness of Hashem acts as an impetus to do teshuva. Knowledge of Hashem and our behavior toward Him are two sides of the same coin. Rosh Hashanah is also the Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgement. The understanding that Hashem is passing judgment on us should also instantly spur us to consider how we need to rectify our behavior and make a decision to change so that we will be sealed in the Book of Life.

Upon hearing these sincere words, Rav Saadya himself burst into tears. He exclaimed, “From your words, I perceived for myself the extent of our obligation toward our King, Hashem. Previously, I felt I served Hashem well, but now I realize that I am lacking. For just as your service of me changes as you more clearly perceive my identity, so it is with my service of God. With each passing day, I discover new levels of God’s kindness toward me: I realize that whatever respect and service I offered God yesterday was woefully insufficient, for had I known then what I know about God now, I would have served him with even greater devotion and intensity. Life is indeed a constant cycle of rediscovery in which man sheds the relative ignorance of the past!”

This heightened awareness of Hashem acts as an impetus to do teshuva. Knowledge of Hashem and our behavior toward Him are two sides of the same coin. Rosh Hashanah is also the Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgement. The understanding that Hashem is passing judgment on us should also instantly spur us to consider how we need to rectify our behavior and make a decision to change so that we will be sealed in the Book of Life.

On the flip side, Yom Kippur is the day of atonement. How does this build upon the avoda of Rosh Hashanah? Doing teshuva and returning to Hashem, by definition, means that we have to know Who we have sinned against and Who we are returning to. We cannot effectively repent for our aveirot if we don’t understand the gravity of what we’ve done, and that starts by understanding what it truly means to go against the will of the King. In addition, stripping ourselves of feelings of guilt and realizing that our true selves are pure and holy neshamot, makes us feel that we can start anew – our past doesn’t determine our future, and our misdeeds are things that we have done, not who we truly are. Apprehending this makes us better able to stand in front of Hashem and proclaim his Kingship. 

In conclusion, the relationship between the teshuva of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur is an upward spiral. Doing teshuva removes the blockages that stand between us and Hashem, allowing our service of Him to be on a higher level. In turn, the increased closeness of our connection with Hashem fills us with shame that spurs us to do teshuva for our averiot.