Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur (Hebrew: יוֹם כִּפּוּר‎), also known as the Day of Atonement, is the most austere and substantial of the Jewish holidays. Its principal elements are atonement and repentance. Jews customarily celebrate that holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in shul services.

Yom Kippur is the 10th and last day of the Ten Days of Repentance which starts with Rosh Hashanah. Consistent with Jewish tradition, God write every individual’s fate for the next year into a "book" on Rosh Hashanah and awaits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the adjudication. While the Ten Days of Repentance, a Jew attempts to improve his conduct and look for absolution for bad deeds done versus God and versus his fellow man (ben adam lehavero). The eve and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private appeals and confessions of blame (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one acknowledges himself cleared by God.

The Yom Kippur prayer ceremonial involves a few unique angles. One is the real amount of prayer services. Different from a normal day, which offers three prayer services (Ma'ariv, Shacharit and Mincha), or a Shabbat or Yom Tov, which have four prayer services (Ma'ariv; Musaf, and Mincha), Yom Kippur offers five prayer services (Ma'ariv; Shacharit; Musaf; Mincha; and Ne'ilah, the closing prayer). The prayer services also include a general affirmation of sins, or Vidui, and a of the Yom Kippur avodah service of the Cohen Gadol in the big Temple in Jerusalem.

Next of Customes

observances

Leviticus 23:27 mandates that Yom Kippur is a strict day of rest and of fasting.

Five extra forbiddances are commonly observed, as itemized in the Jewish oral tradition in the Mishnah tractate Yoma 8:1:
1. Consuming and drinking
2. Dressed in leather shoes
3. Bathing/washing
4. Anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
5. Sexual relations

A complete refraining from food and drink usually starts thirty minutes prior to dusk and is called Addition to Yom Kippur, and ends after beginning of darkness the next day. Although the fast is compulsatory of all healthful adults, it is let go in the case of particular health issues. Basically all Jewish holidays include a adapted meal, yet since Yom Kippur involves fasting, Jewish law demands one to consume food a big and celebratory meal on the afternoon prior to Yom Kippur, after the Mincha afternoon prayer. Dressed in white garments is adapted to represent one’s pureness on that day. Most Orthodox men submerge themselves in a mikveh on the day prior to Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur Eve

Erev Yom Kippur, which stands for the eve of Day of Atonement, is the day before Yom Kippur, matching with the ninth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei. That day is preserved with two celebratory meals, the handing out of charity, and appealing people for absolution.

Prior to dusk on Yom Kippur eve, believers come together in the shul. The Ark is opened and two people take from it two Sifrei Torah aka Torah scrolls. Then they take their spots, each on every side of the cantor, and the three read out loud:

In the tribunal of Heaven and the tribunal of earth, by the permission of God—praised be He—and by the permission of that holy congregation, we hold it lawful to pray with transgressors."

The cantor then recites the Kol Nidre prayer (Hebrew: כל נדרי) in Aramaic. Its name was given from the starting words which means "All vows":

All private vows we are probable to make, all private oaths and pledges we are probable to take between that Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we openly reject. Let them all be deserted and left alone, null and abandoned, neither firm nor established. Let our private vows, pledges and oaths be contemplated neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.

The leader and the congregation then say together three times “May all the people of Israel be forgiven, including all the strangers who live in their midst, for all the people are in fault.” The Torah scrolls are then replaced, and the customary evening service begins.

Prayer services

Most married men wear a kittel, a white robe-like garment for evening prayers on Yom Kippur. They also wear a tallit, the only evening ceremonial of the year in which that is done. Prayer services starts with the prayer known as “Kol Nidre,” which must be read out loudd prior to sunset, and continue with the evening prayers (Ma'ariv or Arvith), which involves an extended Selichot service.

The Morning Prayer ceremonial is preceded by litanies and appeals of absolution called selichot; on Yom Kippur, most selichot are woven into the liturgy. The morning prayers are followed by an added prayer (Musaf) as on all other holidays. That is followed by Mincha (the afternoon prayer) which involves a reading (Haftarah) of the Book of Jonah, which offers as its theme the story of God's willingness to forgive those who repent. The ceremonial concludes with the Ne'ilah prayer, which starts shortly prior to sunset, when the "gates of prayer" will be closed. Yom Kippur comes to an end with a recitation of Shema Yisrael and the blowing of the shofar, which marks the conclusion of the fast.

The Avodah: Remembering the Temple service

A recitation of the sacrificial ceremonial of the Temple in Jerusalem customarily features prominently in both the liturgy and the religious thought of the holiday. Specifically, the Avodah (“service”) in the musaf prayer recounts the sacrificial ceremonies in consume food detail.

That adapted prominence is rooted in the Babylonian Talmud’s description of how to attain atonement next the destruction of the Temple. Consistent with Talmud tractate Yoma, in the absence of a Temple, Jews are obligated to study the High Priest’s adapted on Yom Kippur, and that study helps achieve atonement for those who are unable to benefit from its real performance. In Orthodox Judaism, accordingly, studying the Temple adapted on Yom Kippur represents a positive rabbinically-ordained obligation which Jews seeking atonement are compulsatory to fulfill.

In Orthodox, most Conservative, and some progressive shuls a detailed description of the Temple adapted is read out loudd on the day. In most Orthodox and some Conservative shuls, the entire congregation prostrates themselves at every point in the recitation where the Cohen Gadol or the High Priest would pronounce the Tetragrammaton (God’s holiest name, consistent with Judaism).

The main portion of the Avodah is a threefold recitation of the High Priest’s actions regarding expiation in the Holy of Holies. Performing the sacrificial acts and reciting Leviticus 16:30, “for on that day atonement shall be made for you, to atone for you for all your sins, prior to God…” (he would read out loud the Tetragrammaton at that point, to which the people would prostrate to the ground) and after extending the Name, he would finish the verse “…you shall be purified.” He would first ask for absolution for himself and his family (“Your pious man”), then for the priestly caste (“Your holy people”), and finally for all of Israel (“Your upright children”). (These three times, plus in some congregations the Alenu prayer while the Musaf Amidah on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, are the only times in Jewish services when Jews engage in complete full-body prostration, with the exception of some Yemenite Jews and talmedhei haRambam who may prostrate themselves on other occasions while the year). A variety of liturgical poems are added, including a poem recounting the radiance of the countenance of the Cohen Gadol after exiting the Holy of Holies, customarily believed to emit palpable light in a manner echoing the Bible's account of the countenance of Moses after descending from Mount Sinai, as well as prayers for the speedy rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of sacrificial worship. There are a variety of other customs, such as hand gestures to mime the sprinkling of blood (one sprinkling upwards and seven downwards per set of eight).

Orthodox liturgies include prayers lamenting the inability to perform the Temple ceremonial and petitioning for its restoration, which Conservative shuls generally omit. In some Conservative shuls, only the Hazzan engages in full prostration. Some Conservative shuls abridge the recitation of the Avodah ceremonial to varying degrees, and some omit it entirely. Most Reform and Reconstructionist services omit the entire ceremonial as inconsistent with modern sensibilities.

Observance among non religious Jews

Yom Kippur is contemplated one of the holiest of Jewish holidays, and it is beheld by most non religious Jews who may not celebrate other holidays. Most non religious Jews fast and at end shul on Yom Kippur, where the amount of believers visiting is often twice to trice the normal amount.

Yom Kippur in Israel

Yom Kippur is a legal holiday in the now a day’s state of Israel. There are no media broadcasts, airports are closed down, no public transportation available, and all stores and other businesses are closed. During 1973, the air raid sirens went on during the afternoon of Yom Kippur and radio broadcasts went on to notify the public to a abrupt attack that was started the Yom Kippur War.

In 2008, 63 percent of Jews in Israel claimed that they were planning to fast during Yom Kippur. That may be the explanation why it is very ordinary in Israel to want "Tsom Kal" or easy fast to everybody prior to Yom Kippur, even if you don't know whether they will fast or not.

It is contemplated "bad form" to consume food in public on Yom Kippur or to drive a vehicle. There is no legal forbiddance on driving or consuming in public, and from the legal point of view any person can do so — yet in practice such actions are looked upon badly. Accommodation is extended for all emergency vehicles such as Ambulances, yet there have been recorded incidents where even this was not tolerated.

Over the past few years, a new tradition has emerged where riding bicycles on the bare streets among non religious Israeli children, particularly on the eve of Yom Kippur. In result, Yom Kippur is humorously referred to as the “Festival of Bicycles.” And bicycle sales increased in the weeks prior to Yom Kippur, so firms have started running advertisements with bicycles.

Yom Kippur and the Bible

The Torah names the day Yom HaKippurim and in Leviticus 23:27 mandates a strict forbiddance of work and adversity of the soul upon the 10th day of the 7th month, formaly known as Tishrei. The traditional customs for Yom Kippur are dictated in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus (cf. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27–31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7–11). It is alleged as a austere fast, on which no food or drink can be devoured, and on which all work is not allowed.

Midrashic interpretation

The midrashim alleged in that portion need sources mentioned from Midrashic literature

Customarily, Yom Kippur is contemplated the date on which Moses got the 2nd set of Ten Commandments. It happened next the end of the 2nd 40 days of instructions from God. during that same period, the Israelites were granted atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf; therefor, its delegation as the Day of Atonement.

View of contemporary Biblical intellectuals

Consistent with textual intellectuals, the biblical regulations covering Yom Kippur are joined together from miscellaneous source texts, as mentioned by proof such as with the duplication of the affirmation over the bullock, and the inconsistency in one verse stating that the high priest should not access the Holy of Holies, and the next verse indicating that they can access at whatever time they want (as long as a particular adapted is carried out first). Although Rashi tried to find a harmonistic explanation for that incongruity, the Leviticus Rabbah maintains that it was indeed the case that the high priest could access at any time if these rituals were carried out. Textual intellectuals argue that the adapted is composed from three sources, and a couple of redactional additions:

• prerequisite rituals prior to the high priest can access the Holy of Holies (on any occasion), namely a sin offering and a whole offering, followed by the filling of the Holy of Holies with a cloud of incense while dressed in linen garments
• regulations which establish an annual day of fasting and rest, while which the temple and people are purified, without stating the adapted for doing so;[ that regulation is very similar to the one in the Holiness Code
• later elaborations of the ceremony, which include the sprinkling of the blood on the mercy seat, and the use of a scapegoat sent to Azazel; the same source also being responsible for small alterations to related regulations
• the redactional additions

Consistent with biblical intellectuals, the earliest ritual was simply the adapted cleansing of the temple from any accidental adapted uncleanness, at the start of every new year, as seen in the Book of Ezekiel, which textual intellectuals date to prior to the priestly source, yet after JE. Consistent with the Book of Ezekiel, the temple was to be cleansed by the sprinkling of bullock's blood, on the first day of the first and of the seventh months — near the start of the Civil year and of the Ecclesiastical year, respectively; although the masoretic text of the Book of Ezekiel offers the 2nd of these cleansings on the seventh of the first month, biblical intellectuals regard the Septuagint, which offers the 2nd cleaning as being the first of the seventh month, as being more accurate here. It appears that while the period that the Holiness Code and the Book of Ezekiel were written, the new year began on the 10th day of the seventh month, and thus biblical intellectuals believe that by the time the Priestly Code was compiled, the date of the new year and of the day of atonement had swapped around.

Yom Kippur in Mishna and Talmud

Services in Temple

The next summary of the Temple ceremonial is based on the adapted Jewish religious account alleged in Mishnah tractate Yoma, appearing in contemporary adapted Jewish prayerbooks for Yom Kippur, and studied as part of a adapted want Yom Kippur worship service.

While the Temple was standing in Jerusalem (from Biblical times through 70 C.E.), the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) performed a complex set of unique services and sacrifices for Yom Kippur. These services were contemplated to be the most substantial parts of Yom Kippur, as through them the Cohen Gadol made atonement for all Jews in the world. While the service, the Cohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies in the caccess of the Temple, the only time of the year that anyone went inside. Doing so compulsatory unique cleansing and preparation, including five immersions in a mikvah (adapted bath), and four changes of clothing.

Seven days prior to Yom Kippur, the Cohen Gadol was sequestered in the Parhedrin chamber in the Temple, where he reviewed the ceremonial with the Temple sages, and was sprinkled with spring water containing ashes of the Red Heifer as purification. The Talmud (Tractate Yoma) also reports that he practiced the incense offering adapted in the Avitnas chamber.

On the day of Yom Kippur, the Cohen Gadol had to follow a precise order of services, sacrifices, and purifications:

• Morning (Tamid) Offering The Cohen Gadol first performed the regular daily (Tamid) offering — usually performed by ordinary priests — in unique golden garments, after immersing in a mikvah and washing his hands and feet.
• Change of Garment 1 The Cohen Gadol immersed in a unique mikvah in the Temple courtyard and changed into unique linen garments, and washed his hands and feet twice, once after removing the golden garments and once prior to putting on the linen garments.
• Bull as Private Sin-Offering The Cohen Gadol leaned performed Semikha and made a affirmation over the bull on behalf of himself and his household, pronouncing the Tetragrammaton. The people prostrated themselves when they heard. He then slaughtered the bull as a chatat (sin-offering) and got its blood in a bowl.
• Drawing of the goats At the Eastern (Nikanor) gate, the Cohen Gadol drew lots from a drawing box over two goats. One was selected "for the Lord", and one "for Azazel". The Cohen Gadol tied a red band around the horns of the goat "for Azazel".
• Getting the Incense ready The Cohen Gadol ascended the mizbeach (altar) and took a shovel full of embers with a unique shovel. He was brought incense. He filled his hands and placed it in a vessel. (The Talmud contemplated that the most physically difficult part of the service, as the Cohen Gadol had to keep the shovelful of glowing coals balanced and prevent its contents from dropping, using his armpit or teeth, while filling his hands with the incense).
• Offering of Incense Holding the shovel and the vessel, he entered the Kadosh Hakadashim, the Temple’s Holy of Holies. In the days of the First Temple, he placed the shovel between the poles of the Ark of the Covenant. In the days of the 2nd Temple, he put the shovel where the Ark would have been. He waited until the chamber filled with smoke and left.
• A little Blood in the Holy of Holies The Cohen Gadol took the bowl with the bull’s blood and entered the Most Holy Place again. He sprinkled the bull's blood with his finger eight times, prior to the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second. The Cohen Gadol then left the Holy of Holies, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Parochet (curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies).
• Kohanim Sin-Offering - Goat for the Lord The Cohen Gadol went to the eastern end of the Israelite courtyard near the Nikanor Gate, laid his hands (semikha) on the goat “for the Lord,” and pronounced confession on behalf of the Kohanim (priests). The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. He then slaughtered the goat, and got its blood in another bowl.
• Sprinkling of blood in the Holy Standing in the Hekhal (Holy), on the other side of the Parochet from the Holy of Holies, the Cohen Gadol took the bull's blood from the stand and sprinkled it with his finger eight times in the direction of the Parochet. He then took the bowl with the goat's blood and sprinkled it eight times in the same manner, putting it back on the stand.
• Smearing of blood on the Golden (Incense) Altar The Cohen Gadol removed the goat’s blood from the stand and mixed it with the bull's blood. Starting at the northeast corner, he then smeared the mixture of blood on every of the four corners of the Golden (Incense) altar in the Haichal. He then sprinkled the blood eight times on the altar.
• Goat for Azazel The Cohen Gadol left the Haichal and walked to the east side of the Azarah (Israelite courtyard). Near the Nikanor Gate, he leaned his hands (Semikha) on the goat “for Azazel” and confessed the sins of the entire people of Israel. The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. While he made a general confession, individuals in the crowd at the Temple would confess privately. The Cohen Gadol then sent the goat off “to the wilderness.” In practice, to prevent its return to human habitation, the goat was led to a cliff outside Jerusalem and pushed off its edge.
• Getting ready of sacrificial animals While the goat “for Azazel” was being led to the cliff, the Cohen Gadol removed the insides of the bull, and intertwined the bodies of the bull and goat. Other people took the bodies to the Beit HaDeshen (place of the ashes). They were burned there after it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazel” had reached the wilderness.
• Reading the Torah After it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazzel” had been pushed off the cliff, the Cohen Gadol passed through the Nikanor Gate into the Ezrat Nashim (Women’s Courtyard) and read sections of the Torah describing Yom Kippur and its sacrifices.
• Change of Garment 2 The Cohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah in the Temple courtyard, and changed into a 2nd set of unique golden garments. He washed his hands and feet both prior to removing the linen garments and after putting on the golden ones.
• Offering of Rams The Cohen Gadol offered two rams as an olah offering, slaughtering them on the north side of the mizbevery (outer altar), receiving their blood in a bowl, carrying the bowl to the outer altar, and dashing the blood on the northeast and southwest corners of the Outer Altar. He dismembered the rams and burned the parts entirely on the outer altar. He then offered the accompanying mincha (grain) offerings and nesachim (wine-libations).
• Musaf Offering The Cohen Gadol then offered the Musaf offering.
• Burning of Innards The Cohen Gadol placed the insides of the bull and goat on the outer altar and burned them entirely.
• Change of Garment 3 The Cohen Gadol removed his golden garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed to a new set of linen garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.
• Clear away of Incense from the Holy of Holies The Cohen Gadol returned to the Holy of Holies and removed the bowl of incense and the shovel.
• Change of Garment 4 The Cohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed into a third set of golden garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.
• Evening Offering The Cohen Gadol completed the afternoon portion of the regular (tamid) daily offering in the unique golden garments. He washed his hands and feet a 10th time.

The Cohen Gadol wore five sets of garments (three golden and two white linen), immersed in the mikvah five times, and washed his hands and feet ten times. Sacrifices included two (daily) lambs, one bull, two goats, and two rams, with accompanying mincha (meal) offerings, wine libations, and three incense offerings (the regular two daily and an additional one for Yom Kippur). The Cohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies three times. The Tetragrammaton was pronounced three times, once for every confession.