Yom Kippur

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...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 L-RD. -Leviticus 16:29-30
Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 23:26 et seq.

The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.

As I noted in Days of Awe, Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur.

As always, any of these restrictions can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved. In fact, children under the age of nine and women in childbirth (from the time labor begins until three days after birth) are not permitted to fast, even if they want to. Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth are permitted to fast, but are permitted to break the fast if they feel the need to do so. People with other illnesses should consult a physician and a rabbi for advice.

Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts.

It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18 ). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried.

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Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, falls on the eve of the tenth day of Tishrei. Thats when the fast begins too. Its a big one twenty-five+ hours!. This year (2007), Yom Kippur starts at sundown, Friday, September 21st, and ends Saturday evening, September 22nd with the sound of the Shofar.

It is the holiest and most solemn day of the year, a day of fasting and prayers, and is only celebrated one day everywhere. (Could you imagine having to fast two days in a row?).

While Yom Kippur itself is devoted to fasting, the day before is devoted to eating. The Talmud states that the person "who eats on the ninth of Tishrei (and fasts on the tenth) , it is as if he had fasted both the ninth and tenth." The day is used to concentrate on eating and preparing for the fast.

Jews all over the world, even those who do not observe any other Jewish custom will (hopefully) refrain from work, fast and go to shul (synagogue) on Yom Kippur.
The holiday is mentioned in Vayikra Ch. 23:26 (et seq). It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In The Story of Rosh Hashana, we mention the "Books" in which Hashem inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these "books" is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.

As noted in The Story of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur can only atone for sins between man and Hashem, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek to reconcile with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.

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Men put on a Tallit (prayer shawl), not usually worn in the evenings, for the evening service that begins Yom Kippur. This service is commonly known as Kol Nidre, named for the prayer that begins the service. "Kol Nidre" means "all vows," and in this prayer, we ask Hashem to annul all personal vows we may make in the next year. It refers only to vows between the person making them and Hashem, such as "If I pass this test, I'll listen to whatever my parents tell me all the time!"
The Kol Nidre emphasizes the importance in keeping vows, as violating an oath is one of the worst sins. We take vows so seriously that we consider ourselves bound even if we make the vows under duress or in times of stress when we are not thinking straight.

Kol Nidre is repeated by the Chazzan (cantor) 3 times, each time in a louder voice. This, explain our sages, is compared to a person who approaches the king in his chamber. In the beginning, he enters with fear and awe and speaks in a soft voice. Later, as he gains more confidence he makes his plea louder. The third time the cantor recites Kol Nidrei very loud for he has become accustomed to standing in the presence of the king.

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There are many additions to the regular prayers (there would have to be, to get such a long service). Perhaps the most important addition is the Al Chet, or Vidui, the confession of the sins, which is inserted into each of the five Shemoneh Esrei (Amida) prayers. Note that all sins are confessed in the plural (we are guilty, we have done this, we have done that), emphasizing communal responsibility for sins. Even if we didn’t do the sin we mention, we are praying to Hashem that He forgive others who may have. We also say Yizkor, the prayer for the souls of the departed.

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On Yom Kippur the Kohain Gadol wears eight garments.

Four contain gold and four do not.
The garments with gold are:

Me'il - A coat that has gold bells at the bottom.

Choshen - The breastplate contains gold thread and clasps.

Afod - An apron that's got gold thread and gold shoulder harnesses.

Tzitz - A headplate made completely of gold.
On Yom Kippur the Kohain Gadol takes off these four garments before he enters the Kodesh Hakodoshim. This leaves him in four white linen garments:

Michnasayim - white linen pants.

Kutonet - a long linen shirt.

Avnait - a belt of linen prepared specially for Yom Kippur.

Miznefet - a turban of linen.
On Yom Kippur the Kohain Gadol changes his clothes FIVE times, and at every change immersed himself in a Mikvah.

Before and after each change he also washes his hands and feet.

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THE
YOM
KIPPUR
LOTTERY
Two goats are the stars of this part of the show. The Kohain Gadol stands in the Azarah (courtyard) with an assistant kohain to his right and the leader of the kohanim on duty that week on his left.
You've got two goats, one is going to be dedicated to Hashem and the other is going to be sent to "Azazel." - But which will be which?

A box is placed before the Kohain Gadol. It's got only two wooden lots (pieces of wood) inside, one lot says "L'Hashem"(for Hashem), the other says "L'Azazel" (for Azazel). The Kohain Gadol puts both hands into the box and takes one lot in each hand. The lot in his right hand is placed on the head of the goat on the right. The lot in the left hand is placed on the head of the goat on the left.

The Kohain Gadol announces the goat marked "L'Hashem" will be used as a Korban Chatat. Later, the goat is slaughtered and its blood is sprinkled in the Kodesh Hakodoshim.

The "L'Azazel" goat is led out to the desert by a special messenger who is chosen before Yom Kippur. This messenger's job is to push the goat off a cliff where the animal will be smashed to the rocks below.

Pretty disturbing, eh? Well, it all goes to wake up Klal Yisrael (US - you and me) to do Teshuva (repent). The thought that it should really be us instead of that goat gets the Teshuva juices going!