Yom Kippur

• Yom Kippur


  The Day of Atonement
• Atonement


  Repairing relationships, particularly with God
• Yom Kippur


  1. Marks the end of 10 days of repentance from Rosh Hashanah

  2. Day of fasting and prayer

  3. God makes final judgments on people's worthiness
• Yom Kippur


  • Jews focus on asking God for forgiveness and repairing their relationship with Him
  • Jews fast for 25 hours, abstaining from food, drink, makeup, perfume, and sexual intercourse
  • Jews donate food and money to the poor
• Isaiah: 'This is the fast I declare: Share your bread with the hungry'
• True fasting


  Not just giving up things, but also helping others
• Yom Kippur celebration at synagogue

  1. Prayers and songs

  2. Jews wear white to show purity

  3. Confession of sins (Vidui)

  4. Recitation of the Shema prayer
• Shema prayer


  • Belief in one God, following the mitzvot, showing love of God, teaching children
• Stories told during Yom Kippur

  • The story of Jonah
  • The scapegoat ceremony from Leviticus
• Shofar


  A ram's horn blown in the synagogue, a wake-up call to repent and live a good life
• Leviticus: 'On this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, then before the Lord you'll be clean from all your sins'
• Salvation comes from the Lord, as shown in the book of Jonah
• Humans fall short of God and need to repent and live good lives, just like the prophet Jonah
• Covenant


  A promise or an agreement between two parties
• Covenants


  • Covenant with Noah
  • Covenant with Abraham
  • Covenant with Moses
• Covenant with Abraham


  • God promises Abraham a new land
  • God promises Abraham many descendants
  • God promises Abraham a son (Isaac)
  • God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son
• Covenant with Moses


  • God speaks to Moses through a burning bush
  • Moses frees the Jews from slavery in Egypt
  • Moses parts the Red Sea
  • Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai
• Monotheism


  Belief in one God
• Abraham is seen as the father of monotheism
• Covenant with Abraham


  • God promises Abraham the Promised Land
  • God establishes the rite of circumcision
• Covenant with Moses


  • God reveals the Torah to Moses
  • Moses passes the Torah onto the Jewish people
  • Moses is seen as the father of all prophets
• Ten Commandments


  • Teach Jews how to worship God
  • Teach Jews how to treat others
• Jews remember the Exodus from Egypt


  Through the festival of Passover
• Jews remember the Ten Commandments

  • Through the daily prayer of the Shema
  • By keeping the Sabbath holy every week
  • Through their respect for the sanctity of life
• Covenant with Abraham


  Established the initial monotheism and Jewish identity
• Covenant with Moses


  Provided the basic laws for Jews to follow, including the Ten Commandments, which impact their daily lives
• It is up to the student to evaluate which covenant (Abraham's or Moses') appears more significant