Recently my daughter Dillan, in tenth grade, and I were discussing the upcoming holiday of Yom Kippur. She mentioned that she recently learned in Rabbi David Ehrenkranz’s Talmud class that Yom Kippur is intended to be a happy holiday. In fact, the Talmud in Taanit 30b quotes Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel as stating that Yom Kippur is one of the happiest days of the year for the Jewish people. However, this seems quite strange. My image of Yom Kippur involves trepidation and looming judgment, the somber tones of Kol Nidrei and the recitation of u’Netaneh Tokef. So how is Yom Kippur a joyous day? The Talmud gives two explanations as to why Yom Kippur is actually a joyous holiday: מִשּׁוּם דְּאִית בֵּיהּ סְלִיחָה וּמְחִילָה, because it provides pardon and forgiveness, and יוֹם שֶׁנִּיתְּנוּ בּוֹ לוּחוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת, because this is the day on which we received the second luchot. To expand on the first explanation, Yom Kippur serves as a “reset button,” providing us the opportunity to wipe away the mistakes of the past year and have a clean slate. Whenever a computer is exhibiting strange, unintended behaviors, the first guidance that tech support provides is to reboot. Hashem gives us an opportunity, through Yom Kippur and the teshuva process, to start anew. The root of the word teshuva is “return.” Yom Kippur provides us with the opportunity to revert and return back to a previous state, to our original path. Therefore, while we do not sugarcoat our capacity to easily veer from the proper path, embedded in the word teshuva is the concept of our original state of being good. Judaism recognizes the inherent good in each individual, and Yom Kippur reminds us of this fact and provides us, individually and collectively, with the opportunity to return. In this way, Yom Kippur is indeed a joyous and happy day. May all of our prayers be answered for good, and may Yom Kippur be a happy day that leads to a joyous year, for each of us and for the people of Israel. G’mar chatima tova! | 
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