Yom Kippur — יום כיפור
Starts at sundown on Oct 10th and ends at after sunset Oct 11th.
Summary
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It takes place on the 10th day of Tishrei and completes the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.
From an Orthodox Jewish perspective, Yom Kippur is a day devoted almost completely to HaShem. We step away from ordinary life, fast, pray, confess our sins, and ask HaShem for forgiveness. It is a serious day, but it is also a hopeful one because the Torah teaches that HaShem gives us the opportunity to do teshuvah and begin again.
Yom Kippur lasts about 25 hours, beginning shortly before sunset and ending after nightfall the following evening. During that time, observant Jews refrain from eating and drinking, ordinary work, bathing for pleasure, applying lotions or oils, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations.
Much of the day is spent in synagogue. The prayers include repeated confession, requests for forgiveness, remembrance of the service once performed in the Beit HaMikdash, and prayers asking HaShem to seal us for life and for a good year.
Yom Kippur ends with the powerful Neilah service, the final prayer of the day, followed by the declaration of the Shema and the sounding of the shofar.
What Yom Kippur Means
The Torah calls Yom Kippur a day of atonement.
The Hebrew word kippur comes from the idea of atonement or cleansing.
The Torah says:
כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם לפני ה׳ תטהרו
“For on this day He shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins before HaShem you shall be clean.”
Yom Kippur gives us an opportunity to stop and honestly examine our lives.
Where did we fall short?
Whom did we hurt?
What mitzvot did we neglect?
Where could we have acted with more patience, honesty, or kindness?
The purpose is not to make us feel hopeless. The purpose is to help us recognize where we need to change and return to HaShem.
Teshuvah — Returning to HaShem
Teshuvah is one of the central ideas of Yom Kippur.
Teshuvah means “return.”
We return to HaShem by recognizing what we have done wrong, regretting it, admitting it, and making a sincere effort to change.
The Rambam explains that confession, or vidui, is an important part of teshuvah.
But saying words alone is not enough.
If someone repeatedly says they are sorry but has no intention of changing, that is not complete teshuvah.
Real teshuvah includes a genuine desire to do better.
Forgiveness Between People
Yom Kippur atones for sins between a person and HaShem, but offenses against another person require something more.
If we have hurt someone, cheated them, embarrassed them, damaged their property, or treated them unfairly, we should try to make things right.
That may mean apologizing.
It may mean returning something.
It may mean repaying money.
It may mean admitting that we were wrong.
This is why many Jews contact friends and family before Yom Kippur and ask forgiveness for anything they may have done during the year.
Yom Kippur does not give us permission to mistreat people and simply ask HaShem to erase it.
Judaism requires us to take responsibility.
The Fast
The most widely recognized observance of Yom Kippur is fasting.
Healthy adults generally fast for about 25 hours, from shortly before sunset until nightfall the next day.
The fast includes both food and drink.
The purpose is not punishment.
By putting aside physical needs for one day, we are able to focus more completely on prayer, teshuvah, and our relationship with HaShem.
Jewish law places great importance on protecting life and health. A person whose health could be harmed by fasting may be required to eat or drink according to halachic guidance. Someone with a medical concern should speak with both a qualified physician and a knowledgeable rabbi before fasting.
The Five Restrictions
Traditional Orthodox observance of Yom Kippur includes five major forms of self-denial.
They are refraining from eating and drinking, washing for pleasure, applying oils or lotions for pleasure, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations.
These restrictions help separate Yom Kippur from ordinary life.
The day is meant to be focused on the spiritual rather than physical comfort.
Basic washing for cleanliness when necessary is treated differently from bathing for pleasure, and health needs take priority.
Preparing Before Yom Kippur
Preparation begins before the fast itself.
It is customary to eat a good meal before Yom Kippur begins. This is called the seudah hamafseket, the final meal before the fast.
People also prepare spiritually.
Many give extra tzedakah.
People ask others for forgiveness.
Some immerse in a mikvah.
Some Orthodox communities practice kapparot, traditionally using a chicken or money while reciting a prayer. The money version is common and is usually donated to charity.
These are customs surrounding the day. They do not replace teshuvah.
Candle Lighting
Yom Kippur begins before sunset.
Candles are lit before the holiday starts, similar to Shabbat and other major Jewish holidays.
Many families also light a memorial candle for deceased parents or close relatives.
Because Yom Kippur is a day when ordinary work is prohibited, preparations should be completed before the holiday begins.
Wearing White
Many Jews wear white clothing on Yom Kippur.
Some married Orthodox men wear a white garment called a kittel.
White represents purity and reminds us of our hope to be cleansed from sin.
The kittel can also remind us of mortality because a similar simple white garment is associated with Jewish burial customs.
That reminder is not intended to be frightening.
It encourages us to consider how we are using the life HaShem has given us.
Kol Nidrei — כל נדרי
The evening service begins with Kol Nidrei.
Kol Nidrei means “all vows.”
It is one of the most recognizable parts of Yom Kippur.
The traditional melody creates a very serious atmosphere as the congregation begins the holiest day of the year.
Kol Nidrei deals with certain personal vows and commitments involving oneself and HaShem. It does not cancel debts or promises made to other people.
A person cannot use Kol Nidrei as a way to escape responsibilities to someone else.
The Five Prayer Services
Yom Kippur is unique because it contains five prayer services.
These are:
Maariv in the evening.
Shacharit in the morning.
Musaf following Shacharit.
Mincha in the afternoon.
Neilah near the end of the fast.
The number of services reflects the spiritual intensity of the day.
For many observant Jews, much of Yom Kippur is spent inside the synagogue.
Vidui — Confession
One of the most important parts of Yom Kippur prayer is vidui, confession.
Two well known confessions are Ashamnu and Al Chet.
Ashamnu begins:
אשמנו בגדנו גזלנו
“We have been guilty, we have betrayed, we have robbed…”
An interesting feature of the confession is that it is usually spoken in the plural.
We say “we,” not only “I.”
This reflects the idea that the Jewish people share responsibility for one another.
Even if we personally did not commit every sin listed, we stand together as a community asking HaShem for forgiveness.
Al Chet — על חטא
The Al Chet prayer lists many types of wrongdoing.
Some involve speech.
Others involve dishonesty, disrespect, arrogance, carelessness, or harmful behavior.
The repeated words are:
על חטא שחטאנו לפניך
“For the sin that we have sinned before You…”
The prayer encourages us to think beyond obvious wrongdoing.
Sometimes our mistakes come from what we say.
Sometimes they come from what we fail to do.
Sometimes we hurt another person without realizing how much our actions affected them.
Yom Kippur asks us to look honestly at ourselves.
The Musaf Service and the Beit HaMikdash
The Musaf service contains a detailed description of the Yom Kippur service that was performed by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, in the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem.
Yom Kippur was the one day of the year when the Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh HaKodashim, the Holy of Holies.
The service involved special offerings, purification, prayer, and the confession of the sins of Israel.
When recounting the service, many Orthodox congregations bow or kneel at certain points.
This connects modern Jewish worship with the ancient Temple service in Jerusalem.
It also reminds us of the central place that Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash hold in traditional Jewish prayer.
The Name of HaShem
During the description of the Temple service, the congregation recalls that the Kohen Gadol pronounced the sacred Name of HaShem.
When the people in the Temple heard it, they would bow down.
This is one of the most powerful parts of the traditional Musaf service.
It reminds us of the holiness that surrounded the Temple service and of our hope for redemption.
Yizkor — יזכור
Many communities recite Yizkor on Yom Kippur.
Yizkor is a memorial prayer for deceased parents and other loved ones.
People remember those who came before them and often pledge tzedakah in their memory.
Yom Kippur is therefore not only about the year that has passed.
It also connects us with previous generations of the Jewish people.
The Book of Jonah
During the Mincha service, the Book of Jonah is traditionally read.
The story of Yonah is especially appropriate for Yom Kippur because it deals with teshuvah.
Yonah is sent by HaShem to warn the people of Nineveh that their wrongdoing will bring destruction.
When the people change their behavior and repent, HaShem accepts their teshuvah.
The message is clear.
People can change.
A bad past does not have to become a bad future.
Neilah — נעילה
Neilah is the final prayer service of Yom Kippur.
The word Neilah means “closing.”
Traditionally, it is understood as the time when the gates of prayer are closing as Yom Kippur comes to an end.
The prayers become especially intense.
After spending the entire day fasting and praying, the congregation makes one final appeal to HaShem.
The language of the prayers changes from asking to be “written” for a good year to asking to be “sealed.”
This reflects the traditional belief that the judgment begun on Rosh Hashanah reaches its conclusion on Yom Kippur.
The Shema and Final Declaration
Near the end of Neilah, the congregation makes several powerful declarations of faith.
These include:
שמע ישראל ה׳ אלהינו ה׳ אחד
“Hear, O Israel: HaShem is our God, HaShem is One.”
The congregation also declares:
ה׳ הוא האלהים
“HaShem is God.”
These words bring the long day of prayer and teshuvah toward its conclusion.
The Final Shofar
At the end of Yom Kippur, a shofar is traditionally sounded.
After approximately 25 hours of fasting and prayer, that single blast is one of the most memorable sounds of the Jewish year.
It signals that Yom Kippur has ended.
It can also be understood as a call to take everything we experienced during the day and carry it into ordinary life.
The goal is not simply to survive the fast.
The real question begins afterward:
What will we do differently?
Breaking the Fast
After nightfall and the conclusion of the holiday, people usually gather for a meal known as breaking the fast.
Many families have their own traditions about what they eat.
Some prefer light foods because the body has gone without food and water for many hours.
The atmosphere often changes quickly from the seriousness of Neilah to relief, conversation, family, and community.
Yom Kippur and Joy
Although Yom Kippur is extremely serious, Jewish tradition does not view it as a hopeless or depressing day.
There is something deeply hopeful about it.
HaShem gives us the ability to return.
We are not permanently defined by every mistake we have made.
We can apologize.
We can change habits.
We can repair relationships.
We can perform more mitzvot.
We can begin again.
That possibility makes Yom Kippur a day of enormous spiritual hope.
Yom Kippur for Someone New to Jewish Observance
Someone who is unfamiliar with Yom Kippur should not feel embarrassed walking into a synagogue.
The services are long, and even people who have attended for many years may not understand every prayer.
Start where you are.
Attend part of the service.
Listen.
Follow along where you can.
Ask questions before or after the holiday.
Think about your life and speak privately to HaShem.
If you are able to fast according to halachah, fast.
If you have a health condition, do not risk your health simply because you are afraid of appearing less observant.
The purpose of Yom Kippur is to come closer to HaShem, not to prove something to other people.
A Tevel Zion Lesson From Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur teaches something especially important for anyone who feels distant from Judaism.
HaShem does not ask us to pretend that we are perfect.
He gives us a path back.
A person may have been away from Jewish life for years. Someone may not know the prayers or may feel uncomfortable entering a synagogue. Another person may know that there are parts of their life they need to change but have no idea where to begin.
Yom Kippur tells us that beginning again is possible.
Be honest with HaShem.
Make peace with someone you have hurt if you can.
Learn something.
Do another mitzvah.
Ask for forgiveness.
Then try to do a little better tomorrow.
We do not become closer to HaShem by pretending we never make mistakes. We grow closer by recognizing them, learning from them, and continuing forward.
Yom Kippur gives every Jew the opportunity to return, and nobody has to make that journey alone.
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