History Of Yom Kippur: The Day Of Atonement

Yom Kippur, otherwise known as the Day of Atonement, can be referred to as one of the most important days of the Jewish religion. It marks the climax of the 10 days of forgiveness. Traditionally, Yom Kippur is the event where God chooses everyone's fate. This time is spent asking for forgiveness for any sins that were committed in the last year. The holiday consists of a 24 hour fast and religious services (“Yom Kippur”, 2009). On the eve of Yom Kippur, a small bottle of “Kal-Tzom” can be taken that contains herbal essences and helps make the fasting a little bit easier. On this day before the holiday, many people use the saying “Have an easy fast”, or “Let it pass easily”. Fasting was originally viewed as fulfilling the commandment to “practice self-denial.”. The fast is a time to ignore all desires for an entire 24 hours. The time is then taken to focus more

The most important prayer is the one dedicated to the atonement ritual performed by high priests at ancient times (“Yom Kippur”, 2009). It is a mitzvah to attend all of the religious services that take place during this time. The first is the Kol Nidre lasting all evening, ending with the N’ilah, and the sounding of the shofar. Then a memorial service called Yizkor, and Havdalah at the end of the day. By reciting prayers during Yom Kippur in the synagogue, Jews are making amends for laws that are against God. They tend to reach out to family members or friends who they have done wrong the past year and bring peace and forgiveness. It is a time that is used to put the past behind them (“Customs”, 2017).

Kol Nidre is a name that is given to a chant that is performed by Jews on Yom Kippur. The chant is a legal formula that represents the declaring of the vows. The chant dates back to the 9th century C.E. It is a mix of Aramaic and Hebrew language. It is done to cancel out any old vows that were taken to God in the previous