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Yom Kippur (pronounced yaam kuh·poor) is the finality of the Jewish High Holy Days in Autumn. Beginning at Rosh Hashanah (head of the year), these ten days of awe are a time of repentance for the sins of the year passing, a chance to be redeemed by God, and to heal the wounds caused. On Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, Jews seek reconciliation and forgiveness between God and self by repenting, praying, and fasting. In Judiasm, the drawing near to God for one's own trespasses is sufficient to repent to God alone. However, if one has sinned against another person, forgiveness must be done by asking forgiveness of the soul wronged.
This time of fasting and remembrance on Yom Kippur commences at sundown the day before. Traditionally, Jewish people refrain from all work at sundown the day previous through the evening of Yom Kippur, choosing also to wear white as a reminder of their need to seek purity. The fasting itself is a physical act meant to remind the Jewish people of the frailties of human kind as well to help understand the sufferings of the less fortunate. It is also symbolic of the cleansing of the body and soul.
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The day before Yom Kippur begins (in 2022, October 3rd) a big feast is held with candle lighting at the conclusion of the meal, signifying a time to recall those lives lost. Many Jewish people visit cemeteries on this day. Others spend their time leading up to Yom Kippur as a time to give back, donate time and money to those less fortunate and under served.
During the time of ancient when the great temple stood, the High Priests would mark Yom Kippur with the ritual surrounding the two goats. The commandments direct the High Priest to select two goats, identical in appearance, size, and value like twins, then one would be consecrated and the other banished out of town as a scapegoat. Although the goats looked similar on the outside, their fates were different.
The significance of the two identical goats is like that of the two biblical twins, Jacob and Esau. One twin, Jacob, was most beloved by God and became the father of His people while Esau the most hated archenemy of God. This identical appearance without yet differences within signifies how only God knows the heart and there is nothing hidden from Him. Thus, during this holy time, it is a time to truly repent in pure honesty of all the trespasses and failings of the year ending.
Early in the morning after the fasting (in 2022, October 6th), Yom Kippur is brought to a close with the blasting of a trumpet made from a ram's horn called 'shofar'. After this, there is a celebration with music and dancing at the 'break-the-fast' feast which includes bagels and spreads, kugel, blintzes, and egg dishes.
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Articles used as reference in this entry:
ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR
