Yom Kippur

The holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur a day of atonement marked by fasting and ceremonial repentance

Why is it important?

This day of atonement marks the end of the Jewish high holy days—and offers a chance for people to change their fate through prayer, repentance, and charity.

According to tradition, it is on Yom Kippur that God decides each person's fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for sins committed during the past year. The holiday is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service.

Significance

The Sabbath of Sabbaths

Yom Kippur is Judaism's most sacred day of the year; it is sometimes referred to as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." For this reason, even Jews who do not observe other traditions refrain from work, which is forbidden during the holiday, and participate in religious services on Yom Kippur, causing synagogue attendance to soar. Some congregations rent out additional space to accommodate large numbers of worshippers.

History

According to tradition, the first Yom Kippur took place after the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Descending from the mountain, Moses caught his people worshipping a golden calf and shattered the sacred tablets in anger. Because the Israelites atoned for their idolatry, God forgave their sins and offered Moses a second set of tablets.

Connection to Rosh Hashanah

Jewish law teaches that God inscribes the names of the righteous in the "book of life" and condemns the wicked to death on Rosh Hashanah; people who fall between the two categories have until Yom Kippur to perform "teshuvah," or repentance. As a result, observant Jews consider Yom Kippur and the days leading up to it a time for prayer, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends with others.

source: History.com

The end of the t'shuvah

("teh- shoo- vah")

means "a return to your best self". According to tradition, God judges all creatures during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, deciding whether they will live or die in the coming year.

Prayer Services

Because the High Holy Day prayer services include special liturgical texts, songs and customs, rabbis and their congregations read from a special prayer book known as the machzor during both Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

Pre-Yom Kippur feast

On the eve of Yom Kippur, families and friends gather for a bountiful feast that must be finished before sunset. The idea is to gather strength for 25 hours of fasting.

The Torah commands all Jewish adults to abstain from eating and drinking between sundown on the evening before Yom Kippur and nightfall the next day. The fast is believed to cleanse the body and spirit, not to serve as a punishment.

After the final Yom Kippur service, many people return home for a festive meal. It traditionally consists of breakfast-like comfort foods such as blintzes, noodle pudding and baked goods.

Breaking of the fast

After the final Yom Kippur service, many people return home for a festive meal. It traditionally consists of breakfast-like comfort foods such as blintzes, noodle pudding and baked goods.

Other customs

Wearing white as symbol of purity

Make donations or volunteer their time to seek God's forgiveness