What is the meaning behind Yom Kippur?

Answer 1

Yom Kippur (Leviticus ch.23) is the Jewish day of repentance, considered to be the holiest and most solemn day of the year. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation. Eating, drinking, washing, cosmetics, wearing leather shoes, and conjugal relations are prohibited (Mishnah, Yoma 8:1). Fasting - total abstention from all food and drink - usually begins a half an hour before sundown (called "tosefet Yom Kippur," the "addition" of fasting a bit of the previous day is required by Jewish law), and ends during the following twilight.

A recurrent motif in the Yom Kippur liturgy is that of confession (vidui). The idea is that without soul-searching and verbal articulation of one's misdeeds, there can be no real personal improvement. An important feature of Yom Kippur is the belief that true repentance (regret for past misdeeds and a commitment to future improvement) is followed by God's forgiveness. Of course, in cases when another person has been harmed that person's forgiveness needs to be obtained first.

Contrary to popular belief, Yom Kippur is not a sad day.

Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spanish, Portuguese and North African descent) refer to this holiday as "the White Fast." Consequently, many Jews have the custom of wearing only white clothing on this day, to symbolize the "white": striving towards purity from sin, akin to angels.

Yom Kippur is considered the most holy of Jewish holidays and its observance is held even among the majority of secular Jews who may not strictly observe other holidays. Many secular Jews will fast and attend synagogue on Yom Kippur, and attendance on Yom Kippur can be double or triple the normal number of worshipers. In Israel, public non-observance (such as eating or driving a motor vehicle) is virtually unheard of. Yom Kippur there has the nickname "Festival of Bicycles," referring to children's practice of freely riding their bicycles in the streets without motor vehicles presenting danger. In Israel on Yom Kippur there is no broadcast television, no public transportation and the airports are closed. There is no commerce of any kind in the Jewish areas.

Answer 2

Yom Kippur means the day of atonement, when Jews atone for and put right the sins they have committed during the previous year. It's not a feast in the conventional sense however - in fact, it's very much the opposite since observant Jews fast for 25 hours. There is, meanwhile, a tradition whereby a large and festive meal is consumed the day before Yom Kippur, after the mincha afternoon prayers.

Answer 3

Yom (Day) Kippur(of Atonement ), short and sweet, is Judgment Day. This is the day that God said that HE would accept our sacrifices. On this day, we beg for forgiveness of our sins, and vow to do much better. We renounce all vows that we have made, either involuntary or voluntary, in order to become clean slates again. In the days between Rosh(head) Hashanna(the year) and Yom Kippur, we have begged forgiveness of our fellow man, made restitution and peace between us and our brother. What remains is to do the same between us and God.

In preparation for our forgiveness, we fast. This is not just a whim, this is the only place in The Bible where God says to fast. In fact it is the most detailed description of a fast that I have seen.

Le 23:27"Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.Le 23:28"And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.Le 23:29"For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.Le 23:30"And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.Le 23:31"You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.Le 23:32"It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."

Notice that it does not say "day" but "evening to evening". During this time of year, this is about 27 hours. So we fast and pray, the better to purify our souls in order to ask for forgiveness of our sins.

The hope is that we are inscribed in the Book of Life for the next year. The customary "farewell" is..."May your fast be easy and may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a sweet and good year."

Answer 4

It is a time or repentance and penitence for the Jewish people. They pray for hours, fast, abstain from leather footwear and unnecessary washing, and romantic encounters. They do this to become holier and ask God to forgive them for their transgressions and broken promises, and to give them a prosperous year.

Answer 5

Its importance is because it was commanded in the Torah (Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-28). See the other answers on this page for further information, which is accurate but leaves out the above point.

Answer 6

Yom Kippur is the day on which we seek God's forgiveness for any sins we've committed. See also Leviticus ch.23.

Answer 7

Yom Kippur is a day of repentance. We can find its theological origin in Leviticus 16: 29.

Answer 8

Because it is commanded in the Torah (Leviticus ch.16). This is the day every year on which Jews atone for the mistakes of the previous year.

Answer 9

It is the Day of Atonement, when the Jewish people stand together as a nation, repent, and focus on self-improvement.

Answer 10

Day of Atonement.