Throughout the year, we recite Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso leOlam Vaed quietly after Shema Yisrael. However, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, when we detach from earthly desires and strive to emulate the purity of angels, we declare “Baruch Shem Kevod” aloud. This shift highlights the unique spiritual elevation we experience on Yom Kippur.
Interestingly, we proclaim it aloud during Maariv at the beginning of Yom Kippur and again at Shacharis, yet after Yom Kippur ends, at Motzei Yom Kippur, we return to reciting it quietly. This is despite the fact that we’ve fasted, abstained from physical indulgence, and spent the entire day in focused prayer. One might wonder, shouldn’t Motzei Yom Kippur, when we are spiritually heightened and most “angelic”, be the time to say it aloud?
There is a famous explanation the Baalei Mussar offer: At the onset of Yom Kippur, our minds are fully attuned to the day of prayer and spiritual introspection that lies ahead. We are consumed with thoughts of purity and elevation. But by the time Yom Kippur ends, even though we’ve spent the day in sacred devotion, our thoughts naturally shift toward the meal awaiting us after Maariv, returning us to our human reality.
I’d like to add another perspective:
Hashem does not desire for us to become angels, completely detached from the physical world. Throughout the year, we may sometimes forget the purpose of our creation, losing sight of how to elevate the material world in our service to Hashem. Yom Kippur offers us a chance to act like angels, reminding us of our higher purpose. We cleanse ourselves of sin and recommit to a life filled with meaning and fulfillment. However, when Yom Kippur concludes and we once again recite “Baruch Shem Kevod” quietly, it’s a recognition that we are not angels. We are human beings—flesh and blood—dependent on the physical world for survival. Yet, that is precisely the point: our purpose is to serve Hashem within the framework of our human existence, utilizing the material world to fulfill our divine mission.
Wishing everyone a guten kvitel
