The Talmud expresses the attitude of the Jewish people towards this day in a most beautiful statement: “There were no better days for Israel than the 15^th of Av (an ancient festival in the times of the Temple) and Yom Kippur. On these days, the young ladies of Jerusalem would go out into the fields wearing borrowed white robes, so as not to embarrass those who did not have and they would say to the young men: ‘Raise up your eyes, do not seek out beauty but look instead at family (and virtue), for charm is false and beauty is vain, but a God fearing woman, she is to be praised'”. (Proverbs, Chapter 31)

The Sages explain that Yom Kippur was, and should be, treated as a Yom Tov because it is the day that G-d set aside for pardon and forgiveness and it is the anniversary of the giving of the second set of the Ten Commandments.Rashi provides the chronology: Moses descended from Mt Sinai the first time on the 17^th of Tammuz after spending 40 days studying Torah. When he arrived at the camp, he found the Nation worshipping the golden calf and was forced to break the Tablets of the Law. On the following day, he ascended to plead for the Jewish people. He remained there for a further 40 days. On the first of Elul, he ascended a third time to receive the second tablets, and it was during this final period that G-d forgave the Nation with love. Forty days later, on the 10^th of Tishrei, he descended with the new Tablets and that day was forever set aside for pardon and atonement.

The full name of the fast is Yom Hakippurim, the Day of Atonements (in the plural). This is because, according to the Midrash (Sifrei, Shoftim), even those who have departed require atonement and are forgiven on this day. It is for this reason that we recite Yizkor on Yom Kippur and pledge money in memory of departed relatives.The name can also be understood to mean “a day like Purim”. This is because, according to one Sage in the Talmud, all of the festivals will cease to exist in the Days of the Messiah except for Yom Kippur and Purim. There are many deep reasons for this, but on a simple level, both days represent the deliverance of Israel from complete annihilation. Following the Golden Calf episode, the Children of Israel were guilty of idolatry which is a capital offence. Nevertheless, God forgave them in His abundant kindness and instead “staggered” the punishment over many generations. Likewise on Purim, the Jews faced genocide at the hands of Haman and his cronies, but were saved through the intervention of Mordechai and Esther and their campaign to bring the nation of Israel back to their Father in heaven through sincere repentance and commitment to the Torah.

PREPARING FOR YOM KIPPUR

The atmosphere of Yom Kippur is already palpable the day before, Erev Yom Kippur, which is treated as a minor Yom Tov. On this day:

We say a shortened version of the Selichot, and we omit certain passages in the prayer services.

We perform the custom of Kapparot by taking money, swinging it over our head and pledging it to charity. Some have the custom of using a chicken for the ceremony after which it is slaughtered and donated to charity. Some use a fish instead. This is as if to say: “We have been guilty and deserve the fate of this bird”. The procedure may be found in the Artscroll Siddur on page 772.

We visit the cemetery where we plead to Hashem that in the merit of our deceased relatives we should be spared. Many also visit the cemetery prior to Rosh Hashanah.

We make amends with those we have wronged, cheated, abused or hurt. Even if we are forced to seek a friend’s pardon many times, we should persist. At the same time, we should not stubbornly

Refuse to forgive trespasses against us if the request for pardon is sincere. Any outstanding debts should be repaid. *See below, the section “I Am Terribly Sorry!” for more on this topic.

Men immerse in a mikveh.

We recite Mincha early, before lunch, and we include the viduy, or confession, lest we are unable to recite it before the fast in the event of an unforeseen accident, God forbid. The viduy is said while standing and we hit our chests while mentioning each sin as if to say, “You (my heart and emotions) have been responsible for this sin”. The viduy may be found on page 776 in the Artscroll Siddur.

We eat a festive meal called the Seudat Mafseket before the onset of the fast. We eat only easily digestible foods, so as not to feel uncomfortable and bloated during the fast. Since it is a minor Yom Tov, meat should be eaten, however, chicken is preferred because it is lighter. Dairy foods should be avoided on Erev Yom Kippur except at breakfast. It is also not advisable to eat eggs or garlic or any food that heats the body excessively. The meal must be concluded by 6:30 pm.

We light a yahrzeit candle in memory of departed relatives. Ladies light the Yom Tov candles and recite the blessing “asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel yom hakippurm”. Tables should be covered in white in honour of the festival.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Every prayer, custom and law of Yom Kippur enhances the awesome power of the day and allows us to tangibly feel the strength of sincere repentance. At Shacharit, we read from the Torah as to how Yom Kippur was observed in the Holy Temple. It was the only day of the year on which the Cohen Gadol would enter the Holy of Holies, the most sacred area on Earth, and offer the incense while wearing four pure white linen garments.

CLOTHING

We too endeavour to wear white on this Holy Day as a sign of purity and to resemble the angelic hosts.  Married men and those leading the services wear a kittel, a simple white over-garment that serves as a reminder to act humbly and modestly. The tallis is put on before nightfall, so that the blessing may be said while it is still day.

A WHALE OF A TIME

At Mincha we read the section dealing with the forbidden sexual relationships which, if observed properly, assures the sanctity of the Jewish people. The entire Book of Jonah is read as the Haphtarah at Mincha. This stirring tale deals with the issues of repentance, regret and the fact that God cannot be ignored.

AS THE DAY DRAWS TO A CLOSE

Towards nightfall, a fourth prayer called Neilah is added on Yom Kippur. Neilah means “closing”, and brings to mind the closing of the gates of the Temple in Jerusalem as the fast came to an end and the closing of the Heavenly gates. The entire service is said while standing and ends with the heartfelt recitation of the verse, “Hashem, He is the Lord” and “Shemah Yisrael”. At the close of Neilah, the shofar is sounded to herald the departure of Hashem’s Holy Presence (The Shechinah).

DOS AND DON’TS

The following activities are forbidden on Yom Kippur:

Eating and drinking

Washing for pleasure (but you can wash your hands upon awakening and after ablutions)

Anointing one’s body with oils

Wearing leather shoes (wear slippers or canvas shoes instead)

Marital relations

Work, as defined by our Sages in the same way that we may not work on Shabbat

One may handle food for the purposes of feeding children. Sick people, pregnant and nursing women must consult their rabbi and doctor. In regards children fasting, speak to your rabbi. In general, children are not required to fast until they are close to bar/bat-mitzvah age.

AFTER THE FAST

The Midrash states: “A Heavenly voice announces: Go out in happiness and partake of your meal”. Hence, we treat this night as a Yom Tov and rejoice with good food and drink. Many begin their New Year of sinless-ness by beginning to build the Sukkah, so as to immediately be involved in a mitzvah.

BIRKAT COHANIM

The Priestly blessing, also known as Birkat Cohanim or duchening [a duchen is a platform and in the Temple the Cohanim would stand on a platform when they recited the blessing] is an important feature of the festival prayer services. Every male Cohen over the age of thirteen is obligated by the Torah to bless the Congregation using the three-sentence formula found in the Book of Numbers. Young Cohanim may also join their fathers to practise for their post-bar mitzvah duty. This blessing is inserted into the repetition of the Mussaf service on all days of Yom Tov – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succoth and Shemini Atzeret. On Simchat Torah it is recited in the Shacharit service. We cordially invite all Cohanim to come forward and fulfil this wonderful mitzvah. A special card containing instructions will be supplied to each Cohen. Should you need assistance or are unsure as to what is required of you, please do not hesitate to speak to Rabbi Liebenberg.

I AM TERRIBLY SORRY

The process of returning to God involves two steps: teshuva, repentance and kappara, atonement. The first is performed by man and the second, by God. Teshuva includes several requirements: the sinner must abandon his sinful behaviour, remove it from his thoughts and resolve in his heart never to do it again. He must have sincere remorse and regret for his behaviour and he must confess his sins before Hashem (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 2:2). Teshuva is akin to a cleansing process, removing the filth and stench of the sin from one’s heart and soul. But even after sincere repentance, sin leaves a stain that no human hand can remove. That is when kappara, atonement, is needed. Rashi (Bereishit 32:21) writes, “It appears in my eyes that any forms of the word kappara that are used by Scripture in association with “sin” or “transgression” or in association with “face/countenance”, all mean “wiping away” or “removal.” God completely wipes away any remnant of the sin, leaving us pure and clean as if we never sinned. This wiping away, or atonement, takes place annually on Yom Kippur.

Teshuva and kappara are only effective for sins between man and God, such as consuming non-kosher food or engaging in prohibited sexual activity. But if the sin was committed against another person, such as assault, theft or libel, the perpetrator does not achieve forgiveness until he compensates his victim. And even if he does compensate him, he must still seek his forgiveness and receive his pardon. Only then will Yom Kippur atone for his sin. (Rambam, ibid, Halacha 9 based on Yoma 85b). In consideration of the importance of this rule, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 606) dedicates a chapter to the requirement to appease one’s fellow on Erev Yom Kippur. Here are some of the salient halakhot, as explained by the Mishna Berura.

One must appease a person that one has harmed, even if the harm was ‘only’ berating them with words. Verbal abuse is included under the heading of ona’at devarim which is a Torah prohibition. The requirement to appease one’s victim applies throughout the year, although it may be postponed to a more opportune time. However, on Erev Yom Kippur one is obligated to make amends. If one has property belonging to another in one’s possession which came to him through theft or over-charging, this must be returned on Erev Yom Kippur. If one attempts to appease one’s fellow and the victim does not accept the apology, one is required to try a second and a third time. Each time, he should take with him three people to demonstrate his sincerity and he should use different words of appeasement. It is better for the perpetrator to go in person but if this is difficult, or he believes an intermediary would be more effective, he can send a third party. If the third attempt at appeasement was not successful, the perpetrator does not have to try again but may do so if he wants to. In that case, he should tell ten people that he asked the victim for forgiveness. 

A victim should not be cruel but should accept an apology if it is made sincerely. He should not hold a grudge or engage in revenge. If the sin involved a libellous statement, the victim does not have to forgive because “there are those who heard the libel but did not hear the retraction and therefore the libel remains in place.” This is especially true in the era of the internet and social media. It often happens that a completely false accusation is made against someone and this becomes the ‘truth’. At some later point when the accusation is proven false, there are still thousands (if not millions) of people who continue to believe the lie either because they are unaware of the retraction or because they refuse to accept it.

If the victim died before the perpetrator could appease him, he must gather ten people at the victim’s grave and say, “I have sinned to the God of Israel and to this person.” He must then mention the sin he committed against the deceased. If the grave is very far away, one may appoint a proxy to go to the grave with ten people. The proxy must state that he is acting as an emissary of the perpetrator. It is forbidden by rabbinical ban to utter libellous remarks about someone who has passed away and one who does so must repent of his sin. If one stole from multiple victims and does not know their identity, such as a shopkeeper who overcharged or sold products using inaccurate scales, full repentance cannot be achieved. Nevertheless, the thief should make an estimate of the money he stole and use the funds for communal matters, such as repairing roads or water cisterns (Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 366:2). Perhaps such a thief could give the money to a communal charity fund.

The Tur and Levush write that the appeasement that is done on Erev Yom Kippur serves to unite the hearts of Jews with one another. Through this, they prevent the accusing angel from prosecuting them before Hashem. On the contrary, the accuser is forced to admit that the nation of Israel are like angels who dwell in peace with one another.  

Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom & Gemar Chatima Tova! Rabbi Liebenberg

Rabbi’s YouTube message for Yom Kippur: https://youtu.be/9jZL854bLpQ?si=pGXyLfeGpGbacIB6