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Yom
Kippur
How We Prepare
- Preparation
for Yom Kippur begins during the first ten
days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, beginning with
Rosh Hashana, when Jews focus on Teshuva, repentance, and coming
closer to G-d.
Erev
Yom Kippur -
- Kapparot
- This is a ritual of symbolic atonement
1) Before
Yom Kippur, we make every effort to rid ourselves of sin.
The custom of Kapparot is recorded in the Shulchan Aruch,
The Code of Jewish Law, written 500 years ago and is described
there as an ancient custom.
2) Kapparot is generally performed during the night before
Yom Kippur, although it may be performed earlier.
3) Traditionally, kapparot is performed by taking a live hen
or rooster, depending on one's gender, and swinging it over
one's head while reciting a passage transferring one's sins
onto the bird. The bird is then slaughtered according to Jewish
Law and given to a family in need. - An alternative custom
(which is widely practiced in modern times) is that, instead
of a chicken, one takes the appropriate amount of money to
feed a family and donates it to a charity that provides food
to the needy
- Mincha
-
During Mincha, the afternoon service, the Vidui, confession, is
added to the Silent Amida.
- Eating
a Festive Meal - It is a mitzvah to partake of a festive
meal the day before Yom Kippur. This meal should be eaten early
so that one may have the special seudah hamafseket, meal before
a fast, after the afternoon service
a)
Whoever eats on erev (the eve of) Yom Kippur and fasts on
Yom Kippur, it is as if (s)he fasted both days.
b) The fasts in Judaism are not about deprivation, but about
reaching a more focused spiritual level. It is, however, important
that one has the strength to focus on the activities of Yom
Kippur day.
- Seudah
HaMafseket,
The Meal Before the Fast
1) This
meal can actually be eaten any time during the day, although
most people partake of it after mincha, the afternoon service.
The meal must be concluded during the daytime.
2) One should only eat light foods which are not too salty in
order not to make fasting difficult. (It is therefore the custom
not to eat fish at this meal.)
3) No intoxicating beverages should be served.
4) It is customary to eat kreplach dumplings,
(usually served in soup) before Yom Kippur. The kreplach are
hidden bits of meat in dough, symbolic of our desire that G-d
will hide our sins.
- Yahrtzeit
Candles-It is customary to light memorial [yahrtzeit] candles
which burn for 24 hours just prior to lighting the festival candles.
- Festival
Candle Lighting:
All Jewish holidays begin at sunset the evening before. On the
Sabbath and Yom Tov [festival], candles are lit 18 minutes before
sunset to welcome the holy day. The procedure for lighting candles
for a holiday varies slightly from Sabbath candle-lighting:
a. The
blessings are said before lighting the candles.
b. The
end of the blessing is changed to represent Yom Kippur:
Baruch
atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, asher kideshanu
b'mitzvotav v'tzeevanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom ha-Kippurim.
Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d ruler of the world, who
sanctified us through His commandments and commanded us
to kindle the lights of Yom Kippur. |
c. An
additional blessing is made to acknowledge the good fortune
of being able to experience the holiday:
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Baruch
atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, she'he'che'yanu
v'kee'manu v'hee'gee'anu la'zman ha'zeh
Blessed
are you L-rd, our G-d ruler of the world, Who has kept
us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season
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