TEN DAYS OF AWE

YOM KIPPUR

DAY OF ATONEMENT

You shall have, on the tenth day of this seventh month, a holy assembly; it is the Day of Atonement, a day of humiliation and you shall humble and abuse yourselves; you shall not do any work in it (Numbers 29:7).

Yom Kippur is a sunset-to-sunset fast day (no water or food), unless, of course, you have an illness that prevents you from fasting. The theme of this day, which this year starts at sunset on Sunday, September 15, is repentance and G-d’s forgiveness. Together, the worshiper and the cantor recite ancient prayers that elicit not only repentance and forgiveness, but words of hope and comfort from the Torah.

The Torah itself states, “And all the community of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who dwells among them, for all the people acted in error (Numbers 15:26).

This day, which is a sacred occasion, calls for deep heartfelt repentance from all, for all have fallen short of the glory of G-d. The community acts together in confession, as equals before G-d. Yet, we all know that this act of confession is not just for the household of Israel, but for all the nations, Jew and non-Jew, are all guilty. All have a need of the One that came to be a Light unto the nations. That is why Yeshua came, that all might have life and more abundantly (John 10:10)

May this year bring an abundance of joy in the Lord to you and your family. May you have and easy and blessed fast.

Rabbi Yaacov Zamstein

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