Yom Kippur: Jews ask forgiveness on Day of Atonement; final High Holidays

September 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment

SUNSET TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: The High Holidays reach their spiritual peak on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Often described as the most significant date on the Jewish calendar, Jewish men and women traditionally prepare for Yom Kippur by asking forgiveness of anyone they have wronged in the past year. Then, Yom Kippur usually is spent in synagogue as each person reflects on the past year and prays to reconcile with both G_d and their community.

Fasting from food and drink is undertaken for 25 hours, while the color white is customarily worn to services. The Yom Kippur liturgy continues until nightfall, when services end with a long blast of the shofar.

YOM KIPPUR: KOL NIDRE TO THE ARK

The lengthy services of Yom Kippur use a special prayer book, the machzor, and the opening evening service is known as Kol Nidre, or “all vows.” During this service, the faithful ask G_d to annul personal vows they made during the next year—a great relief in past eras when Jews were forced to convert to other religions. The community asks forgiveness of collective sins, and the final service of Yom Kippur—Ne’ilah—is performed with the ark open. (Learn more from Judaism 101.) During this final service, it is often referenced as a “closing of the gates.”

Did you know? Traditionally, Yom Kippur is considered the date Moses received the second set of Ten Commandments. At this time, the Israelites were granted atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf.

In Israel today, Yom Kippur is a legal holiday. Public transportation, shops and businesses are closed, and there are no radio or television broadcasts. (Wikipedia has details.) Eating in public is strictly avoided on Yom Kippur. In recent years, however, young Israelis have taken to riding bicycles and in-line skating on the eve of Yom Kippur.

NEWS: 50 YEARS AGO …

In 1965, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax made the decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series, as it fell on Yom Kippur. The decision made international headlines, creating buzz around the world as the conflicts between American culture and Jewish belief were discussed. Today, JTA reflects on how Koufax’s decision still resonates—and how it impacted Jews for the generations following.

Yom Kippur: Millions of Jews mark the Day of Atonement

October 03, 2014 by Leave a Comment

TO INTRODUCE our coverage of Yom Kippur, ReadTheSpirit magazine welcomes back author and Jewish scholar Joe Lewis as well as our regular Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton. In addition to this column, you’ll enjoy these other stories:

INTRODUCING YOM KIPPUR

By JOE LEWIS

SUNSET FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3: Although it’s a solemn day, Yom Kippur is really a celebration, the anniversary of God forgiving the Jewish people for worshiping a golden calf. By traditional calculation, Moses brought the second tablets to the people on Yom Kippur. God’s nature is revealed to Moses as a God of mercy and compassion, patience and kindness (Ex. 34:6), and this idea is central to the liturgy of the day.

The Torah prescribes self-denial for this day, most obviously fasting: Adults who are medically able will abstain from food and drink for about 25 hours, from sundown to sundown.

In the days of the Temple, there was an elaborate sacrificial ceremony during which the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies; confess his sins and those of his family and the whole community; and utter God’s four-letter name. The sacrificial animals included two goats; one was sacrificed and the other released (the original “scapegoat,”) to bear the community’s sins into the wilds. The mystery of the purpose and efficacy of this sacrifice prompt us to study its details in our prayer service. Without the Temple, all of this is denied us, and we ache with sorrow for our loss and lovingly recall the ancient ritual.

Relying on an interpretation of Hosea 14:2 that prayer replaces the sacrificial system, our liturgy is extensive and includes soaring poetry and abject confession. Our prayers take up most of the day.

We end the day with a blast on the shofar, eat our fill, and make plans for the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), which is only five days away.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HOLIDAY

By STEPHANIE FENTON

The High Holidays draw to a close tonight, as Jews embark on a 25-hour fast accompanied by prayers that will draw them close to God: it is Yom Kippur, known also as the Day of Atonement. Arguably the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur beckons even the most nonobservant Jews to the synagogue for earnest prayer and in hopes of forgiveness.

To understand more about this fasting—which is different than most traditional “fasts” in Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions—read this week’s FeedTheSpirit column by Bobbie Lewis. (She’s Joe Lewis’s wife and a popular writer on many topics, including food.)

For families: Yom Kippur offers a unique opportunity for children to see their parents engaged in serious observance of their religious traditions, and the days leading up to the holiday allow families to examine and discuss their relationships. Families might want to write a themed letter each year; break fast together on Yom Kippur; and engage young members in the Yizkor memorial service, for parents who have passed away. Get more ideas here.

A different menu for Yom Kippur: Interested in what to eat to break the Yom Kippur fast in addition to Bobbie’s suggestions in FeedTheSpirit this week? You might also want to check out this article from the Washington Post, which examines traditions from Sephardic Jews—who dine on warm, sweet drinks, soups and a later meal of heavier curries and meats—to Indian Jews, who adapt dishes from the pies of Diwali.

Sports on Yom Kippur? Is one allowed to watch televised sports during the time of “afternoon nap” on Yom Kippur? This article contemplates that question.