It took Moses 40 days to receive the entire Torah from G-d in Mt. Sinai, but it took him 80 days to win forgiveness for the Jewish people after the sin of the Golden Calf.
But when Moses finally returned from the mountain on Yom Kipur, the new set of tablets he brought down with him where greater than the first. The second where carved from the depths of pain and remorse and demonstrated Hope after loss.
The message of Yom Kipur is that there is always Hope. That we can always rebuild no matter what and when we put the pieces together of what has been broken we can emerge stronger than ever before.
Yom Kipur teaches us that the effort has to come from us, we have to do everything in our power to be able to restore our lives and the miraculous will come from G-d. If we open “the hole of a needle, H”S will open for us gates for chariots”. He only needs our effort. This is the ultimate message we have to share with the world, between the battle of good and evil ( within ourselves and in the physical world as well) when we choose to do good, good will prevail, the only thing we have to do is to choose good and do it.
“Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid or feel insecure before your enemies, because G- d is the One Who is going with you, and He will not fail you or forsake you.” ( Deuteronomy 31:6)
Taken from 60 Days by Rabbi Simon Jacobson
