I have read and heard that the Shekhinah appeared before the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. Did The Shekhinah remove sin?
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2What does "did The Shekinah remove sin?" mean?– Rabbi KaiiMar 8 at 2:43
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1related: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/40475/…– Avrohom YitzchokMar 8 at 12:24
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God, Elokim, removes sin. Different people interpret "Shekhinah" very differently... If you think of it as "God's dwelling place", then it would not be involved, if you think of it as meaning "God's presence" (as a noun), still it does not remove sin (for example the Governor's presence does not pardon someone, the governor does). If you are using it however as essentially another name for God (which is the way some people (imo incorrectly) use it) then all you are really asking is "Does God remove sin on Yom Kippur?" which is a yes.– BIDMar 8 at 20:55
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The Shekinah is God, it’s his female aspect– Raul Valdez Jr.Mar 8 at 21:24
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1 Answer
- The day of Yom Kippur contributes to the removal of sin see:
Similarly, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya taught that point from the verse: “From all your sins you shall be cleansed before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:30). For transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones; however, for transgressions between a person and another, Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases the other person
- Rambam decides Laws of Repentance 2:7 that Repentance and Yom Kippur atone for sin.
Yom Kippur is the time of Teshuvah for all, both individuals and the community at large. It is the apex of forgiveness and pardon for Israel. Accordingly, everyone is obligated to repent and confess on Yom Kippur.
These sources show that the two factors Repentance and Yom Kippur are the requirements for removing sin. The sources do not mention that the role of the Divine Presence is required in the process.
We know that absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence but if the Shechinah were required, I would have expected the sources to mention it.
answered Mar 8 at 20:00
