Day 40 – Final Atonement and the Hope of Restoration
We arrive at the goal of the forty days: Yom Kippur, the Day of Covering. In the ancient Temple the high priest entered the Holy…
Day 39 – After the Fast: Newness of Life and New Creation
Yom Kippur ends with the final shofar blast and the break-fast meal. Tradition encourages beginning the construction of the sukkah immediately, moving without delay from…
Day 38 – Ne‘ilah: The Closing of the Gates
Ne‘ilah is the closing service of Yom Kippur. The imagery is of the gates of heaven closing as the day ends. The ark is opened,…
Day 37 – Kippur: Covering and Atonement
The Hebrew root of Yom Kippur means “to cover.” On this day the blood of the sin offerings is brought into the Holy of Holies…
Day 36 – The Scapegoat and the Sin-Bearer
The goat designated for Azazel is a powerful enacted parable of the removal of sin. After the high priest lays both hands on its head…
Day 35 – Confession: Vidui and Al Chet
Central to the Yom Kippur liturgy is the confession of sin—Vidui. The short alphabetical confession (Ashamnu) and the longer Al Chet list the many ways…
Day 34 – Leviticus 16: The High Priest and the Holy of Holies
Leviticus 16 details the unique service of Yom Kippur. Only on this day does the high priest enter the Holy of Holies, and only with…