Yom Kippur: The Most Holy Day In The Jewish Tradition

Yom Kippur, meaning Day of Anointment, is the most holy day in the Jewish tradition and the most important holiday. It is a time for repenting your sins from the previous year. Rosh Hashanah begins the preparation for Yom Kippur. It begins 10 days before Yom Kipper and is a time for depriving yourself from pleasure to prepare yourself with this sacrifice. These 10 days of repentance begin on the first day of the Hebrew month called ‘Tishri’. This is a time to remember what sins you have committed against God. You really have to think about these things and pray and fast to earn God’s forgiveness. The day itself is important because the Jewish people believe that their judgement is entered in “books” where God inscribes all of our names. If their sins are not atoned, the judgement will be equally harsh.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, people walk to flowing water such as a creek or river. This is done later in the day. They empty their pockets into the water and it is washed away. This is a symbol of sins being washed away in the water. Sometimes bread is put in the pocket so you have something to empty. This practice is not in the Old Testament, but is a long standing tradition. Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of …show more content…

The first part of the prayer service usually begins at 9 am at the synagogue and ends at 3pm. There is time to go home and rest. Then the prayerful return to the synagogue around 6PM. It is customary to wear white because it is a sign of purity. Some wear a ‘Kittel’. The Kittel is a robe that shrouds the dead when they are burred. it symbolizes that they will be made white as snow in heaven. On Yom Kippur people try to make themselves be as much like angles as possible to be close to God. The Yom Kippur service goes until night. It ends when the shofar is blown for one long blast, called the ‘tekiah