What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, is considered one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish faith. It is on Yom Kippur where God mandates each person’s fate, encouraging people to make amends and plead forgiveness for the sins and wrongful actions that were committed over the course of the past year.
Following Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the first Yom Kippur was settled after the Israelites exile from Egypt and arrival to Mount Sinai where Moses was provided with the Ten Commandments, where his people betrayed God by worshiping a golden calf. In desperate attempts, Moses smashed God’s gift and returned to the mountain seeking God’s forgiveness over his people. As a result of their actions, Yom Kippur was born, serving as a day of purification and atonement which marks the end of the 10 Days of Repentance where people were judged by God and their lives were dependent based on their mere actions.
According to Jewish tradition, it is believed that an individual’s behaviour during the time of Yom Kippur can influence the outcome for the year that is to come. As part of their self-reflective process, Israelites abstain from food, drink, any sexual relationships with their partners or from any earthly pleasures (bathing, brushing one’s teeth, wearing luxuries) for 25 hours during the day of Yom Kippur, spending the entirety of the day in deep prayer and meditation seeking for God’s forgiveness and enlightenment. It is believed that God will only forgive sins of those who truly regret their past mistakes and make efforts to improve their character and performance through selflessness and good deeds.
During the Day of Atonement, which lasts from the sundown of the evening before the day of Yom Kippur until nightfall the next day, it is tradition for Jewish people to perform extensive acts of prayer, to not work until the following day as it is considered a time dedicated to prayer, to attend Synagogue, donate to charities, reflect on one’s past actions and to seek and give forgiveness to one’s neighbour.
Yom Kippur encourages self-reflection, personal growth and self-development. By seeking forgiveness, it’s also a period that brings family and friends closer together, rebuilding stronger bonds and connections with those around us as individuals become more aware of whose actions affect others and himself. A time to disconnect from reality and truly focus on one’s surroundings, breaking from indulgences that consume people every day.