Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement

The holiest day in the Jewish New Year --

Yom Kippur (pronounced either "yahm-KIPP-er"  or "YOME-kee-POOR", depending on regional accents)  is a time of serious reflection and repentance, the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar.   It's a 25-hour fast that always falls on the 10th day of  Tishri, which  is usually in September on the secular calendar.   In fact, many secular calendars now have Yom Kippur marked.  But be aware that this holy day, like the Sabbath, begins on the night before the calendar date!   Why?  Because in Genesis it says "there was evening and there was morning..."  "Evening" is mentioned first, so Jewish days begin at sundown. 

Yom Kippur ends a 10-day period of repentance and reflection known as the Ten Days of Repentance, the High Holy Days, or Yomim Noraim (Days of Awe), which began with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.   (Read my Guide on Rosh Hashanah.)   During this ten-day period, Jews try to make amends to people they might have offended, make resolutions to change their own lives for the better, pay off old debts, and generally make amends for any wrong doings.

Traditional greeting

The traditional greeting for Yom Kippur is "May you be sealed for a good new year."  On Rosh Hashanah, God opens the Book of Life, takes a look at all our deeds  recorded there,  and determines who shall live and who shall die in the coming year.  But the decree is not finalized or "sealed" until the end of the day on Yom Kippur.  This leaves room during the Ten Days of Repentance for people to make amends, change their behavior, and "avert the evil decree."   

Fasting and other self-denials on this day

The biblical commandment for Jews to observe Yom Kippur is found in Leviticus:

"The Lord spoke to Moses saying '...the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.  It shall be a holy gathering for you, and you shall afflict your souls...   You shall  do not work throughout that day; for it is a day of atonement..." (Leviticus 23:26-32)

To "afflict your soul" means to fast and repent.  There are five things that it is forbidden to do on Yom Kippur:

• no eating or drinking
• no bathing
• no anointing yourself (with creams, perfumes or such)
• no sexual intercourse
• no wearing shoes or other items made of leather

Pregnant or nursing women, children, and those with medical conditions that prevent them from fasting are exempt.  Nevertheless, if they do eat, they should do it discretely.

Repentance and making amends

The three things one should be doing on Yom Kippur (and ideally throughout the year) are:

• Repentance.  There are two types of sins -- those committed against God, and those committed against other people.  For the first type, it is enough to ask God for forgiveness.  But, for offenses committed against another person, one must first ask forgiveness from that person directly.   The offended person, in return, must be willing to forgive.   Many Jews, during the Ten Days of Repentance, will say to others, "If there is anything I have done to offend you, please forgive me."  And the other person will reply with the same request. 
• Prayer.  The question often arises:  Now that there are no more animal sacrifices, how are Jews' sins forgiven?  The answer is, through prayer.  Already in the time of the biblical prophets they were teaching "instead of bullocks we will offer the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).    In Hebrew, the word devarim means both "words" and "things" (because God spoke the universe into being) -- so a sacrifice can be either a physical thing or an offering of prayer.  In the synagogue, special Yom Kippur prayer services go on for the entire day.
• Giving charity.   Although one does not handle money on Yom Kippur itself, it is usual to give to worthy causes during the Ten Days and especially on the afternoon before the fast starts.  Many Jewish philanthropic organizations do their annual fundraisers during this season.   In some communities, the poor come to the synagogue to receive money on the afternoon before Yom Kippur begins. 

The feast before the fast, and other customs

On the afternoon before the fast, it is obligatory to eat a festive meal.  The foods served are usually bland, so that one does not develop severe thirst during the fast.  Many people also immerse themselves in a mikveh or pool of "living waters" for personal purification.  In rural or remote areas people do this in a lake, river, or ocean.  In urban areas, there are indoor mikvehs.  Some people have a custom called kapparet in which a chicken is killed and the meat given to the poor.  Other Jews object to this on the grounds that it is too much like a blood sacrifice (forbidden now that there is no Jerusalem Temple).  They prefer to give money instead. 

Wearing white clothing

In most Jewish communities, the cantor (person who chants the service) wears a long white robe called a "kittel" on Yom Kippur.   In some communities, all the men wear white yarmulkes (skullcaps).  Still other communities encourage everyone -- men, women, and children -- to wear white.  The symbolism of white clothing is that we should repent of our sins and become "pure as snow." 

Final blast of the ram's horn

The ram's horn, called a shofar in Hebrew (pronounced "SHOW-far"), is literally made from the horn of a ram.  It is often mistranslated as "trumpet," but the shofar is far more primitive than that!  It has a strong, visceral, ancient sound intended to say,  "Awake, ye sleepers, from your sleep... and ponder over your deeds; remember your Creator and go back to Him in penitence..."  (Hil. Teshuvah, 3:4)   One long, loud blast of the shofar marks the end of Yom Kippur.   After that, many communities break the fast together. 

Some searches to find items for this holiday:

Yom Kippur    High Holy Days    vegan shoes     shofar     ram horn    Jewish holidays