Leviticus 16:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He also determines the appropriate timing for these matters to take place. As it is written: ‘On the tenth day of the month ye shall subdue your souls, and ye shall not do any work, neither shall ye do any thing, neither shall any native, nor any stranger come in unto you: on that day he will pray for you, to cleanse you from your sins before the Lord, and ye shall be clean: the sabbath of the sabbaths ye shall have this rest, and ye shall subdue your souls, lawfully for ever’ (Lev. 16:29-31). Moses referred to this day as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, much like the Holy of Holies, for this celebration holds greater reverence than the regular Sabbath. He described fasting as the humbling of the soul. Interpretation on the book of Leviticus. Question 22: When did the bishop enter the Holy of Holies?

The ultimate Sabbath represents a profound tranquility for the rational soul; it detaches the mind from even the most sacred truths found in creation. In an ecstatic embrace of divine love, the soul is wholly enveloped in the oneness of God, and through the depths of sacred theology, the intellect becomes entirely steadfast in its focus on Him.