Yom Kippur
Day of At-One-ment
What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. Observed on the 10th of Tishrei, it begins before sunset and ends after nightfall the following evening, lasting approximately 25 hours. Through repentance, prayer, and changed behavior, we seek forgiveness and renewal. For wrongs against another person, we must also seek that person’s forgiveness and make amends.
The day is based on the Torah verse that says in part "...on the 10th day of the seventh month it is the day of kippurim unto you...". Kippurim is also defined as "cleansing". According to Jewish tradition, G-d inscribes each person's fate into the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah for the following year, and then "seals" the verdict on Yom Kippur.
According to Jewish tradition, the 10th of Tishrei marks Moses’ return from Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets, following his prayers for forgiveness after the sin of the Golden Calf. For this reason it is considered by many a day of reparation and atonement.
Kabbalistically, Yom Kippur offers a connection to Binah, the sefirah associated with understanding. The imagery of divine Light expresses the possibility of spiritual renewal and closeness to the Creator. Prayer and inner reflection support this work, together with repentance and the repair of our relationships. In this sense, we can approach Yom Kippur as a day of “at-one-ment.”
How Do We Connect?
Pre-Holiday Preparation
In many Ashkenazi communities, the shofar is sounded on weekday mornings during Elul, beginning around Rosh Chodesh and stopping before Rosh Hashanah.
Kaparot - Kaparot is a custom observed by some Jewish communities before Yom Kippur. The ritual uses a chicken or money while prescribed prayers are recited; money used in the ritual is then donated to charity. It offers an occasion for reflection and repentance, rather than a substitute for changing our behavior and making amends.
Honey Cake - Honey-cake is typically eaten on Rosh Hashanah and erev Yom Kippur to connect us to a sweet New Year.
Mikveh - In some Jewish communities, men customarily immerse in a mikveh before Yom Kippur as a preparation for the day.. The same way a convert becomes a "new person" in a mikvah, we too become new people by repenting, removing negativity and forgiving others during this time.
Extra Tzedakah - It is customary to increase tzedakah, or charitable giving, before Yom Kippur. Giving turns our attention toward the needs of others and makes our commitment to change tangible. By giving away money (ideally anonymously) before Yom Kippur, we go against our nature and our connection to the physical. We are then better able to access the spiritual realms and clean our vessel for the upcoming year.
Holiday Connection
Restriction - In order to make spiritual connections in our day-to-day lives, we restrict certain behaviors. On Yom Kippur, we completely restrict and shutdown our relationship to physicality to connect to the Light for the coming year. There are 5 specific prohibitions that help us to make our connection:
(1) no food or drink;
(2) no bathing;
(3) no sexual relations;
(4) no perfumes, lotions and creams; and
(5) no wearing of leather footwear
By eliminating our connection to the physical dimension and using the Yom Kippur prayers we can access the Light of Binah and enjoy the feeling of At One-Ment without physical distraction.
Five Prayer Services - Spiritual Nourishment - Yom Kippur includes five prayer services: Maariv, Shacharit, Musaf, Mincha, and Neilah. In a Kabbalistic reading, these services correspond to five levels of the soul - Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechida - and can be understood as forms of spiritual nourishment. These "meals" help us move from the physical to the spiritual realm. The word "Soul" also appears five times in the Yom Kippur section of the Torah.
G-d's Holiest Name - Kabbalists use the tetragrammaton, the 4-letter name of G-d (YKV and K) to connect to His essence. The 10th day of Tishrei connects us to the letter Yud, the number 10, while the 5 prayers recited on Yom Kippur connect us to the letter Hei, the number 5. Yud and Hei are the first two letters of the four-letter divine name. In the meditation described here, their numerical values - 10 and 5 - connect the date of Yom Kippur with its five prayer services.
Baruch Shem Recited Loud - Throughout Yom Kippur, we recite “Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le’olam Va’ed” aloud when saying the Shema, rather than in the usual undertone. In many communities, it is also repeated three times at the conclusion of Neilah. Kabbalists share that Moses overheard the angels praising G-d with theses words (“Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever") when he visited G-d to receive the Torah. He brought it back to people to use in their daily prayers, but it is only on Yom Kippur when we have prepared ourselves and bathed in the Light of Binah, that we are like the angels and can say it out loud.
Final Shofar Blast - On Rosh Hashanah, we blow the shofar 100 times. We conclude the Yom Kippur Service with one long and final blast which marks G-d's ascension back to the higher realms after communing with us along our path to Binah throughout the holiday. The blast also signifies G-d's acceptance of our prayers, forgiveness of our sins and inscription into the Book of Life. The blast marks the end of the fast and our day of holy restriction.
Practicals Tools for the Holiday
1. Reflect honestly. Identify one behavior you want to change. Ask: “Who did this affect, and what could I do differently?”
2. Make one repair. Before the holiday, offer a specific apology, repay what you owe, or take a concrete step to correct harm. Listen without defending yourself or expecting immediate forgiveness.
3. Commit to one change. During the closing prayer, choose one small action to carry into the year ahead. Decide when you will begin and how you will follow through.
Use these tools and deeper understanding about the holiday to have a powerful Yom Kippur connection!
Resources & Credits
The Holiday Wisdom emails and the ideas presented herein are compiled from the following sources:
Gutnick Edition Chumash with Rashi's commentary, Targum Onkelos, and commentary anthologized from Classic Rabbinic Texts and the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Apples from the Orchard - Gleanings from the Mystical Teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria on the Weekly Torah Portion
Kabbalistic Bible - Kabbalah Centre International, Inc
Chabad.org
LiveKabbalah.org
The Zohar - Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, various translations
Mysteries of the Kabbalah - Marc-Alain Ouaknin
Other online written and video content that discusses and shares Kabbalistic Wisdom