How Does Yom Kippur Procure Atonement?
The Rabbis and Rebbi agree, then, that what distinguishes Yom Kippur is that “the day itself procures atonement.” But how does Yom Kippur achieve this? Atonement is not merely remission of punishment for sin; it means also that a Jew’s soul is cleansed of the blemishes that are caused by the sin.[8] Moreover, not only does no impression of the transgressions remain, but the transgressions are transformed into merits.[9] That this may be achieved through teshuvah is understandable. When a Jew is genuinely remorseful over sins committed, he thereby eradicates the pleasure he derived from the sins. His soul is thus cleansed and made pure of evil. Moreover, the sin itself may be viewed as contributing to the teshuvah process. A transgression cuts one off from G-d. The feeling of being removed from G-d acts as a spur to teshuvah, to establish a more intense bond with Him. Because transgressions eventually bring one to a stronger relationship with G-d, they are considered, after one has repe
