CAN WE ENTIRELY BANISH A SIN?
In English the word “atonement” is rather abstract concept, which refers to making amends or reparations after having committed a sin. But the Hebrew word kippur has a much more concrete meaning. In the Bible the root k-p-r (כפר) means to physically cover something up. For example in Genesis 32:21 Jacob tries to pacify his estranged brother Esau by sending him gifts, thinking to himself: “let me cover over (אֲכַפְּרָה) his face with a present”. What this means is that the act of atonement in the Bible is an act of “covering up” our sins. But of course this is a temporary measure. We can never hope to entirely banish sin. It is constantly present in our lives. This is precisely the reason that Yom Kippur comes once a year.
