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what has the forbidden relationships (arayos) got to do with yom kippur?

Written by d fine

In acharei mos there is the description of the yom kippur service, and later a list of the fobidden relationships(arayos). And on yom kippur itself we read this portion of the arayos. What do the two have to do with each other? I heard that the Maharal explains the idea behind the Torah forbidding these relationships with close relatives. He explains that naturally one might marry a close relative, for they know you best and are most similar to you [eg same upbringing]. So the Torah fobade such relationships to ensure that Bnei Yisrael mixed with one another by families marrying other families. In short, the issur of the arayos is to create unity in klal yisrael and avoid exclusive ‘clans’. On Yom Kippur, too, we see a certain focus on bein adam lechaveiro. eg When the kohen gadolis in the holy of holies he says just a short prayer in order not to scare the people that they might think he was dead (yoma 52b). And one must ask fogiveness from people despite HaShem fogiving your sins on yom kippur. In short, both arayos and yom kippur have the same theme of realising the bein adam lechaveiro behind things which seem purely bein adam lemakom.

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