Moses assembled the entire community of Israel and said to them, "These are the words that G‑d has commanded for you to do. You may engage in work during the first six days of the week, but Saturday must be kept holy as a Shabbat of Shabbats to G‑d.(Ex. 35:1-2)

This shall be an eternal law for you. Every year on the 10th day of the 7th month, you must fast and not do any work, whether it be the native citizen or the proselyte. This is because, on this day, all of your sins will be atoned for, so that you will be cleansed. Before G‑d, you will be cleansed of all your sins. It is a Shabbat of Shabbats to you, and a day on which you must fast. It is an eternal law. (Lev. 16:29-31)

We know that the Torah has a concept called Shabbat. From these two verses, we can see that both the Shabbat and Yom Kippur are called "Shabbat of Shabbats", the ultimate expression of Shabbat. When the two come together the stakes are bound to be high. The possibility for speedy redemption is inherent in every Yom Kippur…

The Talmud states, "If only Israel would keep two [consecutive] Shabbats, they would be immediately redeemed". (Shabbat 118b) The book Noam Megadim (parashat Emor), from Rabbi Eliezer Ish Horowitz, a disciple of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, offers a compelling interpretation of the passage in the Talmud; that the two Shabbats refer to two Shabbats which comes together. That can only be when Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbat. Therefore the possibility for immediate redemption of our people is at hand. We only need to observe them, putting ourselves into the service of the day with a full heart and keep from becoming distracted.

Actually the possibility for speedy redemption is inherent in every Yom Kippur. The holy Zohar (parashat Noach) states that even if the people in only one synagogue did complete teshuva on Yom Kippur, then all of the Jewish People would be immediately redeemed! This is all the more so on this special year, when the two ultimate Shabbats come together at the same time. Indeed a special opportunity!!

Eating and Fasting

…And you shall afflict your souls in the 9th day of the month in the evening… (Lev. 23:32) Observing the mitzvah to eat on the 9th day is indeed a hardship…

The Talmud asks what does it mean to fast on the 9th day? Don't we fast on Yom Kippur itself, which is on the 10th of the month? The answer is that if one eats and drinks on the 9th day of the month of Tishrei, the eve of the awesome day of Yom Kippur, and then fasts on Yom Kippur, it is regarded as if he afflicted (fasted) himself on both the 9th and the 10th days. (Berachot 8b)

Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk, the Noam Elimelech, asked why eating on the 9th of Tishrei should be regarded as fasting? He answers, "If on the eve of Yom Kippur, one were to contemplate the awesome and holy character of the approaching day, how his repentance is hanging in the balance, he certainly would not be able to put a bite of food in his mouth. Therefore, observing the mitzvah to eat on the 9th day is indeed a hardship and an affliction."

[Source: www.nishmas.org]