Yom Kippur
Tonight marks the beginning of Yom Kippur (Lev 23:27). In rabbinic literature this evening and tomorrow is both the Day of Judgement and Atonement. The Day ends tomorrow with the blowing of the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar--a ram's horn "trumpet". It's imagery and terms that we are all familiar with as Christians: atonement, Day of Judgement, the last trumpet. Unfortunately, much of its depth and meaning is perhaps lost on us Gentiles.

Jewish tradition believes that on this day God places a seal upon the Divine decrees affecting each person for the coming year. In other words, decisions of life and death, peace and prosperity have all been decided and are now sealed. The Book of Life is closing on this day...This sense of vulnerability is heightened by an awareness of life’s transience. There are two Yom Kippur customs that serve to remind us of the inevitability of death. The first is to light a memorial candle for parents who have died. The second is to wear a kittel, a white garment that can symbolize both purity and death, during the Yom Kippur services.

The spiritual work of repentance also demands a turning away from bodily pleasures, hence the following activities are prohibited by traditional Jewish law on Yom Kippur: eating and drinking, washing, anointing with perfumes or lotions, sexual intercourse, and wearing leather shoes. The reason for not wearing leather is that it represents material and financial comfort, which is contrary to the humility of spirit required for repentance.

Before Yom Kippur begins, every Jew is urged to undertake one other action that is not merely preparatory to repentance, but integral to the process: requesting forgiveness from human beings against whom one has committed transgressions. This is necessary in order to wipe the slate of interpersonal relationships clean before the start of the holiday, since only sins human beings and God are addressed during Yom Kippur itself.

myjewishlearning.com

posted by Jimmy at 10:40 AM | |