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61-537: In Ashkenazic tradition, married men wear a kittel in the synagogue on Yom Kippur . In less-traditional synagogues, religious Jews - both men and women - wear a kittel. Some wear a kittel when leading the Passover Seder . In some communities, the hazzan wears a kittel on the first night of Selichot , on Hoshana Rabbah or the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot , the musaf prayers of Shemini Atzeret and

122-622: A grammatical plural form, refers to a singular abstract concept. Beginning in the classical period, the singular form kippur began to be used in piyyut , for example in Unetanneh Tokef , alongside the standard plural form kippurim . Use of kippur spread in the medieval period, with Yom Kippur ( יום כיפור ) becoming the holiday's name in Yiddish and Kippur ( כיפור ) in Ladino . In modern Hebrew, Yom Kippur or simply Kippur

183-419: A person and his fellow until he has appeased his fellow." Thus, it is common practice on Erev Yom Kippur to request forgiveness from other individuals for misdeeds one has done to them. The Talmud records no less than 14 stories attesting to the importance of the day for repairing relationships with one's spouses, parents, children, coworkers, the poor, and other individuals. The day before a major Jewish holiday

244-534: A time. Fasting, along with the other restrictions, begins at sundown , and ends after nightfall the following day. One should add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day, called tosefet Yom Kippur , lit. 'addition to Yom Kippur'. Yom Kippur is one of the only occasions when fasting is permitted on Shabbat . A number of different interpretations of these restrictions have been suggested. In one approach, fasting replaces animal sacrifices. Fasting causes one's fat and blood to be diminished, just as

305-477: Is also a tradition in which they are interpreted positively, as indications of closeness of God. Various sources compare the observances of Yom Kippur – fasting, barefootness (not wearing leather shoes), standing (in prayer), particular manners of prayer, even the peace that exists between Jews on this day – with the behavior of angels, suggesting that on Yom Kippur Jews become like angels in heaven, purified and close to God and not limited by physicality. Yom Kippur

366-680: Is considered especially desirable during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and particularly on Yom Kippur itself. Thus, the Yom Kippur prayers contain extended confessions which list varieties of errors and sins, and to which one can add their own missteps, along with requests for forgiveness from God. According to the Talmud, "Yom Kippur atones for sins done against God ( bein adam leMakom ), but does not atone for sins done against other human beings ( bein adam lechavero ) until

427-569: Is in God". According to Rabbi Akiva , this verse alludes to a ritual purification bath (also pronounced mikveh ), and thus on Yom Kippur God metaphorically becomes a mikveh in which Israel immerses and purifies itself. This idea is symbolized by immersion in an actual mikveh. In the Yom Kippur Temple service , the High Priest would immerse upon putting on and taking off his white Yom Kippur garments;

488-617: Is often devoted towards preparing for that holiday (as with burning chametz before Passover or obtaining the Four Species before Sukkot ); for Yom Kippur, the appropriate preparation is to seek forgiveness from one's fellow man. Nevertheless, one should not ask forgiveness if this will cause further harm (for example, by bringing up an insult the victim was unaware of). According to halakha , one must eat on Erev Yom Kippur. A variety of reasons have been suggested for this requirement, among them: Kreplach are traditionally served at

549-575: Is performed by some on Erev Yom Kippur as a means to enhance atonement. Prior to this day's morning prayer service ( Shacharit ), selichot prayers are recited, as they have been for the entire High Holiday period. In the afternoon prayer ( Mincha ), the long confession is recited, just as it is on Yom Kippur itself. This confession is recited before the last Erev Yom Kippur meal (the "Separation Meal" - in Hebrew se'udah hamafseket or aruha hamafseket ), in case one becomes intoxicated at this meal and

610-637: Is said to symbolize purity, which partly explains its use during weddings . It is also felt to signify unity with the bride (who also wears white) and the beginning of a new life together. Another reason it is worn at the wedding is because it has no pockets, showing that the couple is marrying for love, not for what they possess. Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( / ˌ j ɒ m k ɪ ˈ p ʊər , ˌ j ɔː m ˈ k ɪ p ər , ˌ j oʊ m -/ YOM kip- OOR , YAWM KIP -ər, YOHM - ; Hebrew : יוֹם כִּפּוּר ‎ Yōm Kippūr [ˈjom kiˈpuʁ] , lit.   ' Day of Atonement ' )

671-473: Is the common name, while Yom HaKippurim ( יום הכיפורים ) is used in formal writing. In older English texts, the translation "Day of Atonement" is often used. The Torah calls the day Yom HaKippurim ( יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים ‎ ), and decrees fasting ("affliction of the soul") and a strict prohibition of work on the tenth day of the seventh month, later known as Tishrei . The laws of Yom Kippur are commanded by God to Moses in three passages in

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732-678: Is the holiest day of the year in Judaism . It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei , corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and repentance . The day's main observances consist of full fasting and asceticism , both accompanied by extended prayer services (usually at synagogue ) and sin confessions . Many Jewish denominations, such as Reconstructionist Judaism (vs. Reform , Conservative , Orthodox , etc.), focus less on sins and more on one's goals and accomplishments and setting yearly intentions. Alongside

793-505: Is unable to confess properly afterwards, or else because a person might choke to death at that meal and die without confessing (seemingly an unlikely possibility, but one which reminds a person of their mortality). Nevertheless, some recommend repeating the Vidui immediately before Kol Nidrei if time allows. The Torah commands Jews to "afflict themselves" ( ve'initem et nafshoteichem ) on Yom Kippur. While these verses do not explicitly mention

854-411: Is waived in the case of dangerous medical conditions ( pikuach nefesh ), and in such a case one is actually required to break the fast. Just as it is a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur, it may also be a mitzvah to eat or drink on Yom Kippur to safeguard a person's health. In such situations, though, it is preferable (if the medical situation allows for it) to consume only small amounts of food or drink at

915-512: The Cairo Geniza , often consist of piyyuṭim, as these were the parts of the liturgy that required to be written down: the wording of the basic prayers was generally known by heart, and there was supposed to be a prohibition of writing them down. It is not always clear from the manuscripts whether these piyyuṭim, which often elaborated the themes of the basic prayers, were intended to supplement or replace them, or indeed whether they originated before

976-549: The Mishnah describes Yom Kippur as a day on which men and women would once meet each other in the vineyards in order to arrange marriages. While this story is surprising given the generally somber nature of the day, it is based on the Biblical episode where the oath against marrying Benjaminites was circumvented by allowing them to take women from the vineyards as wives, and thus indicates the day's theme of abandoning grudges in order for

1037-562: The Bible, after the golden calf sin, Moses descended from Mount Sinai and broke the Tablets of Stone , which contained the Ten Commandments and symbolized the covenant with God. After God agreed to forgive the people's sin, Moses was told to return to Mount Sinai for a second 40-day period, in order to receive a second set of tablets. According to rabbinic tradition, the date Moses descended with

1098-570: The Days of Awe, a Jew reflects on the year, goals, and past actions, how his or her behavior has possibly hurt others and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other human beings. Repentance in Judaism (Hebrew: Teshuva ), traditionally, consists of regretting having committed the sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future, and confessing that sin before God. While repentance for one's sins can and should be done at any time, it

1159-586: The Jewish people sinned in later eras, prophets would repeatedly quote the Thirteen Attributes to God as a reminder of God's commitment to mercy and forgiveness. This is continued to the present day, as recitation of the Thirteen Attributes remains an important part of the Yom Kippur prayers (in Maariv and Neilah ). While many of the observances of Yom Kippur (such as fasting and long prayers) can be difficult, there

1220-464: The Jewish people to be reunited. On the day preceding Yom Kippur, known as Erev Yom Kippur (lit. 'eve [of] day [of] atonement'), a number of activities are customarily performed in preparation for Yom Kippur. These activities generally relate to the themes of the holiday, but are forbidden or impractical to do on Yom Kippur itself. According to the Talmud , "Yom Kippur does not atone for sins between

1281-536: The Jews. The piyyuṭ had become a commendable tradition for holidays and other joyous occasions. The use of piyyuṭ was always considered a Palestinian specialty: the Babylonian geonim made every effort to discourage it and restore what they regarded as the statutory wording of the prayers, holding that "any [hazzan] who uses piyyuṭ thereby gives evidence that he is no scholar". It is not always clear whether their main objection

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1342-611: The Lord you shall be purified. There are two forms of impurity in Judaism (see Tumah and taharah ): ritual impurity (e.g. when one touches a corpse) and moral impurity (when one commits a serious sin). While the Yom Kippur Temple service did purify the Temple if it had become ritually impure, the emphasis of the day is on the Jewish people's purification from moral impurity. Leviticus 16:30 mentions purification twice. According to Netziv ,

1403-615: The Sephardic, and to a lesser extent the other rites, and may be regarded as a second generation of piyyuṭ. The Kabbalistic school of Isaac Luria and his followers, which used an adapted Sephardic liturgy, disapproved of the Spanish piyyuṭim, regarding them as spiritually inauthentic, and invoked the Geonic strictures to have them either eliminated from the service or moved away from the core parts of it. Their disapproval did not extend to piyyuṭim of

1464-582: The Spanish school survive in their original position in the Spanish and Portuguese rite but have been eliminated or moved in the Syrian and other Mizrahi rites. Syrian Jews preserve some of them for extra-liturgical use as pizmonim . What follows is a chart of some of the best-known and most-beloved piyyuṭim. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it tries to provide a flavor of the variety of poetic schemes and occasions for which these poems were written. Many of

1525-512: The Torah, the Yom Kippur Temple service was commanded in wake of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu on the eighth day of the Tabernacle inauguration. Not only was this eighth day the occasion of the Yom Kippur command, but the eighth day was also similar in its nature to Yom Kippur, both in biblical texts (e.g. the sacrifices offered on each day) and in rabbinic interpretation. The purpose of the eighth day

1586-616: The Torah: Yom Kippur is mentioned briefly in another context: on Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year the shofar was to be blown. According to some, this is the source for the current custom of blowing the shofar at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. When the Temple in Jerusalem stood, Yom Kippur was the occasion of an elaborate sacrificial service, as commanded by Leviticus 16 . The rabbis summarized

1647-417: The basic prayers had become fixed. The piyyuṭim, in particular those of Eleazar birabbi Qallir , were often in very cryptic and allusive language, with copious reference to midrash . Initially, the word piyyuṭ designated every type of sacred poetry, but as usage developed, the term came to designate only poems of hymn character. The piyyuṭim were usually composed by a talented rabbinic poet, and depending on

1708-617: The coming year into the Book of Life , and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. This process is described dramatically in the poem Unetanneh Tokef , which is recited on Rosh Hashanah in the Ashkenazic and Italian rites and on Yom Kippur in the Eastern Ashkenazic and Italian rites: A great shofar will be blown, and a small still voice will be heard. The angels will make haste, and be seized with fear and trembling, and will say: "Behold,

1769-407: The congregation would respond to, followed by the hazzan ’s recitations. The additions of the piyyuṭim to the services were primarily used as an embellishment to the services and to make it more enjoyable to the congregation. As to the origin of the piyyuṭ's implementation, there is a theory that this had to do with restrictions on Jewish prayer. Al-Samawal al-Maghribi , a Jewish convert to Islam in

1830-487: The covenant between God and Israel. Along with Tu B'Av , Yom Kippur was historically considered one of the two happiest days of the Jewish year, for on this day Jews receive forgiveness for their sins, and on this date the covenant with God was reestablished. In Leviticus 16:30 , the Torah summarizes the purpose of Yom Kippur as follows: For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to purify you; from all your sins before

1891-462: The day of judgment!"... On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on the Yom Kippur fast it is sealed, how many will pass and how many will be created, who will live and who will die, who in his time and who not in his time... But repentance, prayer, and charity remove the evil of the decree... For You do not desire a person's death, but rather that he repent and live. Until the day of his death You wait for him; if he repents, You accept him immediately. During

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1952-511: The early Palestinian piyyuṭim, such as those of Eleazar birabbi Qallir , do not survive in the Sephardic rite. However, they do in the Ashkenazi and Italian rites. In the later Middle Ages, however, Andalusi Jewish poets such as Judah Halevi , Solomon ibn Gabirol , Abraham ibn Ezra and Moses ibn Ezra composed quantities of religious poetry, in correct Biblical Hebrew and strict Arabic metres. Many of these poems have been incorporated into

2013-646: The early Palestinian school, which they regarded as an authentic part of the Talmudic-rabbinic tradition. Although Luria himself would go to Ashkenazic communities at times when they would recite piyyuṭim to recite those from the Eretz Yisrael school, no Sephardic community reinstituted these piyyuṭim, presumably because these had already been eliminated from the service. They regarded it as too late to put them back. (The Kabbalists, and their successors, also wrote piyyuṭim of their own.) For this reason, some piyyuṭim of

2074-420: The encounter with God and the atonement may appear to be unrelated, in fact they are mutually dependent. On one hand, the priest is only worthy to approach God when in a state of purity, with the sins of the people being forgiven. On the other hand, only by approaching God with an intimate, personal request can God be persuaded to abandon justice for mercy, permitting the purification to take place. According to

2135-418: The expulsion man must work for food "by the sweat of [his] brow"; thus food and drink are refrained from on Yom Kippur, as well as washing, and the use of cosmetics to remove sweat or its odor. In Eden death was unknown and procreation unnecessary; similarly on Yom Kippur marital relations are avoided. According to Maimonides , the purpose of fasting (and the restriction on work) is to remove distractions from

2196-547: The fat and blood of a sacrifice were burned on the altar. Thus, the fast is a form of sacrifice which can atone for sin like the Temple sacrifices once did. Other approaches suggest that the prohibitions represent not suffering, but rather special holiness. For example, on Yom Kippur, Jews are said to become like angels. Just as angels do not need to eat, drink, or wear shoes, so too Jews do not engage on these activities on Yom Kippur. By detaching themselves from physical needs, Jews become purified and resemble angels. Similarly,

2257-568: The first day of Passover , where the Geshem (prayers for rain or dew) are recited. In some communities, a bridegroom wears a kittel on his wedding day. In some communities, it is known by the Western Yiddish term sargenes , related to the Old French serge as well as Latin sericum . The sargenes is worn like a tachrichim , covering the head and face. As a tachrichim or burial shroud,

2318-434: The first mention is a promise that God will purify Israel on this day, while the second is a command, calling on Israel to purify themselves through repentance. Thus, on this day Jews do their utmost to repent. But if, by the end of the day, they have reached the limits of their ability and are still morally flawed, God extends them forgiveness and purification anyway. Jeremiah 17:13 states that "Israel's hope ( mikveh )

2379-434: The form of affliction, the phrase "afflicting oneself" frequently appears elsewhere in connection with fasting or lack of food, and public fast days for repentance were a common practice in Biblical times. According to the Jewish oral tradition , the Yom Kippur "affliction" consists of the following five prohibitions: In traditional custom, the fast is required of males over age 13 and females over age 12. However, fasting

2440-440: The handles of the bolt" ( Song of Songs 5:5 ) – "I rose up to open to my beloved" – this refers to Yotzer [the morning prayer ]; "My hands dripped with myrrh" – this refers to Mussaf ; "my fingers with flowing myrrh" – this refers to Mincha ; "upon the handles of the bolt" – this refers to Neilah . Using a similar metaphor, the Mishnah describes Yom Kippur as a wedding date, as on this date Moses returned having reestablished

2501-468: The kittel signifies simple attire that assures equality for all in death. Because Jewish law dictates that the dead are buried without anything else in the coffin other than simple linen clothes, a kittel has no pockets. The wearing of a kittel on the High Holidays is symbolically linked to its use as tachrichim and to the verse "our sins shall be made as white as snow" ( Isaiah 1:18 ). The white color

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2562-635: The laws of this service in Mishnah tractate Yoma , and they appear in contemporary traditional Jewish prayer books for Yom Kippur, and are studied as part of a traditional Jewish Yom Kippur worship service. The Mussaf prayer on Yom Kippur includes a section known as the Avodah , where a poem is recited describing this Temple service. Yom Kippur is one of the two High Holy Days , or Days of Awe (Hebrew yamim noraim ), alongside Rosh Hashanah (which falls nine days previously). According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah God inscribes each person's fate for

2623-511: The order of the Hebrew alphabet or spelling out the name of the author. Many piyyuṭim are familiar to regular attendees of synagogue services. For example, the best-known piyyuṭ may be Adon Olam ("Master of the World"). Its poetic form consists of a repeated rhythmic pattern of short-long-long-long (the so-called hazaj meter ). It is so beloved that it is often sung after many synagogue services, after

2684-405: The other person has been appeased." Therefore, it is considered imperative to repair the harm that one has done to others before or during Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is described in the prayers as "a day of creating love and brotherhood, a day of abandoning jealousy and strife". It is said that "if one does not remove hatred [from their heart] on Yom Kippur, their prayers are not heard". According to

2745-424: The people's sins were forgiven and purification achieved in that year. Yom Kippur is considered a day of Jewish unity. In Kol Nidre , in which vows are released, vows of excommunication against sinning Jews were similarly lifted and these "transgressors" were allowed to pray alongside other Jews. According to the Talmud, "Any fast in which Jewish sinners do not also participate is not a valid fast". Similarly,

2806-471: The piyyuṭim marked as being recited on Shabbat are songs traditionally sung as part of the home ritual observance of Shabbat and also known as zemirot ("Songs/Melodies"). Piyyutim have been written in many different genres and subgenres. Most of these are defined by the function that the given poem fulfills in the context of Jewish prayer service; but a few are defined by other criteria, such as content. Yotzer sequence —a series of poems, which adorn

2867-504: The piyyuṭ’s reception by the community determined whether it would pass the test of time. Looking at the composers of the piyyuṭim, one can see which family names were part of the Middle Eastern community and which hakhamim were prominent and well established. The composers of various piyyuṭim usually used acrostic forms to hint their identity in the piyyuṭ itself. Since siddurim were limited then, many piyyuṭim had repeating stanzas that

2928-627: The plural is pay(e)ṭanim ( פיטנים ). The earliest piyyuṭim date from late antiquity , the Talmudic ( c.  70  – c.  500 CE ) and Geonic periods ( c.  600  – c.  1040 ). They were "overwhelmingly from the Land of Israel or its neighbor Syria , because only there was the Hebrew language sufficiently cultivated that it could be managed with stylistic correctness, and only there could it be made to speak so expressively." The earliest Palestinian prayer manuscripts, found in

2989-410: The practical purpose of this cord was to distinguish the scapegoat from the goat which was to be slaughtered, it also symbolized the sin which the scapegoat was carrying away. Isaiah 1:18 promises that if the Jewish people repents, "if [their] sins are like crimson, they shall become white as snow." According to tradition, in some years the scapegoat's cord would miraculously turn white to indicate that

3050-516: The prayer is without melody and is read only by the person conducting the service. In the recitation of the piyyuṭ, the cantor is assisted by the congregation in chanting melodies. "When the Persians rebuked them for this, the Jews sometimes asserted that they were singing, and sometimes [mourning over their situations]." When the Muslims took over and allowed Jews dhimmi status, prayer became permissible for

3111-402: The pre-fast meal. Also, it is common to ask for and receive lekach on Erev Yom Kippur. Many Orthodox men immerse themselves in a mikveh on this day. Opinions differ on whether this is a technical act to remove ritual impurity , or else a symbolic one to symbolize one's cleansing from sin on Yom Kippur. The kapparot ritual, in which either money or a chicken is given to charity,

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3172-640: The prohibitions allude to the experience of Moses on Mount Sinai, who did not eat or drink while receiving the Torah and while receiving forgiveness for the people's sins. Similarly, the prohibitions have been interpreted as a return to the purity of the biblical Garden of Eden. Upon leaving Eden shoes became necessary for the first time ("thorns and thistles will grow in your way...the snake will raise its head (to bite you) and you will give your heel (to crush it)" ); thus on Yom Kippur Jews do not wear (leather) shoes. While in Eden food and drink were easily obtained, but after

3233-405: The rabbis counted no fewer than five immersions over the course of the day's service. Among modern-day Jews, too, there is a custom of immersion before Yom Kippur (though not on Yom Kippur itself, as bathing is forbidden in normal circumstances). When the scapegoat was selected on Yom Kippur to symbolically carry the people's sins to the desert, a crimson cord was tied around its horns. While

3294-477: The related holiday of Rosh Hashanah , Yom Kippur is one of the two components of the High Holy Days of Judaism. It is also the last of the Ten Days of Repentance . The formal Hebrew name of the holiday is Yom HaKippurim , 'day [of] the atonements'. This name is used in the Bible, Mishnah , and Shulchan Aruch . The word kippurim 'atonement' is one of many Biblical Hebrew words which, while using

3355-539: The ritual nightly recitation of the Shema , and during the morning ritual of putting on tefillin . Another beloved piyyuṭ is Yigdal ("May God be Hallowed"), which is based upon the Thirteen Principles of Faith set forth by Maimonides . Important scholars of piyyuṭ today include Shulamit Elizur and Joseph Yahalom , both at Hebrew University. The author of a piyyuṭ is known as a payṭān or payetan ( פיטן );

3416-565: The second set of tablets was Yom Kippur. On this day Moses announced to the people that they had been forgiven; as a result the Torah fixed this date as a permanent holiday of forgiveness. The new covenant, which God announced by proclaiming the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to Moses, is textually similar to the covenant of the Ten Commandments except that God's nature is described as merciful and forgiving, rather than zealous. When

3477-577: The task of repentance. Piyyut A piyyuṭ (plural piyyuṭim , Hebrew : פִּיּוּטִים / פיוטים, פִּיּוּט / פיוט pronounced [piˈjut, pijuˈtim] ; from Koinē Greek : ποιητής , romanized:  poiētḗs , lit.   'poet') is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services . Most piyyuṭim are in Mishnaic Hebrew or Jewish Palestinian Aramaic , and most follow some poetic scheme, such as an acrostic following

3538-406: The twelfth century, wrote that the Persians prohibited Jews from holding prayer services. "When the Jews saw that the Persians persisted in obstructing their prayer, they invented invocations into which they admixed passages from their prayers (the piyyuṭ) … and set numerous tunes to them". They would assemble to read and chant the piyyuṭim at prayer time. The difference between that and prayer is that

3599-674: Was also unique as a time of closeness to God in the Yom Kippur Temple service . Yom Kippur was the only occasion on which the High Priest of Israel was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies , the innermost chamber of the Temple in Jerusalem , where God's presence was said to dwell. On Yom Kippur the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies several times, first to create a cloud of incense smoke in which (the Bible promises) God would reveal Himself without being seen, and later to offer sacrifices of atonement. While

3660-573: Was the revelation of God's presence to the people; similarly, the Yom Kippur service was a unique opportunity for the people's representative to obtain closeness with God. A midrash compares the Yom Kippur prayers to a verse from the Song of Songs , describing a woman who rises from bed at night to begin a romantic encounter with her lover. With each Yom Kippur prayer, it is implied, Jews approach closer to God: "I rose up to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh , my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon

3721-419: Was to any use of piyyuṭim at all or only to their intruding into the heart of the statutory prayers. For these reasons, scholars classifying the liturgies of later periods usually hold that, the more a given liturgy uses piyyuṭim, the more likely it is to reflect Palestinian as opposed to Babylonian (Mesopotamian) influence. The Sephardic liturgical framers took the Geonic strictures seriously. For this reason

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