Though these Days of Awe, as they are often called, are solemn, they are not sad. In fact, Yom Kippur is, in a subtle way, one of the happiest days of the year. For on Yom Kippur we receive what is perhaps G-d's most sublime gift: His forgiveness. When one person forgives another, it is because of a deep sense of friendship and love that overrides the effect of whatever wrong was done. Similarly, G-d's forgiveness is an expression of His eternal, unconditional love.
Though we may have transgressed His will, our essence - our soul remains G-dly, and pure. Yom Kippur is the one day each year when G-d reveals most clearly that our essence and His essence are one. Moreover, on the level of the soul, the Jewish people are all truly equal and indivisible.
The more fully we demonstrate our essential unity by acting with love and friendship amongst ourselves, the more fully God's love will be revealed to us. The Haftorah that is read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur tells the story of how God commanded the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Ninveh and warn the people there to repent, lest God destroy their city.
Jonah did not want to fulfill this mission and ran away on a ship. G-d caused a terrible storm to occur and eventually the sailors threw Jonah off the ship - as the only way to make the storm abate.
God caused a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Eventually Jonah was saved from the fish and went to do God's bidding in Ninveh.
Why was this story chosen to be read on the holiest day of the year? And why did Jonah "run away" from God rather than carry out his mission? To teach us how much our love of our fellow Jew needs to be.
Jonah knew that if he went to Ninveh the people there would repent. He also knew that the Jewish people had not repented in spite of all the chastising the prophets had given them.
Rather than make the Jewish people appear bad in God's eyes, Jonah chose to "run away." This lesson is so important that we read it every year on Yom Kippur.
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