Yom Kippur Like Purim: Fasting, Joy, and the Hidden Face of God Part 3

B"H

Halachic Precision Meets Spiritual Depth

1. The Five Inuyim of Yom Kippur

The Mishnah in Yoma records that on Yom Kippur, five afflictions (inuyim) are prohibited:

• Eating and drinking.

• Washing.

• Anointing.

• Wearing leather shoes.

• Marital intimacy.

Each prohibition functions not as punishment, but as a way of removing physical distractions so the soul may be purified. Rambam codifies this in Hilchot Shevitat Asor 1:5–6: “On Yom Kippur we are commanded to rest from eating and drinking, and to refrain from washing, anointing, wearing shoes, and intimacy — for on this day, we are like angels before Hashem.”

But Rambam clarifies in 3:2: “If one is soiled with dirt or mud, or if his hands are filthy, he may wash the soiled area, for the prohibition is only against washing for pleasure.” The halacha is not about imposing misery but about elevating the day. The body may be cared for when necessary; only indulgent pleasure is set aside.

2. Washing the Face: Halacha and Yeshua’s Instruction

Here the overlap with Yeshua’s words becomes clear. In Matthew 6:16–18, he teaches:

“When you fast, do not look somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. … But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen.”

This teaching rests on the same halachic distinction Rambam makes: washing is not forbidden if done to remove filth or maintain dignity. The Mishnah and Shulchan Aruch also allow washing when hands or face are dirty. Yeshua simply applies this principle to the inner spirit: don’t fast in a way that makes you appear miserable for show. Wash your face, look dignified, for fasting is not for human eyes but for God.

The halachic intention is to avoid ta’anit she’eino shel mitzvah — a fast that serves no true purpose. Yeshua emphasizes that a gloomy, performative fast is exactly such a false fast. The true fast, by contrast, is a hidden encounter with God, suffused with quiet joy.

3. The Spirit of Teshuvah: Rambam and Sefer HaChinuch

Rambam in Hilchot Teshuvah defines repentance: “What is teshuvah? That a sinner should abandon his sin, remove it from his thoughts, resolve never to do it again, and testify about himself that he will never return to it.” Fasting is only an aid to this process, not its essence.

The Sefer HaChinuch echoes this: “The afflictions of Yom Kippur are not for suffering, but to humble the soul and remind it of its dependence on Hashem, so that it may repent in truth.”

Thus both halachic and ethical sources insist: fasting that leads only to external show or inner gloom misses the point. The goal is not misery but return — teshuvah with sincerity and joy.

Yeshua’s instruction reflects this same ethos. To fast with a gloomy face is to corrupt the purpose of the mitzvah. To fast while washed and anointed is to express teshuvah with dignity, in private sincerity before God.

4. Isaiah 58: The Prophetic Rebuke

Yeshua’s words are also rooted in the prophetic tradition. Isaiah 58 records God’s rebuke of Israel’s false fasting:

“Is this the fast I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Hashem?

Is not this the fast I choose: to loose the chains of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the poor that are cast out to your house?” (Isaiah 58:5–7)

The prophet rejects fasting as performance. True fasting is to turn one’s heart to justice, charity, and teshuvah. Yeshua’s words in Matthew 6 are a midrash on Isaiah’s critique: don’t display misery; fast in secret, where God alone sees.

This prophetic background also ties directly to Purim. The mitzvot of Purim — giving gifts to the poor, sharing food with neighbors, feasting in unity — embody Isaiah’s true fast. Purim shows that holiness lies not in affliction for its own sake, but in caring for others with joy.

5. The Shulchan Aruch and Practical Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch rules:

• Washing on Yom Kippur is forbidden, but if one’s hands are dirty, one may wash.

• In the morning, one washes until the knuckles for netilat yadayim, and then passes the damp fingers over the eyes.

• If one must anoint for health, it is permitted.

The Mishnah Berurah adds that all these leniencies are to prevent undue suffering. The point of the prohibition is to step away from pleasure, not to impose filth or humiliation.

Thus, halacha itself affirms that cleanliness and dignity are compatible with fasting. Yeshua’s call to “wash your face” sits within this framework. His contrast is not with Torah, but with hypocrisy: those who disfigure themselves to show piety.

6. Joy in Fasting: The Talmudic View

The Talmud (Ta’anit) states that Yom Kippur is one of the two happiest days in Israel’s calendar (the other is Tu B’Av). Why? Because it is the day forgiveness is granted and the second tablets were given.

This is astonishing: a day of fasting, affliction, and judgment is called one of the happiest of all days. The reason is clear — the joy of Yom Kippur is the joy of reconciliation with God.

Yeshua’s teaching in Matthew 6 is a direct reflection of this talmudic truth. Fasting should not be worn with sadness, but lived with joy, because it is the day Hashem draws near to forgive. The gloomy face betrays the inner joy of teshuvah. The washed face expresses it rightly.

7. Bridging to Purim: Hidden Joy in Disguise

If Yom Kippur’s joy is hidden beneath affliction, Purim’s joy is hidden beneath laughter. Both are masks — one of solemnity, the other of play. Both conceal the same truth: closeness to Hashem brings joy, whether in fasting or feasting.

Thus, when Yeshua tells his disciples to wash their faces, he is saying: even in fasting, let the face shine with joy. Do not let the mask of gloom hide the joy of teshuvah. Just as Purim hides God in disguise, Yom Kippur hides joy in affliction. In both, the secret is that Hashem is near.

Summary of This Section

• Rambam, Mishnah, and Shulchan Aruch prohibit washing only for pleasure; dignity and cleanliness are permitted.

• Yeshua’s instruction to “wash your face” aligns exactly with this halachic nuance.

• Prophets like Isaiah condemn false, gloomy fasting; true fasting is joy-filled teshuvah.

• The Talmud itself calls Yom Kippur one of the happiest days — joy is its essence.

• Yom Kippur and Purim reveal joy in different masks: solemnity and laughter.

Thus, halacha and Yeshua’s words meet at the same point: fasting is not for show, but for secret joy before Hashem.