Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, also known as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, is considered by many to be the holiest day of the Jewish year. Traditionally, the day is one of fasting and prayer for a clean slate at the start of the new year.
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Yom Kippur, Day of AtonementTANAKH
Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement
TANAKH
A day of atonement and self-affliction, Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. This passage from the book of Leviticus is one of the places in the Torah where the mitzvot (commandments) for the day appear.
The Power of RepentanceHALAKHAH
The Power of Repentance
HALAKHAH
In the absence of the Temple — where one was once able to bring a sin offering to wash away sin — how can a person wipe the slate clean? In his late twelfth-century law code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides offers an answer.
The Five Prohibitions of the DayTOSEFTA
The Five Prohibitions of the Day
TOSEFTA
The ancient rabbis identify five central prohibitions for Yom Kippur. The Tosefta, an ancient collection of rabbinic laws and teachings, offers this list.
Repeating One’s SinsTALMUD
Repeating One’s Sins
TALMUD
Is a sin forgiven after its confession on Yom Kippur or is that sin with the person who committed it always? The Jerusalem Talmud debates this question and also asks what happens to a person who continues to sin, after they’ve confessed it.
The ScapegoatMISHNAH
The Scapegoat
MISHNAH
A central element of the Yom Kippur ritual in the time of the Temple was the sending of the scapegoat into the desert. This passage from the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, recounts the high priest’s confession of Israel’s sins onto the scapegoat and the community’s response.
Entering the Holy of HoliesTALMUD
Entering the Holy of Holies
TALMUD
Yom Kippur was the one day of the year when the high priest entered the holy of holies in the Temple. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Berakhot recounts a fascinating encounter between the High Priest and God one Yom Kippur.
The Limits of Yom KippurMIDRASH
The Limits of Yom Kippur
MIDRASH
What kind of forgiveness does Yom Kippur effect? The ancient midrash on Leviticus, the Sifra, explains how and what kinds of transgressions are wiped away on Yom Kippur.
For This World and the NextMIDRASH
For This World and the Next
MIDRASH
What is the extent of the power of Yom Kippur? This medieval biblical interpretation answers this question while also making many other interesting and subtle claims.
The Date in HistoryCOMMENTARY
The Date in History
COMMENTARY
Why is Yom Kippur on Yom Kippur and not any other day of the year? The renowned eleventh-century biblical commentator, Rashi, explains the historical significance of the date.
The Origins of the Afflictions of the DayCOMMENTARY
The Origins of the Afflictions of the Day
COMMENTARY
Do the practices of self-affliction on Yom Kippur originate in the Torah or were they determined by the ancient rabbis? In the Kessef Mishneh, Joseph Karo’s commentary on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, the author surveys the arguments and opinions regarding the origins of the prohibitions of the day.
The High Priest’s Costume ChangeMUSAR
The High Priest’s Costume Change
MUSAR
The high priest changes from gold clothing into white to perform the Yom Kippur service. This passage from Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horovitz’s Shenei Luchot HaBerit explains the significance and symbolism of the high priest’s garments.
May One Recite Kol Nidrei? RESPONSA
May One Recite Kol Nidrei?
RESPONSA
While today, it is common to recite Kol Nidrei at the beginning of Yom Kippur, historically, some rabbis strongly objected to this practice. This medieval rabbinic letter — the oldest historical source to refer to Kol Nidrei — states that it is not their community’s practice to recite this formula for the release from vows.
The Bearer of SinTANAKH
The Bearer of Sin
TANAKH
A focus of Yom Kippur in the Torah was the purification of the tabernacle from sin. One of the ways the high priest achieved this was to send a goat into the desert, carrying away the sins of the nation.
Whose Prayers Does God Answer?TALMUD
Whose Prayers Does God Answer?
TALMUD
On Yom Kippur, one of the things we pray for is that God answer our prayers, but is there anything we can do to make it more likely that God answer us? The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Taanit suggests that God answers the prayers of those who practice forgiveness.
Here I AmLITURGY
Here I Am
LITURGY
The chazzan (leader of communal prayer) has an awesome and humbling role, especially on the High Holidays. Before the recitation of the special service for Yom Kippur, the chazzan recites this emotional and personal prayer — inspired by the confession of the high priest — in preparation to lead the community.
The Holiness of the DayLITURGY
The Holiness of the Day
LITURGY
One of the central themes of the High Holidays is that of God as judge, with all of humanity passing before the Divine in judgment. The prayer Unetaneh Tokef — recited in the later part of the service on these days by Jews of European descent — is a powerful and poetic articulation of this theme.
The Locking of the Gates TALMUD
The Locking of the Gates
TALMUD
Neilah — meaning “locking” — is the final service of Yom Kippur. In this passage from the Jerusalem Talmud, the rabbis debate whether it is the gates of heaven or the gates of the Temple that are locked during this final additional service of Yom Kippur.
The Days of AweMIDRASH
The Days of Awe
MIDRASH
How do we know that the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are days of awe? This midrash (biblical interpretation) demonstrates that this is so by weaving together a number of verses drawn from different parts of the Bible.
Aaron and Atonement COMMENTARY
Aaron and Atonement
COMMENTARY
What is the relationship between the very first atonement rituals in the tabernacle and all subsequent Yom Kippur purification rites? The author of this nineteenth-century commentary, known as “the Malbim,” explains that all future atonement effected through the Yom Kippur ritual is effective because of Aaron, the first high priest.
Atonement via RoosterHALAKHAH
Atonement via Rooster
HALAKHAH
The custom of atoning by killing a rooster, known as kapparot, has been controversial for hundreds of years and remains so today. The controversy, in brief, is apparent in this selection from Rabbi Joseph Karo’s authoritative sixteenth-century Shulchan Arukh and in its commentary by Rabbi Moses Isserles.
