The Gemara (Berachos 8a) states, ‘Rav Huna bar Yehuda said in the name of Rebbe Ami, “A person should always complete the parsha with the congregation, reading the Hebrew text twice and the Targum once [shnayim mikra v’echod targum]... for whoever completes the parsha with the congregation merits that his days and years are lengthened.”’ The Gemara relates, ‘Rav Bivi bar Abaye intended to complete the parshiyos of the entire year on the day before Yom Kippur. Rebbe Chiya bar Rav told him, “We learned that anyone who eats and drinks on the ninth, the Torah treats him as if he fasted on the ninth and tenth.”’ In fact, the Gemara rules at the end that one must complete the parsha of the week on that week, but we see a strange thing here, because one has to eat and drink on Erev Yom Kippur, it is not possible to set aside time in the day to complete the parshiyos. We must understand, what is so special about Erev Yom Kippur that there is a mitzvah to eat and drink to the extent that anyone who eats and drinks on this day, the Torah treats him as if he fasted two days, the ninth and the tenth.
The Torah says (Yeshayah 55:6), 'דרשו ה' בהמצאו קראהו בהיותו קרוב' – ‘Seek Hashem when He can be found, call upon Him when He is near’, and Chazal expound this posuk to the Aseres Yemei Teshuva – The Ten Days of Repentance. On these days the King – HaKadosh Baruch Hu is found near every Jew, therefore, during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva even the personal Teshuva is accepted, and this is the essence of these days. Opportune days when mercy increases, and Rabeinu Yonah wrote that the person should await all year for these days and the Holy Day, so that his sins should be forgiven. This is the reason for the seudah on Erev Yom Kippur, to show his great joy that he stands before forgiveness of his sins.
We find ourselves in the middle of these holy special days. In a little while these days will be behind us and we might lose this special opportunity. If we could actually see the cleansing that we experience in the Aseres Yemei Teshuva and especially on Yom Kippur, we would literally wait for it with great anticipation, and receive them with great joy. So, despite that we are not able to see this, we believe it, and so we accept these days with the joy of Kedusha, and the faith that one who truly repents with complete Teshuva, HaKadosh Baruch Hu accepts his Teshuva, since He is a King Who forgives our sins, and removes our guilt every year.
-Tiv HaMoadim – Yomim Noraim
