Yom Kippur - The Day of Atonement

The Day Of Atonement

This is the most solemn day of the year. For nearly twenty-six hours – from several minutes before sunset on Tishrei 9 until after nightfall on Tishrei 10 Jews abstain from food and drink as we "afflict our souls". Just like the angels who have no physical needs this is a time to take our focus off of the physical .

We Fast on

the 10th Day of the 7th Month?

Yom Kippur is called the 'Sabbath of Sabbaths' and in Hebrew it is Shabbat Shabbatot. It is during this shabbat that the last meal eaten before Jews all over the world begin a complete fast.

On the 9th day of Tishrei, in the late afternoon we eat the feast that precedes the fast. On the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei) the Torah calls this the day of for self affliction. This fast meal must be eaten before Sunset. And after that everyone except children under 13 and sick persons will fast until after sunset on the following day.

For in fasting we withhold from life's pleasures and concentrate on the one task of this day and that is repentance. It is a solemn day and a day to focus and to connect to who and why we are here.

Every day of the year there are three prayers in the course of the day — Maariv (the evening prayer), Shacharit (the morning prayer) and Mincha (the afternoon prayer). On Shabbat and every other Jewish holiday we have a fourth — Mussaf (the additional prayer). But only on Yom Kippur is there a fifth — Ne’ilah and on Yom Kippur there are five prayer services:

1) Maariv with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur

2) Shacharit —the morning prayer

3) Musaf - which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service

4) Minchah - which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah.

5) Neilah ("locking") prayer - Probably the most powerful moment of the year for this is when our souls can access the 5th dimension. And we ask, “Mah anu, What are we?”, “Meh chayeinu What are our lives?” It is at this moment that the gates of heaven remain wide open to accept our prayers bringing us to the climax of Yom Kippur.

The Opening Prayer on

Yom Kippur Eve

Before leaving for synagogue to hear Kol Nidre,  on this holy night there is an old custom where parents say a special prayer for their children.

"May your lips speak the truth and your hands do good deeds. May you be inscribed for a long and happy life. "

Kol Nidrei: (lit. "all the vows") solemn prayer opening the evening service of Yom Kippur

When the sun goes down, everyone returns to synagogue. The Torahs are taken out of the Holy Ark. The cantor rises and begins the famous Kol Nidre prayer in a chant that is known all around the world. It is quite impressing to know that Jews all around the world are going to hear the same prayer. And so, three times the cantor chants the prayer . . . . . . .

Kol means all and Nidre means vows.

Yom Kippur Memorial Prayer

In Judaism when we mourn for the dead it is both usually a private thing and privately when we observe, it is called a yahrzeit. A yahrzeit marks the anniversary of a person's death.

But on Yom Kippur part of the religious service to remember the dead and so a memorial prayer is said publicly. This service is called Yiskor. Recited by the congregation during holidays on the Jewish calender. Yom Kippur is one of the 4 holidays in which Yiskor is said. The holidays in which Jewish people say Yiskor are on:,

• The eighth day of Sukkot, Shenini Atzeret,
• The last day of Passover
• The second day of Shavuot
• Yom Kippur
  

The soul of the dead which is being mourned is mentioned it is based on Jewish belief that the soul lives on forever. The main part of Yizkor is a single paragraph which begins . . .
Yizkor elohim (may G-d remember).

On Yom Kippur

In the afternoon , the portion of the prophets which is read is the Book of Jonah. In this story Jonah we read how no matter how hard we may try to escape G-d , truth be that God is everywhere.

In Judaism it is the Haftarah that is being read during the afternoon services of Yom Kippur because it is a story of God's willingness to forgive those who repent.

A Day of Atonement

As the day wears on, more and more we see that the central message of Yom Kippur is to forgive and to repent.

In Hebrew the word teshuvah means to "return and it is used to refer to "repentance". And it is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return) and נחם nicham (to feel sorrow).

On Yom Kippur

The last service in synagogue on the day of atonement is called Ne'ilah which means to close.

At the very end of the service, we listen for the long awaited last sound of the shofar to blow. It is the one and only time that the shofar is blown on Yom Kippur. And if you listen carefully it is the last note that is a long and steady blow. It is as long as the breathe can hold out. And with that final blow, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is over. Everyone is anxious to eat as the fast is over. The meal that we have is called "break fast', which is a light usually dairy - bagles and lox type of meal. And so,

The High Holidays are over.

The Jewish Quarter

By Celina Holckener

The Jewish Quarter was written by the late Celina Holckener in the years 1940-41 in Radom. Celina was deported in August 1942 to Treblinka and she died there August 1942. Her poem was recalled and translated from Polish by her cousin Hanka Szolowicz-Lior. And it was submitted by Hanka and Menachem Lior.

And in memory of the village of Radom, Poland, and Celina Holckener who left this behind so we will always remember.

Radom, We will remember always and never forget!

Hebrew Calendar

The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. The exception to this rule is fast days, which begin at dawn of the date shown below (except for Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur which also begin the night before). The dates on the Jewish calendar are over at nightfall.