yomkipper.html

Annie's "Yom Kippur" Page

~The Day of Atonement~
This year Yom Kippur is Monday September 28th, 2009. (10th Tishrei 5770).
But it actually begins at sunset the night before.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of
atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer
an offering made by fire unto the LORD. "
~Leviticus 23:26,27~

On Yom Kippur, Jews fast and express their regret for bad deeds during the past year and their hope to perform good deeds in the coming year. The day is observed mainly through synagogue worship.

This year Yom Kippur is Monday September 28th, 2009. (10th Tishrei 5770).
But it actually begins at sunset the night before.

According to tradition, Yom Kippur is the day on which Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the second Tablets of Stone, forty days after the collective sin of the Golden Calf. This time he was greeted with joy.

Yom Kippur, pronounced YOHM kih POOR, is the Jewish day of atonement and the most important and sacred Jewish holy day. It falls in September or October, in the Jewish month of Tishri. It lasts from sunset on the ninth day of Tishri until three stars appear after the tenth day.

Jews observe Yom Kippur as a day of fasting and worship. On this day, devout Jews think of their sins, repent, and ask forgiveness from God and from other people. In ancient times, the high priest held a service in the Temple in Jerusalem and sacrificed certain animals as a ceremonial offering. The service, part of the process of repentence and atonement, was the main event of the day. Today, Jews fast, perform no work, and attend services in the synagogue or temple. The laws about Yom Kippur are found in Leviticus 16; 23: 26-32; 25: 9; and in Numbers 29: 7-11.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

There are 70 verses with the word "atonement" in them.
There are 3 verses with "day of atonement" in them.

"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD."
~Leviticus 23:27~

"And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God."
~Leviticus 23:28~

"Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."
~Leviticus 25:9~

~Scapegoat~
Scapegoat, pronounced SKAYP goht, originally meant one of the two goats received by the Jewish high priest in ancient Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement. One was for Yaweh (Jehovah), the Hebrew God, and was killed as a sacrificial offering. The second was called the scapegoat. This one was for Azazel, which may have been the spirit of evil. The priest laid his hands upon the scapegoat as he confessed the people's sins. Then the priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness. This was a symbol that the sins had been forgiven. Today, a person who has been blamed for something which is the fault of another is referred to as a scapegoat. The ritual is described in Leviticus 16.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~Fasting relating to Judiasm & Christianity~
There are important fast days in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jewish law orders a yearly fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Many orthodox Jews follow the custom of having the bride and groom fast on the day before their wedding. Many Christians fast during Lent, the period of 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Easter, commemorating the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. In general, for Christians, fasting seldom means doing without all food for an entire day. People who are not well can usually receive permission from their religious leaders not to fast.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~Fasting in General~
Fast is abstinence from food, or certain kinds of food, for a period of time. The origin of fasting is unknown. But the custom of fasting has played a part in the practices of every major religious group at some time.

There are many purposes for fasting. It has often been a way in which people have sought pardon for their misdeeds. In some religions, people fast during times of mourning. In others, the people believe that fasting will take their minds away from physical things, and produce a state of spiritual joy and happiness.

People have also fasted for health reasons. Scientists have studied the effects of fasting on the body and found that food intake increases the body's metabolism. After fasting, metabolism can become as much as 22 percent lower than the normal rate. But research has also shown that, after long periods of fasting, the body tends to adjust by lowering the rate of metabolism itself. After fasting, a person should gradually resume eating. Religious groups do not intend fasting to be harmful. They believe it promotes self-control and strengthens the will. ~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~Feasts & Festivals~
In Judaism, the most sacred festivals are Rosh Ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year; and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. According to Jewish tradition, people are judged on Rosh Ha-Shanah for their deeds of the past year. On Yom Kippur, Jews fast, express their regret for past sins, and declare their hope to perform good deeds during the coming year. ~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~High Holidays~
The High Holidays, called Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, are the most sacred days of the Jewish year. Like all Jewish holidays, they occur on different dates each year because they are based on the Hebrew calendar. The High Holidays come during Tishri, the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in September or October.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~Hebrew Calendar~
The Hebrew calendar begins with an estimated moment of the world's creation. Hebrew tradition has placed this moment at 3,760 years and 3 months before the birth of Jesus Christ. To find a year in the Hebrew calendar, we must add 3,760 to the date in the Gregorian calendar. For example, 2000 in the Gregorian calendar is 5760 in the Hebrew calendar. But this system will not work to the exact month, because the Hebrew year begins in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. By November 2000, for instance, the Hebrew year will have become 5761.

The Hebrew year is based on the moon and normally consists of 12 months. The months are Tishri, Heshvan, Kislev, Tebet, Shebat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Ab, and Elul. They are alternately 30 and 29 days long. Seven times during every 19-year period, an embolismic or extra 29-day month, called Veadar, is inserted between Adar and Nisan. At the same time, Adar is given 30 days instead of 29. These additions keep the Hebrew calendar and holidays in agreement with the seasons of the solar year.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~Synagogue~
Synagogue is the Jewish house of worship and the center of Jewish education and social life. The word synagogue usually refers to the place where worship and other activities take place. The synagogue has become one of the most important centers for the transmission and preservation of Judaism.

A synagogue has many functions. People gather there for worship services every morning and evening, as well as on the Sabbath and on holy days. Synagogues have schools where children and adults study the scriptures, the Hebrew language, and Jewish history. Such important events as a wedding or a bar mitzvah are celebrated in the synagogue. In the United States, many synagogues also serve as meeting places for Jewish organizations in the community.

Jews began to gather for formal prayer in Biblical times at the Temple in Jerusalem when it was the center of Jewish life. The Temple was destroyed in 587 or 586 B.C. Later, buildings called synagogues were built. They served as places of prayer and study, and as centers of Jewish life worldwide.
~~~
The synagogue is the Jewish house of worship and the center of Jewish education and community activities. A synagogue has a sanctuary where religious services are held. It may also include a school where children study Judaism, the Hebrew language, and Jewish history. Most synagogues have a social hall as well. Reform and Conservative synagogues are often called temples.

Most synagogues are constructed so that the worshipers face toward the holy city of Jerusalem during the service. At the front of the sanctuary stands the ark, a chest in which the scrolls of the Torah are kept. In front of the ark hangs the eternal light, an oil lamp whose constant flame symbolizes God's eternal presence.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~The Cantor~
The cantor chants the prayers during worship in the synagogue. The cantor is often a professional who has a trained voice and special knowledge of Hebrew and the traditions of chanting. The cantor may also direct a choir and conduct religious education.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

~The Rabbi~
The rabbi serves as spiritual leader, teacher, and interpreter of Jewish law. Traditionally, rabbis were chiefly teachers of the law. Today, rabbis also deliver sermons during worship services in the synagogue, give advice to people with problems, and perform other functions. A person who wants to become a rabbi must spend years studying Hebrew sacred writings and Jewish history, philosophy, and law. Most rabbinical students also study a wide range of nonreligious subjects. In the United States, Orthodox rabbis are trained at Yeshiva University and other rabbinical seminaries, Reform rabbis at the Hebrew Union College, and Conservative rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
~Above Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~
Visit: "Ask the Rabbi" to learn more about Rabbis

~Worship~
Worship in Judaism takes place in the home and the synagogue. Important parts of home worship include daily prayers, the lighting of the Sabbath candles, and the blessing of the wine and bread at the Sabbath meal. Jews also observe many holiday rituals at home.

Worship practices in the synagogue differ among the branches of Judaism and even within these groups. Orthodox and Conservative synagogues conduct services daily, but most Reform synagogues have services only on the Sabbath and holidays. In all Orthodox and some Conservative synagogues, at least 10 men must be present for a service to take place. This minimum number of participants is called a minyan. Any male who is at least 13 years old may lead the service. In most Conservative and Reform congregations, women may lead the service and be part of the minyan.

Synagogue worship consists mainly of readings from the Torah and the chanting of prayers from a prayer book called the siddur. A different portion of the Torah is read each week, so the entire Torah is completed in a year. In Orthodox synagogues, men and women sit separately and chant almost all the prayers in Hebrew. In Conservative and Reform congregations, men and women sit together, and much of the service is in the language of the country. Most Sabbath and holiday services include a sermon.

Did you know that you are not suppose to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur?
Visit Leather Shoes on Yom Kippur to find out why.

How does the Dictionary define atonement?
This is a rather interesting definition. It comes from The World Book Encyclopedia and references Jesus in the Jewish Feast of Yom Kippur.

atonement, noun
1. The act of or fact of making up for something; giving satisfaction for a wrong, loss or injury; amends. (SYN) expiation, reparation
2. (Archiac.) reconciliation; harmony
3. Yom Kippur; Day of Atonement,
Expr. The Atonement, or atonement,
the reconciliation of God with sinners through the sufferings and death of Christ.
Ex.....Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:11

Encarta Online tells us this about Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, in Judaism, holiday falling on the tenth day of the month of Tishri in the Jewish calendar (in September or October). It climaxes the observance of the Ten Penitential Days, which begin with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, and is the most sacred of Jewish holidays. With Rosh Hashanah it constitutes the so-called High Holy Days. Yom Kippur is a day of confession, repentance, and prayers for forgiveness of sins committed during the year against God's laws and covenant. It is also the day on which an individual's fate for the ensuing year is thought to be sealed. Jews observe the day by a rigorous fast and nearly unbroken prayer.

From Encyclopedia of the Orient
Yom Kippur can be translated with 'Day of Atonement'. Yom Kippur, which fills one day, is on the 10. of the month Tishri, the first in the Jewish calendar. Through this Yom Kippur is part of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Yom Kippur normally takes place in October, or September.
It is compulsory for all Jews to fast on Yom Kippur, except those ill or children below the age of 13. The aim of this fast is concentration on the congregation's relation to God. Central during this day are five sermons, with confessions and prayers for forgiveness from God.

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