Komentarz do Kapłańska 23:27

אך — The words אך and רק wherever they occur in Scripture have a limitative force; here the word implies: it (Yom Kippur) makes expiation for those who repent, but it does not make expiation for those who do not repent (אך... יום הכפורים הוא — in a limitative sense it is Yom Kippur) (Shevuot 13a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 34:7).

ACH’ (BUT) ON THE TENTH DAY OF THIS SEVENTH MONTH IS THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. “All expressions in the Torah of ach (but) and rak (only) indicate limiting qualifications, [and here the word ach indicates that the Day of Atonement] effects atonement ‘only’ for those who repent, but it does not effect atonement for those who do not repent.” This is Rashi’s language on the basis of the words of our Rabbis.³⁷⁵Shebuoth 13 a. And if so, the explanation of the verse is that on the first day of this month [Tishri] there will be for all of you a day of memorial of ‘t’ruah³⁷⁶Above, Verse 24. [a blowing of the quavering sound which signifies judgment], for you will all be judged then before Him, but for some of you [i.e., those who repent] there will be on the tenth day of this month a day of atonement. Thus the meaning of the word ach is like that of bilvad (“only,” “alone”). Similarly, Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my son ‘ach’ (only) this once.³⁷⁷Exodus 10:17. So also, ‘harak ach b’Moshe’³⁷⁸Numbers 12:2. means “has He indeed spoken ‘only’ with Moses?” Likewise, ‘Ach’ on the fifteenth day of the seventh month³⁷⁹Further, Verse 39. means “only on the fifteenth day [of Tishri] ye shall keep the feast of the Eternal seven days,³⁷⁹Further, Verse 39. not consecutively,” for the Festival-offering [brought by the individual]³⁸⁰This is the Festival peace-offering which one is obliged to bring when making the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary three times in the year (see “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 60-61). does not override the Sabbath [and therefore it cannot mean seven days consecutively]. In the same way you are to explain [the word ach] in all the commandments, in accordance with the tradition of our Rabbis. Similarly, ‘ach’ he is torn in pieces³⁸¹Genesis 44:28. means [that Jacob said] that nothing else [could have happened to Joseph] except that he was torn in pieces. So also, For the children of Israel and the children of Judah ‘ach’ have done that which was evil in My sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have ‘ach’ provoked Me,³⁸²Jeremiah 32:30. means that they have done nothing else.
But by way of the plain meaning of Scripture the word ach means achein (“surely”), [a word which is used] to authenticate something, [as in the following expressions]: ‘achein’ (surely) the thing is known;³⁸³Exodus 2:14. ‘achein’ (surely) ye shall die like men.³⁸⁴Psalms 82:7. And here it means, “Surely on the tenth day of the seventh month is the day of atonement,” the expression constituting a [Divine] assurance on the authenticity of the matter, Scripture stating: “On the first day of the month is the day of judgment, but indeed on the tenth of the month is the day of atonement, therefore you shall afflict your souls, and you shall do no manner of work.” Similarly, ‘ach’ (surely) thou art my bone and my flesh;³⁸⁵Genesis 29:14. ‘ach’ (surely) it is the king of Israel;³⁸⁶I Kings 22:32. ‘ach’ (surely) G-d is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.³⁸⁷Psalms 73:1. So also is the meaning of the verse, ‘ach’ ye shall keep My Sabbaths³⁸⁸Exodus 31:13. which declares: “Now I have commanded you concerning the work of the Tabernacle, but surely My Sabbaths you shall keep forever.” So also in all cases [where the word ach is mentioned] it may be explained to you in this way, if you will understand them.

אך בעשור לחודש השביעי, even though on all the other days described in this chapter as מקראי קודש it is proper to express our joy on these days by means of food and drink, as we know from Nechemyah 8,10 where Ezra asks the people on New Year’s day אכלו משמנים ושתו ממתקים, “eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks,” the tenth of this month the day known as Yom Hakippurim, Day of Atonement, is a day devoted to confession of our sins and a day when a person comes to grips with the sins he has been guilty of. On this day it is not in order to preoccupy oneself with anything other than the quest to obtain G’d’s forgiveness and to achieve expiation of one’s sins. Instead of eating and drinking, the order of the day has been best expressed by Isaiah 58,3 הן ביום צומכם תמצאו חפץ וכל עצביכם תנגושו, “because on your fast day you see to your business and you oppress your labourers!” [the prophet sarcastically chastises the people who, while technically fasting, expect G’d to listen to their requests while they continue in their wicked ways, going only through the motions in their religious observance. Ed.]

יום הבפורים הוא מקרא קדש, "it is a Day of Atonement, a holy convocation." The reason the Torah writes the word הוא is to tell us that this day is in a class by itself, the date alone making it a Day of Atonement independent of any pronouncement. As a result one qualifies for reward by observing the second half of the verse, i.e. proclaiming it holy and afflicting oneself through abstention from food and drink, etc. This is an additional bonus apart from the atonement we are granted simply by being alive on that day.

'אך בעשור וגו, on the other festival days preparation of food had been permitted and only מלאכת עבודה had been forbidden. Not so on Yom Kippur, a day of self denial when all manner of work is prohibited just as on the Sabbath

אך בעשור, “However, on the tenth, etc.” Rashi draws attention to the saying of our sages that every time the word אך or רק appears in the Torah it introduces the limitation, diminution, of some general principle mentioned previously. Nachmanides writes, that if this is so, the meaning of our verse must be that whereas on the first of that month the entire people observed a day of teruah, blowing the shofar, seeing that all of them came up for judgment on that day, by the tenth of that month only a small portion of the people still needed to ensure that their judgment too would be favourable. This day would complete the process of atonement. The meaning of the word אך in our verse then would be the same as בלבד, “excepting,” referring to something not included in the previously enunciated rule. Just as in Exodus 31,13, basically, the rule was that the construction of the Tabernacle does not override the prohibitions of performing work on the Sabbath, it exempted performance of circumcision if the eight’s day of the baby occurred on the Sabbath. The circumcision is not postponed. The meaning of the word אך in our verse is similar to when Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to pray for G’d to forgive him his sin one more time, He used the words: אך הפעם"” (compare Exodus 10,17) When we encounter the word אך again in verse 39, i.e. אך בחמשה עשר יום לחודש השביעי באספכם את תבואת הארץ תחוגו וגו', “only on the fifteenth of the seventh month when you gather in the yield of the earth, you are to celebrate, etc.”, the message is also that even though that date may occur on the Sabbath, this does not cause the first day of the Sukkot festival to be postponed. According to the plain meaning of the text, the word אך is to be understood as similar to “but in truth,” similar to the word אכן. That word appears in such a context in Genesis 28,16 when Yaakov becomes aware that G’d’s presence is manifest at the location where he had the dream of the ladder. It appears again in such a context when Moses had killed the Egyptian thinking that there had not been any witnesses, and on the morrow he found out that he had erred. (Exodus 2,14) In our verse the meaning of the word אך then is that on the tenth of the seventh month is Yom Hakippurim, on no other day. Ibn Ezra, understands the word אך here as meaning that in spite of the extremely serious nature of that day, seeing that it too has been described as a מקרא קודש, just like all the festivals, it too is a day on which (the latter part) we are to express our joy at feeling that we have been forgiven.

אך בעשור לחודש, “but on the tenth of the month, etc.;” why do we need the word: “אך?” Seeing that all the other festival days are known as מקרא קודש, “holy convocation,” i.e. days for eating drinking and general enjoyment, whereas this is a day on which all these things are forbidden, the word אך introduces Yom Kippur as a contrast by letting us know that it is no less of a festival, מועד, although the emphasis is the atonement that is granted to the entire nation on that day. It is still called מקרא קודש on account of the day being honoured by the sacrifices being offered and by the abstaining from the normal weekday activities. On that day, we subject ourselves to afflictions and at the end of the day we all feel even better than at the end of any of the other days called מקרא קודש.

אך בעשור לחודש, “however on the tenth of that month, etc.” whenever the Torah uses the word: אך, it is meant to exclude something. All of the other festivals have been called: מקראי קודש, “holy convocations;” this implies that on these days we would celebrate also by eating more and better food, drink some wine, etc.; and generally enjoy pleasurable experiences. This day has been called מקרא קודש, the last letter being missing. The Day of Atonement is an exception to all this. Instead of a day of enjoyment, we are to deliberately cause ourselves discomfort, i.e. ועניתם את נפשותיכם. Prior to the giving of the first set of Tablets which Moses had smashed, the Torah had written that the elite of the people when accompanying Moses before he ascended the Mountain to receive them, had “seen” G-d, had eaten and drunk,” (Exodus 24,11). It was stated there that G-d had not punished them for this on that occasion, a clear indication that they had deserved to be punished. As a consequence, when they made a golden calf and treated it as a deity and danced around it and ate and drank, the result was that at least some ended up treating that calf as a deity by prostrating themselves in front of it. (Exodus 32,6) As part of the atonement, a process completed on the 10th of Tishrey when Moses brought them the second set of Tablets, eating and drinking was absolutely prohibited.

והקרבתם אשה, as already mentioned in chapter 16 and again in Numbers 29,8-11.