Yom Kippur, which is also referred to as the Day of Atonement, is Jewish holy day that is observed on the 10th day of Tishri (the seventh month of the Jewish year, ten days after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). This very solemn day occurs sometime between September’s last two weeks and October’s first two weeks. The Biblical day starts at sundown ("Genesis 1:5 (king,") on the 9th of Tishri. Families eat a large joyous meal on this day after which the solemn Yom Kippur fast starts.
Kapporot is a custom is a custom that is practiced among some orthodox Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur, though rare today. In this custom, the men swing a rooster over their head and women swing a hen over their head to atone for their sins. They recite a prayer: “This is my substitute, this is my pardon, this is my atonement, this rooster goes to death and I shall enter a long, happy and peaceful life” (Danielle Celermajer, 2009, p.75). They then ritually slaughter their roosters and hens, and give the m to the poor. However, rabbis do not widely accept this practice anymore. Today, “Tzedakah” is practiced instead, which means charity, in which a gift of money, wrapped in a handkerchief, is given to the poor.
The time of the Evening Service is when the synagogue services starts, at which Jews chant the famous “Kol Nidrei.” Kol Nidrei, also known as “All Vows,” is a prayer in which the worshippers ask God to absolve them from all vows they made during the previous year and imperfectly kept them. The men wear prayer shawl known as the “Tallit” during this service. The collective confession of sins, traditional chants, prayers, and readings of sacred Jewish writings are involved in these lengthy services. The shofar, which is a musical instrument made of a ram’s horn, is sounded to closing the services to symbolize that the gates of heaven have closed. It said that God’s heavenly court comes into session during the High Holy days, where God judges acts of human beings. Rosh Rosh Hashana marks the opening of the court and the final sounding of the shofar on Yom Kippur marks the closing of the court. Jews hope and pray that by the time Yom Kippur comes to an end, they are sealed in the Book of Life, the heavenly book in which the names of those who will go to heaven are recorded.
In the Torah, it is mentioned that for the atonement of sin, it is necessary to sacrifice an animal. However, in Rabbinic Judaism, now that the Temple does not exist, sin is not atoned that way. In Leviticus 16:30, it is mentioned that the purpose of atonement is to cleanse a person. The rabbinic interpretation of this is that Yom Kippur itself atones for sin. Since it is no longer possible to sacrifice so many chickens, blood atonement has been substituted with charity, fasting, prayer, and repentance. The Jewish nation also believes that Abraham’s obedience to sacrifice his son Isaac has some merit.
New Covenant believers claim that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is the one who atoned for their sins by sacrificing himself, and not only their sins but the sins of the whole world. According to them, Jesus is their High Priest. In conclusion, since Jewish people atone for their sins, so they can become destined to enter heaven on Yom Kippur, so it can be regarded as the holiest day for Jewish people.
References
Celermajer, D. (2009). The sins of the nation and the ritual of apologies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Genesis 1:5 (king james version). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 1:5&version=KJV
