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{{short description|Holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism}}{{For|the 1973 Arab–Israeli conflict|Yom Kippur War}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}{{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2022}}

factoids

}}| image = Maurycy Gottlieb - Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpgJews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur (1878)}}by Maurycy Gottlieb| official_name = | nickname = | observedby = Jews and Samaritans| date = 10 Tishrei| duration = One day| frequency = Annual (Hebrew calendar)Ta'anit>Jewish prayer>asceticism}}| type = JewishGod in Judaism>God for personal sins; sealing of one's fate for the upcoming year| relatedto = Rosh HaShanahyear=last}}year=current}}year=next}}2}} = {{Calendar date/infobox|year=next2}}| longtype = Jewish, national (in Israel)}}{{Judaism}}Yom Kippur ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|j|ɒ|m|_|k|ɪ|ˈ|p|ʊər|,_|ˌ|j|ɔː|m|_|ˈ|k|ɪ|p|ər|,_|ˌ|j|oʊ|m|-}} {{respell|YAHM|_|kip|OOR|,_|YAWM|_|KIP|ər|,_|YOHM|-}};LPD, 3, }} {{Transliteration|he|Yōm Kīppūr}} {{IPA-he|ˈjom kiˈpuʁ|}}, {{literal translation|Day of Atonement}}) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism and Samaritanism.WEB, Festival 2016: Seven Festivals Celebrated in the Israelite Samaritan Year,weblink 2022-09-13, Israelite Samaritan Information Institute, 24 July 2018, en-GB, WEB, The Festival of Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement),weblink 2022-09-13, The Samaritans, en-US, WEB, Afflicting the Soul: A Day When Even children Must Fast – TheTorah.com,weblink 2022-09-13, thetorah.com, It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei,{{bibleverse|Numbers|29:7|HE}} corresponding to a date in late September or early October.For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and repentance. The day's main observances consist of full fasting and asceticism, both accompanied by extended prayer services (usually at synagogue) and sin confessions. Many Jewish denominations, such as Reconstructionist Judaism (vs. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, etc.), focus less on sins and more on one’s goals and accomplishments and setting yearly intentions.Alongside the related holiday of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur is one of the two components of the High Holy Days of Judaism. It is also the last of the Ten Days of Repentance.

Name

The formal Hebrew name of the holiday is , 'day [of] the atonements'.יום כיפור ויום הכיפורים This name is used in the Bible,Concordance: כִּפֻּרִים Mishnah,Mishnah Yoma 1:1, 1:3, 1:4, etc. and Shulchan Aruch.Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 416:4, etc. The word 'atonement' is one of many Biblical Hebrew words which, while using a grammatical plural form, refers to a singular abstract concept.Beginning in the classical period, the singular form began to be used in piyyut, for example in Unetanneh Tokef, alongside the standard plural form . Use of spread in the medieval period, with becoming the holiday's name in Yiddish and in Ladino. In modern Hebrew, or simply is the common name, while is used in formal writing.In older English texts, the translation "Day of Atonement" is often used.

Significance

High Holy Days

Yom Kippur is one of the two High Holy Days, or Days of Awe (Hebrew ), alongside Rosh Hashanah (which falls nine days previously).WEB,weblink The High Holidays, My Jewish Learning, September 27, 2020, According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into the Book of Life, and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict.WEB,weblink Yom Kippur Theology and Themes, My Jewish Learning, September 27, 2020, This process is described dramatically in the poem Unetanneh Tokef, which is recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur:{{blockquote|A great shofar will be blown, and a small still voice will be heard. The angels will make haste, and be seized with fear and trembling, and will say: "Behold, the day of judgment!"... On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on the Yom Kippur fast it is sealed, how many will pass and how many will be created, who will live and who will die, who in his time and who not in his time... But repentance, prayer, and charity remove the evil of the decree... For You do not desire a person's death, but rather that he repent and live. Until the day of his death You wait for him; if he repents, You accept him immediately.}}During the Days of Awe, a Jew reflects on the year, goals, and past actions, how his or her behavior has possibly hurt others and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other human beings.

Repentance (')

{{Teshuva}}Repentance in Judaism (Hebrew: ), traditionally, consists of regretting having committed the sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future, and confessing that sin before God.Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Teshuva 2:2While repentance for one's sins can and should be done at any time, it is considered especially desirable during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and particularly on Yom Kippur itself.Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Teshuva 2:7 Thus, the Yom Kippur prayers contain extended confessions which list varieties of errors and sins, and to which one can add their own missteps, along with requests for forgiveness from God.According to the Talmud, "Yom Kippur atones for sins done against God (), but does not atone for sins done against other human beings () until the other person has been appeased."Yoma 85b Therefore, it is considered imperative to repair the harm that one has done to others before or during Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is described in the prayers as "a day of creating love and brotherhood, a day of abandoning jealousy and strife".Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz: Musaf for Yom Kippur: The Avodah Service It is said that "if one does not remove hatred [from their heart] on Yom Kippur, their prayers are not heard".Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 131:4

Thirteen attributes

According to the Bible, after the golden calf sin, Moses descended from Mount Sinai and broke the Tablets of Stone, which contained the Ten Commandments and symbolized the covenant with God.{{Bibleverse|Exodus|32:15-19|HE}} After God agreed to forgive the people's sin, Moses was told to return to Mount Sinai for a second 40-day period, in order to receive a second set of tablets.{{Bibleverse|Exodus|34:1-4|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Exodus|34:28-29|HE}} According to rabbinic tradition, the date Moses descended with the second set of tablets was Yom Kippur. On this day Moses announced to the people that they had been forgiven; as a result the Torah fixed this date as a permanent holiday of forgiveness.Seder Olam Rabbah 6WEB, The 120-Day Version Of The Human Story,weblink 2021-06-08, chabad.org, en-US, Yaakov Medan, The First Yom KippurThe new covenant, which God announced by proclaiming the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to Moses, is textually similar to the covenant of the Ten Commandments except that God's nature is described as merciful and forgiving, rather than zealous.Yoshi Fargeon, מה בין י"ג מידות לעשרת הדברות? When the Jewish people sinned in later eras, prophets would repeatedly quote the Thirteen Attributes to God as a reminder of God's commitment to mercy and forgiveness.E.g. {{Bibleverse|Numbers|14:17-18|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Micah|7:18-20|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Psalms|86:15-16|HE}} This is continued to the present day, as recitation of the Thirteen Attributes remains an important part of the Yom Kippur prayers (in Maariv and Neilah).

Closeness to God

While many of the observances of Yom Kippur (such as fasting and long prayers) can be difficult, there is also a tradition in which they are interpreted positively, as indications of closeness of God. Various sources compare the observances of Yom Kippur – fasting, barefootness (not wearing leather shoes), standing (in prayer), particular manners of prayer, even the peace that exists between Jews on this day – with the behavior of angels, suggesting that on Yom Kippur Jews become like angels in heaven, purified and close to God and not limited by physicality.Yom Kippur was also unique as a time of closeness to God in the Yom Kippur Temple service. Yom Kippur was the only occasion on which the High Priest of Israel was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the Temple in Jerusalem, where God's presence was said to dwell. On Yom Kippur the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies several times, first to create a cloud of incense smoke in which (the Bible promises) God would reveal Himself without being seen,{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:2|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:12-13|HE}} and later to offer sacrifices of atonement.{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:14-16|HE}}While the encounter with God and the atonement may appear to be unrelated, in fact they are mutually dependent. On one hand, the priest is only worthy to approach God when in a state of purity, with the sins of the people being forgiven. On the other hand, only by approaching God with an intimate, personal request can God be persuaded to abandon justice for mercy, permitting the purification to take place.Atoning Before Godאחרי מות-קדושים | לפני ה' תטהרוAccording to the Torah, the Yom Kippur Temple service was commanded in wake of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu on the eighth day of the Tabernacle inauguration.{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:2|HE}} Not only was this eighth day the occasion of the Yom Kippur command, but the eighth day was also similar in its nature to Yom Kippur, both in biblical texts (e.g. the sacrifices offered on each day) and in rabbinic interpretation.Yoel Bin-Nun, היום השמיני ויום הכיפורים, Megadim 8:9-34 (1989) The purpose of the eighth day was the revelation of God's presence to the people;{{rp|14}} similarly, the Yom Kippur service was a unique opportunity for the people's representative to obtain closeness with God.הקטורת, נדב ואביהוא ויום הכיפוריםA midrash compares the Yom Kippur prayers to a verse from the Song of Songs, describing a woman who rises from bed at night to begin a romantic encounter with her lover. With each Yom Kippur prayer, it is implied, Jews approach closer to God:{{blockquote|"I rose up to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt" ({{Bibleverse|Song of Songs|5:5|HE}}) – "I rose up to open to my beloved" – this refers to Yotzer [the morning prayer]; "My hands dripped with myrrh" – this refers to Mussaf; "my fingers with flowing myrrh" – this refers to Mincha; "upon the handles of the bolt" – this refers to Neilah.Bahya ben Asher, Kad Hakemach, p. 122b}}Using a similar metaphor, the Mishnah describes Yom Kippur as a wedding date, as on this date Moses returned having reestablished the covenant between God and Israel. Along with Tu B'Av, Yom Kippur was historically considered one of the two happiest days of the Jewish year, for on this day Jews receive forgiveness for their sins, and on this date the covenant with God was reestablished.Babylonian Talmud Taanit 30b-31a

Purification

In {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:30|HE}}, the Torah summarizes the purpose of Yom Kippur as follows:{{blockquote|For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to purify you; from all your sins before the Lord you shall be purified.{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:30|HE}}}}There are two forms of impurity in Judaism (see Tumah and taharah): ritual impurity (e.g. when one touches a corpse) and moral impurity (when one commits a serious sin).Malbim, HaTorah VeHaMitzvah, commentary on Vayikra 11:43, Vayikra 5:2-3David Tzvi Hoffman, introduction to Leviticus 11 ({{Alhatorah|Leviticus|11:1|R. David Zvi Hoffmann}}); his term for "moral impurity" is {{Script/Hebrew|טומאת הקדושות}}. While the Yom Kippur Temple service did purify the Temple if it had become ritually impure,{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:16|HE}}; see {{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:16|Shadal}} the emphasis of the day is on the Jewish people's purification from moral impurity.Leviticus 16:30 mentions purification twice. According to Netziv, the first mention is a promise that God will purify Israel on this day, while the second is a command, calling on Israel to purify themselves through repentance.{{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:30|Netziv}} Thus, on this day Jews do their utmost to repent. But if, by the end of the day, they have reached the limits of their ability and are still morally flawed, God extends them forgiveness and purification anyway.Meir Lichtenstein, אשריכם ישראל לפני מי אתם מיטהרין{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|17:13|HE}} states that "Israel's hope () is in God". According to Rabbi Akiva, this verse alludes to a ritual purification bath (also pronounced mikveh), and thus on Yom Kippur God metaphorically becomes a mikveh in which Israel immerses and purifies itself.Mishnah, Yoma 8:9 This idea is symbolized by immersion in an actual mikveh. In the Yom Kippur Temple service, the High Priest would immerse upon putting on and taking off his white Yom Kippur garments;{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:4|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:24|HE}} the rabbis counted no fewer than five immersions over the course of the day's service.Mishnah, Yoma 3:3 Among modern-day Jews, too, there is a custom of immersion before Yom Kippur (though not on Yom Kippur itself, as bathing is forbidden in normal circumstances).Peninei Halakha: 10. Erev Yom Kippur CustomsWhen the scapegoat was selected on Yom Kippur to symbolically carry the people's sins to the desert, a crimson cord was tied around its horns.Mishnah Yoma 4:2 While the practical purpose of this cord was to distinguish the scapegoat from the goat which was to be slaughtered, it also symbolized the sin which the scapegoat was carrying away.תפקיד הלשון של זהורית {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|1:18|HE}} promises that if the Jewish people repents, "if [their] sins are like crimson, they shall become white as snow." According to tradition, in some years the scapegoat's cord would miraculously turn white to indicate that the people's sins were forgiven and purification achieved in that year.Yoma 67a

Jewish unity

Yom Kippur is considered a day of Jewish unity. In Kol Nidre, in which vows are released, vows of excommunication against sinning Jews were similarly lifted and these "transgressors" were allowed to pray alongside other Jews.אנו מתרין להתפלל עם העבריינים According to the Talmud, "Any fast in which Jewish sinners do not also participate is not a valid fast".Keritot 6bSimilarly, the Mishnah describes Yom Kippur as a day on which men and women would once meet each other in the vineyards in order to arrange marriages.Taanit 4:8 While this story is surprising given the generally somber nature of the day, it is based on the Biblical episode where the oath against marrying Benjaminites was circumvented by allowing them to take women from the vineyards as wives, and thus indicates the day's theme of abandoning grudges in order for the Jewish people to be reunited.Yaakov Medan, Be'er Miriam: Yom Hakippurim{{rp|29–30}}

Observance

As one of the most culturally significant Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews attend synagogue on Yom Kippur—for many secular Jews the High Holy Days are the only times of the year during which they attend synagogueCohen, S.M.; Eisen, A.M.: The Jew Within: Self, Family, and Community in America, p. 169. Indiana University Press, 2000. "For completely uninvolved Jews ... the question of synagogue attendance rarely arises. They are unlikely ever to consider the matter, except at Rosh Hashanha and Yom Kippur or to attend a bar or bat mitzvah." See also Samuel C. Heilman, Synagogue Life, 1976.—causing synagogue attendance to soar.

Erev Yom Kippur

File:Weinles On the eve of Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|right|220px|On the eve of Yom Kippur by Jakub WeinlesJakub WeinlesOn the day preceding Yom Kippur, known as (lit. 'eve [of] day [of] atonement'), a number of activities are customarily performed in preparation for Yom Kippur. These activities generally relate to the themes of the holiday, but are forbidden or impractical to do on Yom Kippur itself.According to the Talmud, "Yom Kippur does not atone for sins between a person and his fellow until he has appeased his fellow."Yoma 85b Thus, it is common practice on Erev Yom Kippur to request forgiveness from other individuals for misdeeds one has done to them. The Talmud records no less than 14 stories attesting to the importance of the day for repairing relationships with one's spouses, parents, children, coworkers, the poor, and other individuals.WEB,weblink Erev Yom Kippur – The purpose of the day as seen through Talmudic anecdotes (PDF), March 25, 2011, The day before a major Jewish holiday is often devoted towards preparing for that holiday (as with burning chametz before Passover or obtaining the Four Species before Sukkot); for Yom Kippur, the appropriate preparation is to seek forgiveness from one's fellow man. Nevertheless, one should not ask forgiveness if this will cause further harm (for example, by bringing up an insult the victim was unaware of).According to halakha, one must eat on Erev Yom Kippur. A variety of reasons have been suggested for this requirement, among them:WEB,weblink Pre-Fast Feasting, chabad.org, September 24, 2023,

• Most obviously, eating well before the fast will make it easier to complete the fast in good health.
• Eating before the fast will actually make the fast subjectively more difficult, due to "withdrawal" from the previous day's feast, and thus increase a person's level of "affliction" on this day (though it is not agreed that a person should in fact attempt to increase their affliction beyond the basic requirementsצום יום הכיפורים - עינוי נפש או כמלאכים ).
• In general, Jewish holidays are celebrated with festive meals. Since a meal celebrating Yom Kippur cannot be held on the day itself, it is held beforehand.
• One celebrates the forgiveness they are about to receive for their sins, thus demonstrating that they are in fact bothered by their sins, and thus are more deserving of forgiveness.

Many Orthodox men immerse themselves in a mikveh on this day.WEB,weblink OU Customs for Erev Yom Kippur, September 21, 2008, Opinions differ on whether this is a technical act to remove ritual impurity, or else a symbolic one to symbolize one's cleansing from sin on Yom Kippur.David Brofsky, The Laws and Practices of Erev Yom KippurThe kapparot ritual, in which either money or a chicken is given to charity, is performed by some on Erev Yom Kippur as a means to enhance atonement.In this day's morning prayer service (Shacharit), additional selichot prayers are recited. In the afternoon prayer (Mincha), the long confession is recited, just as it is on Yom Kippur itself. This confession is recited before the last Erev Yom Kippur meal (the "Separation Meal" - in Hebrew se'udah hamafseket or aruha hamafseket),WEB,weblink The Separation Meal, chabad.org, September 24, 2023, in case one becomes intoxicated at this meal and is unable to confess properly afterwards, or else because a person might choke to death at that meal and die without confessing (seemingly an unlikely possibility, but one which reminds a person of their mortality).

Fasting and asceticism

The Torah commands Jews to "afflict themselves" () on Yom Kippur.{{bibleverse|Leviticus|16:29|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:31|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:27|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:29|HE}} While these verses do not explicitly mention the form of affliction, the phrase "afflicting oneself" frequently appears elsewhere in connection with fasting or lack of food,{{Bibleverse|Psalms|35:13|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|58:3|HE}}; {{Bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|58:10|HE}}; see also {{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|8:3|HE}}, etc. and public fast days for repentance were a common practice in Biblical times.Concordance: צוֹם According to the Jewish oral tradition, the Yom Kippur "affliction" consists of the following five prohibitions:Mishnah tractate Yoma 8:1

1. Fasting (no eating and drinking)
2. No wearing of leather shoes
3. No bathing or washing
4. No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
5. No sex

In traditional custom, the fast is required of males over age 13 and females over age 12.Yom Kippur Fasting: The Details However, fasting is waived in the case of dangerous medical conditions (pikuach nefesh),See Shulchan Aruch OC 618 and commentaries for the details of who is considered to fall into this category. and in such a case one is actually required to break the fast.WEB,weblink Saving a Life (Pikuach Nefesh), MyJewishLearning.com, 2023-09-24, Just as it is a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur, it may also be a mitzvah to eat or drink on Yom Kippur to safeguard a person's health.WEB,weblink Eating on Yom Kippur?, 22 August 2011, Aish.com, 2023-09-24, In such situations, though, it is preferable (if the medical situation allows for it) to consume only small amounts of food or drink at a time.What is the procedure for one who must eat on Yom Kippur?Peninei Halakha: 05. Eating and Drinking Minimal Quantities (“Le-shi’urim”)Fasting, along with the other restrictions, begins at sundown, and ends after nightfall the following day. One should add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day, called , lit. 'addition to Yom Kippur'.Yom Kippur is the only day when fasting is permitted on Shabbat.מתי אפשר להזיז מועדים?

Symbolism

A number of different interpretations of these restrictions have been suggested.In one approach, fasting replaces animal sacrifices. Fasting causes one's fat and blood to be diminished, just as the fat and blood of a sacrifice were burned on the altar. Thus, the fast is a form of sacrifice which can atone for sin like the Temple sacrifices once did.Brachot 17aOther approaches suggest that the prohibitions represent not suffering, but rather special holiness. For example, on Yom Kippur, Jews are said to become like angels. Just as angels do not need to eat, drink, or wear shoes, so too Jews do not engage on these activities on Yom Kippur.The Affliction: Being an Angel for a Day By detaching themselves from physical needs, Jews become purified and resemble angels.Becoming Angels on Yom KippurDrashot Maharal for Shabbat ShuvaSimilarly, the prohibitions allude to the experience of Moses on Mount Sinai, who did not eat or drink while receiving the Torah and while receiving forgiveness for the people's sins.Similarly, the prohibitions have been interpreted as a return to the purity of the biblical Garden of Eden. Upon leaving Eden shoes became necessary for the first time ("thorns and thistles will grow in your way...the snake will raise its head (to bite you) and you will give your heel (to crush it)"{{Bibleverse|Genesis|3:18|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Genesis|3:15|HE}}); thus on Yom Kippur Jews do not wear (leather) shoes. While in Eden food and drink were easily obtained, but after the expulsion man must work for food "by the sweat of [his] brow"; thus food and drink are refrained from on Yom Kippur, as well as washing, and the use of cosmetics to remove sweat or its odor. In Eden death was unknown and procreation unnecessary; similarly on Yom Kippur marital relations are avoided.WEB,weblink Why Rabbis wear sneakers on their holiest day, "Article by Avi Rabinowitz, NYU homepages"According to Maimonides, the purpose of fasting (and the restriction on work) is to remove distractions from the task of repentance.The Guide for the Perplexed, 3:43By refraining from these activities, the body is uncomfortable but can still survive. The soul is considered to be the life force in a body. Therefore, by making one's body uncomfortable, one's soul is uncomfortable. By feeling pain, one can feel how others feel when they are in pain.Abrams, Judith. Yom Kippur: A Family Service Minneapolis: KAR-BEN, 1990. Print

Prohibition on work

The Torah calls Yom Kippur a day of rest () on which work is prohibited.{{bibleverse|Leviticus|16:29|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:31|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:27|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:30|HE}} Thus, the activities forbidden on Shabbat are also forbidden on Yom Kippur: the 39 categories of work as well as the rabbinic Shabbat prohibitions.Peninei Halacha: Chapter 07 – Laws of Yom Kippur

Other observances

Wearing white clothing is traditional to symbolize one's purity on this day.See the Mishnah according to the text of Jerusalem Talmud, Taanit 4:7 (26a) for an early mention of this practice among the people of Jerusalem. Various reasons have been suggested for this custom:

• On Yom Kippur, Jews are similar to the angels in heaven who are said to wear white.Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 610:4; see {{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:4|Ramban}} which links the High Priest's white Yom Kippur garments to the angels' white garments ({{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|9:3|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Daniel|10:5|HE}})
• To alludes to the verse "If your sins are like crimson, they shall become white as snow" ({{Bibleverse|Isaiah|1:18|HE}})הכנת הגוף והנפש ליום כיפור
• To recall the High Priest who wore white for the Yom Kippur Temple service (and on no other occasion)

Many Ashkenazi Jewish men wear a kittel which, in addition to being white, symbolizes the seriousness of God's judgment on this day (as the deceased are buried wearing kittels).WEB,weblink Why is a kittel worn on Yom Kippur, askmoses.com, Simcha, Bart, 2009-09-30, 2011-06-07,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110607070303weblink">weblink dead, Yom Kippur is honored in the same ways as Shabbat and other holidays, to the extent permitted. Thus, the house is cleaned ahead of time, and the table covered with a nice tablecloth, even though it will not be used for eating. The synagogue is cleaned ahead of time, and all the lights left on. One bathes before Yom Kippur, and clean clothes are worn. Smelling pleasant smells is allowed on Yom Kippur, so many make a point of smelling pleasant spices throughout the day. Candles are lit just before Yom Kippur, as is done before Shabbat.It is traditional for parents to give their children a special blessing before beginning the Yom Kippur prayers.Chayei Adam, 144:19 Those whose parents have died light a yahrzeit candle in their memory before Yom Kippur begins.Aruch Hashulchan 610:6

Prayer services

The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. One is the number of prayer services. Unlike a regular day which has three prayer services (Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv), or a Shabbat or Yom Tov which has four prayer services (those three, plus Mussaf), Yom Kippur has five prayer services (those four, plus Ne'ila, the closing prayer).WEB,weblink How Many Sets of Prayers On Yom Kippur?, Yisroel Cotlar, Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center, September 27, 2020, The prayer services also include private and public confessions of sins (Vidui), and a unique prayer dedicated to the special Yom Kippur (service) of the Kohen Gadol (high priest) in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.WEB,weblink Yom Kippur Prayers, The Jewish Agency for Israel, September 27, 2020, The Yom Kippur prayer services include additional poems (piyyutim) and petitions for forgiveness (selichot). Notable poems recited include Avinu Malkeinu, Unetanneh Tokef, Ki Anu Amecha, the Ten Martyrs, HaAderet v'HaEmunah, and Mareh Kohen. If Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Avinu Malkeinu is only recited during the Ne'ila prayer service.Many married Ashkenazi Orthodox men wear a kittel, a white robe-like garment for evening prayers on Yom Kippur, also used in Eastern European communities by men on their wedding day.WEB,weblink Jewish Virtual Library – Yom Kippur, September 21, 2008, WEB,weblink Halacha L'Maaseh: Yom Kippur, 3 September 2015, September 20, 2015, They also wear a tallit (prayer shawl), which is typically worn only during morning services.WEB,weblink My Jewish Learning – Prayer Services, May 22, 2017, Rabbi Daniel Kohn,

Order of prayers

Before the beginning of Yom Kippur, many Jews recite the optional ('the pure prayer'), in which (among other topics) one declares that they forgive anyone who has harmed them in the past, "except for damages which can be recovered in court, and except for those who say: I will harm him and he will forgive me", asks God not to punish anyone who has been so forgiven, and asks God to show similar graciousness in forgiving their own sins.תפילה זכה- רשימה בהשפעת יום הכיפוריםLike all Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur begins in the evening, and the evening prayer () is preceded by the special Kol Nidre (described below) prayer.The next morning, the morning prayer () is recited. The Torah reading is from {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16|HE}}, describing the Yom Kippur Temple service and the laws of the day. The Yom Kippur Torah reading is divided into six portions. The Haftarah is from {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|57:14-58-14|HE}}, according to which God will ignore the prayers of one who fasts while continuing to perform evil deeds. Yizkor is then recited.Next is the added prayer () as on all other holidays. The highlight of this prayer is the Avodah recitation, where the prayer leader recounts the Yom Kippur Temple service by which the High Priest would once obtain atonement from God in the Temple in Jerusalem. Other notable additions to Yom Kippur Mussaf include the Unetanneh Tokef and Ten Martyrs poems.While the Yom Kippur prayer service is long and takes up most of the day, there is generally a break of several hours after Mussaf before the next prayers, which last until the conclusion of the fast.Next is the afternoon prayer () and a Torah reading. The Haftarah that follows is the entire Book of Jonah, which has as its theme the story of God's willingness to forgive those who repent.WEB, מחזור ר"ה-יוה"כ-סוכות - דניאל גולדשמיד (page 12 of 855),weblink 2022-09-30, www.hebrewbooks.org, The service concludes with the Ne'ila ("closing") prayer, which begins shortly before sunset, when the "gates of prayer" will be closed. After Ne'ila, 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 and symbolizes freedom from sin.Peninei Halakha: 18. Declaring Faith and Blowing the Shofar Finally, the brief weekday Maariv prayer is recited, before the recitation of Havdalah.

Kol Nidre

Before sunset on Yom Kippur eve, worshipers gather in the synagogue. The cantor stands with two community members at his sides, and chants the Kol Nidre prayer (Aramaic: כל נדרי, English translation: 'All vows'). It is recited in a dramatic manner, before the open ark, with an Ashkenazic melody that dates back to the 16th century.NEWS, Green, David B.,weblink Lawrence A. Hoffman and the message of Kol Nidre, Haaretz, September 26, 2011, September 14, 2013, Kol Nidre is recited in Aramaic, except in the Italian and Romaniote rites where it is recited in Hebrew.All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur (in some versions: which we took between last Yom Kippur and this Yom Kippur), we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.Translation of Philip Birnbaum, from High Holiday Prayer Book, Hebrew Publishing Company, NY, 1951Then the service continues with the evening prayers () and an extended Selichot service.

Avodah

The ('service') passage in the Musaf prayer recounts in detail the Yom Kippur Temple service which was once performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. This passage traditionally features prominently in both the liturgy and the religious thought of the holiday. During its recitation, Jews "imagine themselves in place of the priests when the Temple stood".Taz, Orach Chaim 413:4This traditional prominence is rooted in the Babylonian Talmud's description of how to attain atonement following the destruction of the Temple.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} The recitation poetically describes the High Priest's confessions of his and the people's sins, his entry into the Holy of Holies, his sending away of the scapegoat, and all other parts of this day's complex Temple service.Daniel Goldschmidt, Machzor leyamim noraim A variety of liturgical poems are added, including a poem recounting the radiance of the High Priest after exiting the Holy of Holies, as well as prayers for the speedy rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of sacrificial worship.In most Orthodox and some Conservative synagogues, the entire congregation prostrates themselves at each point in the recitation where the High Priest would pronounce God's holiest name (during recitation of {{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:30|HE}}).WEB, 1970-01-01, The High Priest's Yom Kippur Temple Service,weblink 2022-09-30, Jewish Holidays, en, These three times, plus in some congregations the Aleinu prayer during the Musaf Amidah on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, are the only times in Jewish services when Jews engage in prostration (except for some Yemenite Jews and ('disciples of Maimonides') who may prostrate themselves on other occasions during the year).Orthodox liturgies include prayers lamenting the inability to perform the Temple service and petitioning for its restoration, which Conservative synagogues generally omit. In some Conservative synagogues, only the Hazzan (cantor) engages in full prostration. Some Conservative synagogues abridge the recitation of the Avodah service to varying degrees, and some omit it entirely. Reconstructionist services omit the entire service as inconsistent with modern sensibilities.

Confession

As confession is a core aspect of repentance,Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Teshuva 1:1 confession (or ) is a major part of the Yom Kippur prayer services. A confession is recited ten times on Yom Kippur, twice in each of the five standard prayers. In each prayer service, the confession is recited once by the individual in their silent prayer, and again communally during the cantor's repetition of the Amidah. (The prayer has no repetition, so the second confession is instead recited in the communal Selichot recitation which follows the silent prayer.) Confession is recited an 11th time by individuals in the Mincha prayer of Yom Kippur eve, before the beginning of the holiday.The Yom Kippur confession text consists of two parts: a short confession beginning with the word (|rtl=yes}}, 'we have sinned'), which is a series of words describing sin arranged according to the (Hebrew alphabetic order), and a long confession, beginning with the words (|rtl=yes}}, 'for the sin'), which is a set of 22 double acrostics, also arranged according to the , enumerating a range of sins.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In Reform Judaism

Reform synagogues generally experience their largest attendance of the year on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah for worship services. The prayer philosophy of Reform, as described in the introduction of the movement's High Holy Day prayerbook, "Mishkan Hanefesh", is to reflect "varied theological approaches that enable a diverse congregation to share religious experience... with a commitment to Reform tradition, as well as [to] the larger Jewish tradition." A central feature of these Reform services is the rabbinic sermon. "For more than a century and a half in the Reform Movement," writes Rabbi Lance Sussman, "High Holiday sermons were among the most anticipated events in synagogue life, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre night."WEB,weblink Why We Need Good Sermons Now More Than Ever, 2018-09-12, 2018-09-12,weblink dead,

Date of Yom Kippur

{{See also|Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050}}Yom Kippur falls each year on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is nine days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date on which Yom Kippur can fall is September 14, as happened most recently in 1899 and 2013. The latest Yom Kippur can occur relative to the Gregorian dates is on October 14, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. After 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will result in Yom Kippur falling no earlier than September 15.WEB,weblink Rosh HaShanah and the Gregorian calendar, Oztorah.com, September 12, 2012, Gregorian calendar dates for recent and upcoming Yom Kippur holidays are:{{Div col}}

• {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{LASTYEAR|2}}}}
• {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{LASTYEAR}}}}
• {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year=2024}}
• {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}}
• {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}}

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In the Torah

The Torah calls the day (|rtl=yes}}), and decrees fasting ("affliction of the soul") and a strict prohibition of work on the tenth day of the seventh month, later known as Tishrei.{{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:27|HE}} The laws of Yom Kippur are commanded by God to Moses in three passages in the Torah:

1. {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:1–34|HE}}: Aaron may only enter the sanctuary by performing a complex sacrificial procedure, later known as the Yom Kippur Temple service. This service must be performed yearly on the date of Yom Kippur, while the people are to fast and not work on this date.{{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:1–34|HE}}
2. {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|23:26–32|HE}}: The tenth day of Tishrei is a holy day of atonement. A Temple sacrifice must be offered, while the people must fast and not work, "on the ninth day from evening until evening".{{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:26–32|HE}}
3. {{Bibleverse|Numbers|29:7–11|HE}}: The tenth day of Tishrei is a holy day; one must fast and not work. The mussaf (additional) sacrifice for the day is specified.{{bibleverse||Numbers|29:7–11|HE}}

Yom Kippur is mentioned briefly in another context: on Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year the shofar was to be blown.{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|25:9|HE}} According to some, this is the source for the current custom of blowing the shofar at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.Sefer Haagur, Hilchot Yom Hakippurim 951: ...ותוקעין תקיעה אחת זכר ליובל

Temple service

When the Temple in Jerusalem stood, Yom Kippur was the occasion of an elaborate sacrificial service, as commanded by {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16|HE}}. The rabbis summarized the laws of this service in Mishnah tractate Yoma, and they appear in contemporary traditional Jewish prayer books for Yom Kippur, and are studied as part of a traditional Jewish Yom Kippur worship service.Arnold Lustiger, Michael Taubes, Menachem Genack, and Hershel Schachter, Kasirer Edition Yom Kippur Machzor With Commentary Adapted from the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. New York: K'hal Publishing, 2006. pp. 588–589 (summary); 590–618. The Mussaf prayer on Yom Kippur includes a section known as the Avodah, where a poem is recited describing this Temple service.

Observance in Israel

File:Yom Kippur on Highway 20 Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Ayalon Highway in Tel AvivTel AvivYom Kippur is a legal holiday in Israel. There are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut down, there is no public transportation, and all shops and businesses are closed.WEB,weblink Sounds of The City, Israel Insider, October 14, 2005, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070217055647weblink">weblink February 17, 2007, In 2013, 73% of the Jewish people of Israel said that they were intending to fast on Yom Kippur.NEWS, Nachshoni, Kobi, September 13, 2013, Poll: 73% of Israelis fast on Yom Kippur, Yedioth Ahronoth,weblink live,weblink August 7, 2020, It is very common in Israel to wish "Tsom Kal" ([an] easy fast) or "" ([a] benefiting fast) to everyone before Yom Kippur, even if one does not know whether they will fast or not.It is considered impolite to eat in public on Yom Kippur or to play music or to drive a motor vehicle. There is no legal prohibition on any of these, but in practice such actions are almost universally avoided in Israel during Yom Kippur,WEB,weblink Israel shuts down for Yom Kippur, The Times of Israel, except for emergency services.Over the last few decades, bicycle-riding and inline skating on the empty streets have become common among secular Israeli youths, especially on the eve of Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv.WEB,weblink Public Radio International, "The World", 'Yom Kippur: Kids and Bikes in Tel Aviv', Theworld.org, 7 March 2015, In 1973, an air raid siren was sounded on the afternoon of Yom Kippur and radio broadcasts were resumed to alert the public to the surprise attack on Israel by Egypt and Syria that launched the Yom Kippur War.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Observance by athletes

File:Sandy Koufax.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Sandy KoufaxSandy KoufaxFile:Gabe Carimi ASU.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Gabe CarimiGabe CarimiSome notable athletes have observed Yom Kippur, even when it conflicted with playing their sport.In baseball, Sandy Koufax, the Hall of Fame pitcher, decided not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax garnered national attention for his decision, as an example of the conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs.WEB, Yom Kippur and Sandy Koufax, JewishSports.com, Sandor, Solomvits,weblink August 2, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20061018193520weblink">weblink October 18, 2006, Hall of Fame first baseman Hank Greenberg attracted national attention in 1934, when he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race, and he was leading the league in runs batted in.WEB, Dreier, Peter, November 13, 2013, How Will Jewish Ballplayers Handle the Yom Kippur Quandry?[sic],weblink live,weblink September 21, 2019, September 14, 2013, Huffingtonpost.com, When Greenberg arrived in synagogue on Yom Kippur, the service stopped suddenly, and the congregation gave an embarrassed Greenberg a standing ovation.NEWS, Merron, Jeff, September 26, 2001, Green, Koufax and Greenberg – same dilemma, different decisions, ESPN,weblink live, March 25, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190129052852weblink">weblink January 29, 2019, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Shawn Green, similarly, made headlines in 2001 for sitting out a game for the first time in 415 games (then the longest streak among active players) on Yom Kippur, even though his team was in the middle of a playoff race. Other baseball players who have similarly sat out games on Yom Kippur include Kevin Youkilis, Brad Ausmus, and Art Shamsky.NEWS, Brown, M. Stephen,weblink JewishSports.com, One on One with Kevin Youkilis, June 4, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090505222031weblink">weblink May 5, 2009, WEB, Gammons, Peter,weblink Apolitical blues, ESPN, September 29, 2001, March 18, 2010, WEB,weblink Where Are They Now – Art Shamsky, Baseball Savvy, September 14, 2004, September 10, 2010, Gabe Carimi, the Consensus All-American left tackle in American football who won the 2010 Outland Trophy as the nation's top collegiate interior lineman, faced a conflict in his freshman year of college in 2007. That year Yom Kippur fell on a Saturday, and he fasted until an hour before his football game against Iowa started that night.WEB, Hirsch, Deborah, December 27, 2010, Gabe Carimi: Star in shul and on the football field,weblink live,weblink December 16, 2018, February 9, 2011, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, JTA, WEB,weblink Andrea Waxman, Yom Kippur, then football; Carimi fasts and then tackles, The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, October 5, 2007, February 9, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110928053959weblink">weblink September 28, 2011, NEWS,weblink The Biggest Thing in Jewish Sports? UW Gridiron Great Gabe Carimi, Hillel.org, December 17, 2010, Madeline Miller, March 18, 2011, 14 May 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120514225553weblink">weblink dead, Carimi said, "Religion is a part of me, and I don't want to just say I'm Jewish. I actually do make sacrifices that I know are hard choices."NEWS,weblink Combine Leftovers, Detroit News, February 25, 2011, Chris McCoskey, March 2, 2011, dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20110709015418weblink">weblink July 9, 2011, NEWS, Ellenport, Craig, February 24, 2011, Why is this prospect different from other prospects?, NFL.com,weblink dead, March 2, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170930040222weblink">weblink September 30, 2017, In 2004, Matt Bernstein, standout fullback at University of Wisconsin–Madison, fasted on Yom Kippur, then broke his fast on the sidelines before rushing for 123 yards in a game against Penn State.NEWS,weblink Bernstein feasted on Penn State after fasting, ESPN.com, September 27, 2004, Ivan Maisel, October 7, 2011, In 2011, golfer Laetitia Beck declined a request to join the University of North Carolina Tar Heels Invitational competition, because it conflicted with Yom Kippur.NEWS, Saval, Malina,weblink Golf / Israelis abroad / Beck follows in Koufax's footsteps, Haaretz, October 14, 2011, September 17, 2013, WEB, Soclof, Adam,weblink The original Sandy Koufax of women's golf, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 7, 2011, September 17, 2013, Instead, she spent the day fasting and praying. She said: "My Judaism is very important to me, and ... on Yom Kippur, no matter what, I have to fast." Boris Gelfand, Israel's top chess player, played his game in the prestigious London Grand Prix Chess Tournament on 25 September 2012 (eve of Yom Kippur) earlier, to avoid playing on the holiday.WEB,weblink Gelfand and Grischuk winners in 4th round London Grand Prix, ChessVibes, September 14, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130926150544weblink">weblink September 26, 2013, In 2013, the International Tennis Federation fined the Israel Tennis Association "more than $13,000 ... for the inconvenience" of having to reschedule a tennis match between the Israeli and Belgian teams that was originally scheduled on Yom Kippur.WEB, JTA, Israeli tennis players fined for refusing to play on Yom Kippur,weblink 2022-09-30, www.timesofisrael.com, en-US, WEB,weblink Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement, Dudi Sela, Israel's #1 player, quit his quarterfinal match in the third set of the 2017 Shenzhen Open so he could begin observing Yom Kippur by the time the sun set, forfeiting a possible $34,000 in prize money and 90 rankings points.WEB, 2017-10-01, Israeli Tennis Star Dudi Sela Quits Mid-Match For Yom Kippur,weblink live,weblink 2020-09-27, 2020-09-27, The Forward, WEB, Vickers, Craig, 2017-09-29, Dudi Sela retires mid-match in Shenzhen for Yom Kippur,weblink live,weblink 2020-09-27, 2020-09-27, VAVEL, en-us, Professional wrestler Bill Goldberg has a policy of not performing on Yom Kippur.WEB, Handler, Judd,weblink The Hebrew Hulk, San Diego Jewish Journal,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091003163700weblink">weblink October 3, 2009, dead, MAGAZINE, Rick Reilly,weblink Wrestling with Their Son's Career, Sports Illustrated, 13 October 2020, 3 September 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090903141832weblink">weblink dead,

Recognition by the United Nations

Since 2016 the United Nations has officially recognized Yom Kippur, stating that from then on no official meetings would take place on the day.NEWS,weblink U.N. recognizes Yom Kippur as official holiday, Tal Trachtman Alroy, 19 December 2015, CNN.com, In addition, the United Nations stated that, beginning in 2016, they would have nine official holidays and seven floating holidays of which each employee would be able to choose one. It stated that the floating holidays will be Yom Kippur, Day of Vesak, Diwali, Gurpurab, Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Good Friday, and Presidents' Day. This was the first time the United Nations officially recognized any Jewish holiday.

See also

• Ashura
• Break fast

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

External links

{{Wiktionary|Yom Kippur}}{{Commons category}}

• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayers for Sephardic Jews {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511213057weblink |date=11 May 2021 }}
• From Our Collections: Marking the New Year – Online exhibition from Yad Vashem on the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur before, during, and after the Holocaust
• Dates for Yom Kippur
• Yom Kippur Prayers sung by Chazzanim
• More information on Yom Kippur

{{Jewish holidays}}{{High Holidays}}{{Authority control}}