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Yom Kippur

Ok in my last entry ("Rosh Hashanah" ) I briefly mentioned the upcoming Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. This entry will attempt to cover that holiday in a little bit more detail. Yom Kippur translates into the Day of Atonement. In contrast with Rosh Hashanah which is more of a celebratory holiday, Yom Kippur has a much more serious tone to it. It is designed for reflection, self evaluation and making amends for past mistakes.

Yom Kippur is the highlight of the 10 days of repentance that begins with the Jewish New Year and the final opportunity for Jewish people to repent any sins they have committed in the previous year. It is sort of a more extreme form of a New Year's resolution.

The saying goes that on Rosh Hashanah everyone's destiny for the coming year is inscribed. Yom Kippur seals that fate. However if a person shows remorse and resolves to do better in the coming year a harsher destiny could be changed. As such there are that many traditions that Jewish people take part in on Yom Kippur to show they are sorry for past mistakes. The biggest is committing to fasting during the Yom Kippur period. It is a huge undertaking as the fast runs over 24 hours. The day is also spent in Prayer and Synagogues hold services throughout the holiday.

The prayer services are divided into:

Yom Kippur Evening service - All Jewish holidays start at sunset the day before the official holiday (similar to Christmas Eve) - The Evening service contains one of the most important prayers of Yom Kippur... Kol Nidre. Kol Nidre translates into All Vows. The story behind this particular prayer is that it dates back to a period of time where Jews were forced to convert. The prayer makes it clear that vows people are forced to undertake in the coming year are not binding. Because that prayer is viewed as incredibly important... it is repeated 3 times so that latecomers to the synagogue can hear it. Even Jews who don't plan to stay for all the Yom Kippur prayer services will make an effort to attend for this segment before departing.

Shacharit - Shacharit is the Morning service. This includes a Torah reading where biblical stories are discussed. For Yom Kippur the Torah reading discusses the holiday's origin which go back after the Israelites were able to leave Egypt. The morning service also includes a sermon from the Rabbi.

Mincah - Mincah is the afternoon prayer service. Leading into Micah, the Yizkhor (Memorial prayer) is recited. Yizkhor is a prayer dedicated to family members who have passed away. It is another very important prayer that Jews who lost members of their immediate family would make an extra effort to attend. Also covered in the Afternoon services is the story of Jonah and the Whale. The story deals with a prophet who God asks to visit a village in order to get it inhabitants to turn away from evil. Ultimately the village listens to the prophet and makes amends for the things they did and God forgives them. It is one of the classic examples of how sincere repentance and changes can make a difference.

Neilah - The concluding prayer service. This is the last opportunity for Jews to make their appeal and sincerely show their regrets for the previous year. By this point everyone in the Synagogue is exhausted having fasted close to 24 hours. The concluding service is done with attendees standing upright for the bulk of the time making it all the more challenging to complete the service.

Like with Rosh Hashanah, blowing the shofar (Ram's Horn) is a part of the Yom Kippur services. This time though it is blown only once for an extended period of time to symbolize the end of the fast and the holiday itself.

Of course discussing Yom Kippur won't be complete without mentioning the typical meal involved to end the fast. The foods usually offered for a Yom Kippur feast are "Breakfast" type of foods which are easier to eat after not having eaten for an extended period of time. They include cheeses, bagels and smoked fish such as Lox, Sable, Salmon and Sturgeon. It is the perfect meal to end the holiday with and everyone taking part in the holiday looks forward to.

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Thank you for reading and if you are celebrating Yom Kippur. Have an easy fast.
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