Yom Kippur can feel very lonely. A person weak from fasting may sit in his or her chair and mentally travel away from the room into one’s private thoughts and resolutions. In effect, it is as one in the middle of a crowd but totally alone.

In contrast, the Gemara says: “A single person who repents – they forgive him and all of the world as well.” This concept is difficult to understand.       
     How can a single person’s repentance, whether a Kohen Gadol or a simple Jew, atone for the entire community?

     The Gemara [Yoma75a] discusses a difference of opinion between Rebbi and the Hakhamin. The concept under scrutiny was: Does the Day of Yom Kippur atone in and of itself? The Rabbis explain that although repentance works all year long – it works better on Yom Kippur. Rebbi argues that the holiness of the day works even in the absence of repentance to bring atonement. The question is “How can a day bring atonement or even assist f the person does not merit it on his own?"

     The explanation is as follows. We Jews are a unit- one nation – one body our unity has frayed over the centuries of persecution and exile. Baseless hatred has become a national disease. At our core, however, we are all one and the essence of the people is good. The service of Yom Kippur brings out these qualities of unity and heals the differences between segments of our nation. Since all Jewish souls are united, one person’s Teshubah – one individual's achievements – elevates the entire nation. That one person could be a Kohen Gadol or a man of the caliber of Moshe Rabenu zt’l. What we might not realize, however, is that the single soul might be that of any simple Jew. The Torah describes the people of Israel as a rope. -  “Yaakob Hevel Nahalato”. The imagery suggests that since all of us are attached if one would pull up one end of the rope even the bottom is elevated as well.

      On Yom Kippur each of us has the potential to pull up the rope. May we all do our best to contribute to the elevation of our national being higher in the eyes of G-d so that he may shower his countenance and blessing on us all. G’mar HatimahTobah.