What Is Yom Kippur

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Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, as is said in the Torah

“Because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.”

On Beit Chabad’s Kippur website, you will learn the holy day’s rules and customs as well as everything you need to know about the holy day.

In addition, you can observe the kapparot mitzvah with Beit Chabad.

The donation is secured via credit card or paypal

The payment is made to the Beit Chabad Foundation, Sderot, under Tzeirei Agudat Chabad Bn No. 580134229

Table of Contents:

The meaning of Yom Kippur

As a result of God’s love for the people of Israel, He gave them a special day of the year to atone for their sins.

As it says in verse: “Because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.”

Yom Kippur atones for the sins and transgressions, as the  state in the Talmud – “the day’s power leads to atonement”.

It is important to know! The atonement is only for transgressions between man and God.

Regarding transgressions between man and his fellow man, Yom Kippur does not atone for these until the man’s friend is appeased.

That is why it is a mitzvah to ask for forgiveness from any man we believe we may have offended during the year.

Read more: Asking for forgiveness before Yom Kippur.

Teshuvah (repentance)

The days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are called the ten days of Teshuvah, and they uniquely allow a return to G-d. Read more about the mitzvah of Teshuvah.

Yom Kippur – Atoning for the sin of the golden calf

Yom Kippur is the day when God forgave the Israelites for the sin of the golden calf.

It is told that Moshe Rabeinu spent 40 days on the mountain, starting from the the start of the Hebrew month of Elul until the 10th of Tishrei, which is the Hebrew date of Yom Kippur.

. On this day he descended from the mountain with the second tablets that G-d had given him.

On that day, G-d forgave the sin of the golden calf..

The atonement (Kapparot) mitzvah

It is a mitzvah to perform the atonement custom on Yom Kippur.
The ceremony contains a prayer in which we ask God to grant us a long and peaceful life, along with giving charity.
The mitzvah can be performed using a live chicken, a fish or alternatively, atonement can be done using money, also called kapparot.
Read more about the mitzvah of kapparot.

What to do before Yom Kippur

There are many laws and customs on the 9th of Tishrei as preparation for Yom Kippur, read more at: The customs of Yom Kippur eve

What is done on Yom Kippur

The mitzvahs of Yom Kippur are divided in two, and we will detail:

  1. Mitzvahs that are relevant for all holy days called “Mikra’ei Kodesh”.
  2. Mitzvahs that are unique to Yom Kippur.

Mitzvahs in Yom Kippur that also exist on other holy days

  1. To sanctify and honor the day by means of wearing appropriate clothing..
  2. To rest on Yom Kippur from any work that is forbidden on the Sabbath.

Mitzvahs that are unique to Yom Kippur

  1. To repent and confess one’s sins.
  2. to afflict oneself as is said in the Torah “and ye shall afflict your souls”, the commandment to afflict oneself includes the following restrictions:

 Read more about the prohibitions of Yom Kippur

Why do we fast on Yom Kippur?

White clothing

It is a custom of Israel to wear white clothes, and many communities of Israel wear a garment called a “white kittel”.

See more about why we wear why clothing on Yom Kippur.

The prayers of Yom Kippur

We spend most of Yom Kippur praying. it is the only day of the year in which we say 5 prayers: Arvit, Shacharit, Mussaf, Mincha and Neilah.

See a review of the holy day’s prayers

End of the Kippur fast

Upon the end of the fast, we say the Arvit, Havdalah and Kiddush Levanah prayers.

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We wish favorable judgment in the book of life to you and all the people of Israel

A good and sweet year of health and happiness and success in all things.

Beit Chabad. Wholeheartedly – to everyone.

Yom Kippur 2023

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Kapparot with Chabad 2024

A donation to needy families the residents of Israel living in the line of fire!

Kapparot online

Kapparot with Chabad 2024

A donation to needy families the residents of Israel living in the line of fire!