Yom Kippur

"Yom Kippur is the grandest and most solemn day in the calendar of the synagogue"- Nicholas De Lange

"The tenth day of the seventh month shall be a Day Of Atonement"- Leviticus

• Have to show God that you've changed
• Even the most REFORM Jews will celebrate it
• TALMUD refers to it as "the" day
• Saying sorry and starting over
• Celebrated 10 days AFTER ROSH HASHANAH

Prepearation

• Jews carry out KAPPAROT. This practice is based on the description found in Leviticus, of a rite carried out in the Temple in Jerusalem
• A goat was sent out from the Temple to the desert and it was believed that the sins of the people were carried on its back
• TODAY- some ORTHODOX Jews kill a chicken and give it to the poor
• MAJORITY of Jews place money for charity in a PUSHKE BOX instead of killing an animal
• They acknowledge that they have sinned and that they want to try to atone for this

• The practice of going to apoligise to everyone against whom you have sinned during last year- IMPORTANT because if you do not truly repent for what you have done to other people, you will not truly repent for what you have done against God
• Forgiveness MUST be received from family and friends in order to gain God's forgiveness

• The men attend the MIKVEH the night before YOM KIPPUR begins- sing of INNER CLEANLINESS
• They wear a WHITE KITTEL on top if their usual attire
• The PAROCHET in the synagogue will also be adorned with white cloths and the clothing of the RABBI or CANTOR will also be white- sign of SPIRITUAL PURITY

Purpose

• YOM KIPPUR= DAY OF ATONEMENT
• As the Jew has sinned, God cannot have a proper relationship with him. God is HOLY and cannot have a relationship with sinful people- the sins come between them. Therefore the Jew needs to not only ask God for forgiveness for his sins,…