God’s world is great and holy. Among the holy lands in the world is the Holy Land of ישראל. In the land of Israel the holiest city is ירושלים. In ירושלים the holiest place was the בית המקדש, and in the בית המקדש the holiest spot was the קודש הקודשים.
There are seventy peoples (nations) in the world. Among these holy nations is עם ישראל. Within the nation of Israel, are twelve tribes and the holiest tribe is שבט לוי. In the tribe of Levi, שבט לוי the holiest are the priests, כהנים. Among the כהנים, the holiest was the High Priest, the כהן גדול.
There are 354 days in a Lunar/Jewish year (when it isn’t a שנה מעוברת leap year). Among the days of the year are special days, holidays, holy days, ימים קדושים. Among these holidays is the holiness of שבת, known as שבת קודש. Every seven days we celebrate שבת קודש. But among the holy Sabbath days is one called יום כפור and is known as שבת שבתון, the Sabbath of Sabbaths!
There are 70 languages in the world. Among the holy languages is the holy language of Hebrew, לשון הקודש. The holiest place where all the holy letters and holy words of לשון הקודש are located is in the Torah which is found in the ארון הקודש. And in the Torah are many holy texts, among them are the עשרת הדברות, and שמע ישראל. And in these holy texts the holiest word is the השם, the four letter Holy name of G-d.
And once during the year, at a certain hour, these four supreme sanctities of the world were joined together with one another.
That was on שבת שבתון יום כפור, when the כהן גדול would enter the קודש הקודשים and there utter the name of G-d.
And because this hour was beyond measure holy and awesome, it was the time of the utmost peril, not only for the High Priest, the כהן גדול, but also for the whole people Israel (and I would add, for the whole world). For if at that time, there had חס ושלום G-d forbid, entered the mind of the כהן גדול, a false or sinful thought, the entire world would have been destroyed.
Every spot where a man raises his eyes to heaven is a holy of holies, קודש הקודשים. Every man, having been created by G-d in G-d’s image and likeness, is a high priest כהן גדול. Every day of a man’s life is a Day of Atonement, יום כפור, and every word that a man speaks with sincerity (truth and kindness) is the name of the Lord.
Tale adapted from a version in the Dybbuk, by Saul An-Ski
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