Yom Kippur: What Does it Stand For?

With the start of the Jewish New Year upon us, there is another holiday that comes just a little more than one week after Rosh Hashanah. This holiday is known as the Day of Atonement. According to my family's siddur (prayer book), it is the holiest day of the Jewish religious year. It is the last day of the Ten Days of Penitence (which includes Rosh Hashanah). It is on this day that we are supposed to fast. This is done in order to ask God for forgiveness for our sins. Yom Kippur is also known as Yom Norah. Yom Kippur begins on sundown on Sunday September 27^th and ends at sundown on Monday September 28^th.

So what exactly is done on Yom Kippur? What are the main components of this most holy day in the Jewish religion? It is the last day of the Ten Days of Penitence. It is about reconciling and getting along with our communities and with God. It is supposed to be a day full of joy and happiness because we are taking a turn for the better.

There are three main components of Yom Kippur: teshuva, or penitence; praying; and fasting.

Penitence is a very important part of Yom Kippur. This is a time when we are supposed to go to those people we may have offended and ask for their forgiveness. Happiness is increased when we are able to get along with others.

Praying is another very important part of Yom Kippur. The Yom Kippur service at a synagogue is the longest service of all Jewish holidays. As a matter of fact, it goes all the way from sunrise to sundown. One very important prayer that is said off and on during all of the other prayers is known as Al Khet. When people say this prayer during service, they are asking God for forgiveness for a number of sins that they may have committed. It is not the same as the Christian concept of original sin. Instead, we ask for forgiveness for things like bad language use, hurting loved ones, etc.

Fasting is another very important thing we have to do on this holiday. By not eating foods that we can savor and enjoy, we can concentrate more on asking for forgiveness and realizing our sins. The fast goes on for a period of 25 hours. It starts one hour before the holiday starts and ends at sundown on the day of Yom Kippur. I have managed to fast two years in a row and I must say that it has been rather challenging. I will definitely be trying my hardest this year to fast the entire time. Since I will be off from work this year, I should have an easier time. (Note: People who have serious health problems or women that are pregnant are not supposed to fast because this can turn out to be too dangerous).

I think about how I have acted in the past. I wish I could go back in time and take back some of the things I have said to people I care about. I wish I could go back in time and fix my actions. I am sure every person feels this way at some point. While we cannot go back in time and change our words and actions of that time, we can vow to make a change. Leave behind the pain of the past and look forward to the best that the future has to offer.