Yom Kippur In Brief

What: Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, when we are closest to G‑d and to the essence of our souls. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement,” as the verse states,

“For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G‑d.”

When: The 10th day of Tishrei (This year in 2023, the 25 hour fast begins from just before the evening of Sunday, September 24th – Monday September 25th, 2023 at sundown.) 

How: For 25 hours we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or apply lotions or creams, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from marital relations. Instead, we spend the day in synagogue, praying for forgiveness.

Forty days before Yom Kippur, on the first of Elul, we begin blowing the shofar every morning and reciting Psalm 27 after the morning and afternoon prayers. In Sepharadic communities, it is customary to begin saying Selichot early every morning (Ashkenazim begin just a few days before Rosh Hashanah)—building an atmosphere of reverence, repentance and awe leading up to Yom Kippur.

For the week before Yom Kippur (known as the 10 Days of Repentance, or the 10 days of Awe), special additions are made to prayers, and people are particularly careful with their mitzvah observance.

Just as Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, the day before Yom Kippur is set aside for eating and preparing for this holy day. Here are some of the activities that we do on the day before Yom Kippur:

• Kaparot is often performed in the wee hours of this morning
• There is a beautiful custom to request and receive a piece of honey cake, so that if, G‑d forbid, it was decreed that we need be recipients, it be fulfilled by requesting honey cake and being blessed with a sweet year.
• We eat two festive meals, one in early afternoon and another right before the commencement of the fast.
• Many have the custom to immerse in a mikvah on this day.
• Extra charity is given. In fact, special charity trays are set up at the synagogue before the afternoon service, which contains the Yom Kippur Al Cheit prayer.
• Just before the fast begins (after the second meal has been concluded), it is customary to bless the children with the Priestly Blessing.
• Holiday candles are lit before the onset of the holy day.

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How we afflict ourselves…

Like Shabbat, no work is to be done on Yom Kippur, from the time the sun sets on the ninth of Tishrei until the stars come out in the evening of the next day.

On Yom Kippur, we afflict ourselves by avoiding the following five actions:

• Eating or drinking (in case of need, see here and consult a medical professional and a rabbi)
• Wearing leather shoes
• Applying lotions or creams
• Washing or bathing
• Engaging in conjugal relations

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The Order of Service…

The day is spent in the synagogue, where we hold five prayer services:

• Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur;
• Shacharit, the morning prayer, which includes a reading from Leviticus followed by the Yizkor memorial service;
• Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service;
• Minchah, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah;
• Neilah, the “closing of the gates” service at sunset, followed by the shofar blast marking the end of the fast.

Beyond specific actions, Yom Kippur is dedicated to introspection, prayer and asking G‑d for forgiveness. Even during the breaks between services, it is appropriate to recite Psalms at every available moment.

Watch video below for a detailed overview of the day’s services and to understand the true history and meaning of Yom Kippur!

After night has fallen, the closing Neilah service ends with the resounding cries of the Shema prayer: “Hear O Israel: G‑d is our Lord, G‑d is one.” Then the congregants erupt in joyous song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively “Napoleon’s March”), after which a single blast is blown on the shofar, followed by the proclamation, “Next year in Jerusalem.”

We then partake of a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a yom tov (festival) in its own right.

Indeed, although Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year, it is suffused with an undercurrent of joy; it is the joy of being immersed in the spirituality of the day and expresses confidence that G‑d will accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness.

There is a custom that after Yom Kippur, we immediately begin (planning) construction of the sukkah, which we will use for the joyous holiday of Sukkot, which follows in just five days.

We hope this Special teaching on Yom Kippur blesses you in your spiritual understanding and growth!

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Study by Rabbi Isaac. © Assembly of Called-Out Believers.
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