Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement

In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall not do any work... For on that day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord. - Leviticus 16:29-30


Yom Kippur, on the 10th day of Tishri, is perhaps the most significant Jewish holiday. Many who do not follow other Jewish rituals do not work, fast and/or attend services.

Translated, Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement. The High Holy Day is what its name says it is. We set this day aside to atone for our sins of the past year. On Yom Kippur, our judgment is sealed as it is entered in the books in which God inscribes all of our names. Yom Kippur is our last chance to change the judgment, display penance and make amends. On this day, we atone for sins between us and God. To make amends for sins against others, we must first approach that person and right our wrongs if possible. This we must do before Yom Kippur.

Rituals

We may not work on Yom Kippur; it is a complete Sabbath. We do not eat or drink, even water, on Yom Kippur. For 25 hours commencing with sunset on erev Yom Kippur and ending with nightfall on Yom Kippur, we fast. The Talmud lists more, less well-known prohibitions including: washing and bathing, anointing one's body with cosmetics, deodorants, etc), wearing leather shoes, and engaging in sexual relations.

Restrictions are not permitted when there are health threats, for children under nine, and for childbirth (from commencement of labor and for three days after birth). Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth may fast and may break the fast if they feel they need to.

We spend most of the day at services beginning early in the morning and until about 3pm when many go home and nap to return around 5 or 6pm for the afternoon/evening service which continues to nightfall. Services end blowing the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar.

It is customary to wear white symbolizing purity and reminding us the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18).

Worship

A special prayer book, the machzor, is used in the observance of Yom Kippur.

The opening evening service is Kol Nidre, so-named because of the prayer that starts the service. Kol Nidre means all vows, and we ask God to cancel the personal vows made between us and God, like "If I get this job, I'll go to temple every week!" We implore this prayer because we are so serious about our promises, we believe ourselves responsible even for vows made under duress or stress. This prayer helped those who converted to Christianity when tortured and thought they couldn't break their vow to follow Christianity.

During Yom Kippur, a critical additional service is the confession of the sins of the community. The Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah) prayer acknowledges in the plural, we, calling attention to collective accountability for transgressions. The two parts of the Amidah confession is Ashamnu, the shorter, more general list (we have been treasonable, we have been aggressive, we have been slanderous...) and Al Chet, the more extensive and detailed list (for the sin we sinned before you forcibly or willingly, and for the sin we sinned before you by acting callously...) In the Amidah, we repeatedly call for pardon.

Many of the sins in the Amidah are concerned with mistreating others verbally (insult, ridicule, defamation and swearing falsely, to name a few). These sins are lashon ha-ra, the evil tongue, are considered very serious.

The final service, Ne'ilah, is practiced only on Yom Kippur, and it lasts about an hour. The ark is open throughout this ceremony, and we stand for its duration. Occasionally called "closing of the gates", it is our last chance to apply for atonement before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of the shofar.

After Yom Kippur, we prepare for Sukkot, the next holiday, five days later.