Activities Prohibited Throughout the Day
Yom Kippur is characterized by the exalted level of sanctity that we experience throughout this special twenty-six-hour period. In order to reach this exalted spiritual plane, we must disregard our physical needs and material concerns.
On Yom Kippur, the Torah places a taboo on anything involved with our ordinary daily functioning, in order to allow us to liberate ourselves from the physical limitations that usually bind us. This enables us to elevate ourselves to a state in which the body does not play a role at all. We become, quite literally, like angels.
There are five principal forbidden activities on Yom Kippur, known as the “afflictions” of Yom Kippur, that apply equally to men and to women:
- Eating: It is forbidden to eat or drink even a tiny quantity on Yom Kippur. It is also prohibited to brush one’s teeth or rinse out one’s mouth.
Anyone who suffers from a medical condition in which there is the slightest concern that the fast may be harmful to their health should solicit the professional opinion of a doctor and then confer with a rabbi to determine whether it is permissible for them to fast or how they should eat or take medicine.
- Washing: It is forbidden to shower or to wash any part of the body, even a single finger, in either hot water or cold water.
- Anointing: It is forbidden to anoint the body, or any part of it, with oil or any other such substance.
- Wearing leather shoes: It is forbidden to wear any shoe made of leather, even if only part of the shoe is made of leather.
- Marital relations: It is forbidden to engage in marital relations. The other laws pertaining to the period when a woman is a niddah should also be observed.
The prohibition of washing applies to washing for pleasure. If a part of the body has become soiled, one may wash the soiled area only.
When anointing is necessary for medical reasons, the situation should be presented to a rabbi, who will decide whether it can be permitted.
It is permissible to wear rubber or canvas shoes, Crocs, and the like.
The Prohibition of Engaging in Forbidden
Labors
In addition to these five “afflictions,” any activity that is prohibited on Shabbat is also prohibited on Yom Kippur. Even activities that are generally permissible on a holiday – such as cooking, frying, and the like, activities that are necessary for the preparation of food – are forbidden on Yom Kippur, which is known as “the Sabbath of Sabbaths.”
Children on the Fast Day
Boys thirteen years of age and older, and girls who are twelve years of age and older, are fully obligated in all of the Torah’s commandments and are required to fast the entire day of Yom Kippur.
Twelve-year-old boys and eleven-year-old girls should also try to fast, in order for their bodies to become accustomed to fasting.
Children under this age are permitted to fast only for a few hours.
- Older children who do not yet observe the entire fast should take food for themselves wherever possible, without their parents having to serve them.
Pikuach Nefesh—A Life-Threatening Situation
A situation in which a person’s life may be endangered is known in Jewish law as pikuach nefesh. A danger to a person’s life warrants the violation of the laws of Yom Kippur itself, and if fasting on Yom Kippur may be life-threatening, then it would in fact be prohibited for a person to fast.
Our Sages derived this principle from a Biblical verse: “You shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live through them.” The Torah and its precepts were given for us to “live” through them, not to die in their observance, Heaven forbid.
The Prayers of the Night of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is by nature a day of prayer. While we refrain from food and drink, all that we have left to do is to spend our time praying and forming a proper connection with our Creator.
Many portions of the prayer services of Yom Kippur should be familiar to us from our daily prayers. The special text of the prayers of this day appears in the machzor. In this work, we will give a brief overview of the most important special passages of the Yom Kippur prayers.
- Before the Maariv service, it is customary to recite Psalms 115 through 123, as part of the recitation of the entire Book of Psalms that began on Rosh Chodesh Elul. We conclude the Book of Psalms after the Neilah service.
- Before the Kol Nidrei service, every individual recites the text of the Viduy of Al Cheit that appears in the machzor.
Kol Nidrei
Kol Nidrei is a special prayer recited before the Maariv service of the night of Yom Kippur. It consists of an annulment of any vows or oaths that were taken during the year but were not fulfilled, along with the resolve not to make any further oaths in the future that we will be unable to keep.
As we mentioned in our discussion of the annulment of vows before Rosh Hashanah, Judaism takes the human power of speech very seriously.
The Kol Nidrei prayer is recited in Aramaic, the language commonly spoken by Jews during the period when this prayer was composed.
A Literal Translation of Kol Nidrei
Any vows, prohibitions, oaths, consecrations, konamot, kenasot, and kinuyim [various types of vows] that we will vow, swear, consecrate, or make prohibited on our souls and on ourselves, from this Yom Kippur until next Yom Kippur— we regret them all. Let them all be permitted, forgiven, null and void, neither confirmed nor upheld. Our vows are not vows, our prohibitions are not prohibitions, and our oaths are not oaths.
Whether because of the fact that it is recited at the beginning of Yom Kippur or because of the chilling tune in which it is recited, the Kol Nidrei prayer is considered one of the most unique and well-known components of the Jewish liturgy.
“To Pray with the Sinners”
Before the beginning of Kol Nidrei, the chazzan recites the opening statement of Yom Kippur: “With the permission of the Omnipresent and with the permission of the congregation, in the assembly Above and the assembly below, we permit praying with the sinners.”
This interesting statement indicates that on Yom Kippur, every Jew is considered a part of the Jewish community at large, even Jews who have committed sins against G-d or against other Jews. They are all Jews, and they are all permitted to join the prayer service on this holy day.
Another reason for this part of the prayer service has to do with the period of the Spanish Inquisition, when the Christians forced many Jews to convert to Christianity or be burned at the stake. Many Jews were compelled to succumb externally to conversion to the Christian faith, but they continued clandestinely observing the Torah and its commandments. In order to avoid being captured and leading the authorities to their comrades as well, these Jews refrained from contact with other Jews.
On Erev Yom Kippur, however, despite the grave danger involved, all of the Jews gathered together in hidden cellars in order to greet the sacred day together and to beseech G-d for mercy for the fact that they spent the entire year acting like sinners.
This brief statement thus serves as a reminder of those days full of Jewish perseverance, when Jews clung to their religion despite severe oppression and behind closed doors. It is distinctly possible that many of us—those of Spanish, Italian, French, German, or even Eastern European descent— are descendants of those “Anusim” on account of whom we begin the prayers of Yom Kippur night with this declaration.
The Kol Nidrei Service
- The gabbai stands at the bimah in the center of the synagogue and auctions off the privilege of holding the Torah scrolls during Kol Nidrei. It is a great mitzvah to purchase the right to hold the first Torah scroll.
- The Ark is opened, and three Torah scrolls are removed and given to the three men who purchased the right to hold them.
- Two of the men stand on either side of the chazzan while holding the Torah scrolls; the third man stands beside them.
- The entire congregation recites together Psalm 97, “G-d has reigned; the earth will rejoice.”
- The chazzan begins the prayers by calling out the verses, “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright of heart,” and “Rejoice, righteous ones, in G-d, and give thanks to the memory of His sanctity.”
- The chazzan says quietly, albeit loudly enough that the two bearers of the Torah scrolls standing nearest to him can hear him clearly, “With the permission of the Omnipresent…we permit praying with the sinners.”
- The chazzan then begins reciting Kol Nidrei in the traditional chant. He recites the passage three times, while the entire congregation recites it quietly along with him.
- After Kol Nidrei, the chazzan and the congregation, who are now serving as judges, recite three times the words, “The entire congregation of the Children of Israel and the foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, for it was an inadvertent sin for the entire nation.”
- The chazzan then recites the line beginning with, “Please forgive the sin of this nation,” concluding with the words, “and there it says,” and the congregation recites three times, “G-d said, ’I have forgiven because of your words.’”
- The chazzan then recites the blessing of shehecheyanu, and the entire congregation recites it along with him. An individual should conclude the blessing slightly before the chazzan does, in order to be able to respond “Amen” to his blessing.
- Women should not recite the blessing of shehecheyanu at this point, since they have already recited it at candle lighting.
- The Torah scrolls are returned to the Ark, and the Maariv service begins.
The Maariv Service
Maariv begins in the usual fashion, with “A song of ascents” and Barchu, followed by the Shema and its blessings.
When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, the prayers begin with “A song for David,” Lecha Dodi, and the other passages usually recited on Shabbat
- After the first verse of the Shema, the words “Blessed is the name of the glory of His Kingship for all eternity” are recited aloud (even though they are recited softly throughout the year). This declaration of praise is considered unique to the angels, but on Yom Kippur, the Jewish people achieve the lofty status of angels.
- The Viduy should be recited with the posture slightly bent.
- While mentioning each of the sins in the text of the Viduy, one should feel remorse for them and resolve inwardly not to repeat them in the future.
- It is customary to strike the chest above the heart with a fist each time the words “for the sin that we have sinned” are recited.
- “Yaaleh Tachuneinu…V’yavo Shavateinu—May our supplication rise…and may our cries come…” This passage follows a reverse alphabetical order, beginning with the letter tav and proceeding through the Hebrew alphabet in reverse until the letter aleph. It describes how we “offer up” our supplications and entreaties from the night of Yom Kippur, through its morning, and until its conclusion the following night.
- “Ki hinei kachomer…For behold, like clay”: This is one of the most famous passages recited on the night of Yom Kippur, in which man is compared to clay in the hands of a potter, to a stone in the hands of a stonecutter, to an anchor in the hands of a sailor, and to silver in the hands of a silversmith. All of these similes are cited to illustrate the same point: that we are utterly dependent on G-d, and we beseech Him to remember the covenant that He formed with our patriarch Abraham and not to pay attention to our Evil Inclination, which constantly seeks to cause our downfall.
- It is customary to wish one’s friends and acquaintances “gemar chatimah tovah,” literally “a good final sealing [of the decree].”
- After the prayers, it is customary to recite the first four chapters of the Book of Psalms.
- Since a day filled with prayers awaits us, it is advisable to go to sleep on time in order to be able to concentrate on the prayer services and not to doze off during them, Heaven forbid.
- We don the tallit in the morning and remain wearing it until the night.
- “You are G-d, in Heaven and on earth…Who dwells in the heavens, Who suspends the earth on nothingness”: This lyrical passage follows an alphabetical acrostic and speaks about the greatness of G-d.
- “Say to G-d…the deeds of our G-d…”: This lengthy lyrical passage also follows an alphabetical acrostic and describes G-d’s power and sovereignty over all of Creation.
- “To the G-d Who arranges judgment, to the G-d Who tests hearts on the day of judgment…to He Who protects those who love Him in judgment, to He Who supports His wholesome ones on the day of judgment”: This passage describes G-d’s actions over the course of the Day of Judgment, as He remembers the deeds of the Jewish people and grants them forgiveness for their sins. This passage, as well, follows an alphabetical acrostic.
- At the conclusion of Yizkor, all of the congregants return to the synagogue to continue the prayer services.
- “Say to G-d…the deeds of our G-d”: This lengthy lyrical passage follows an alphabetical acrostic and deals with G-d’s power and sovereignty over all of Creation.
- “That Your fear…and You desired praise”: This passage follows an alphabetical acrostic and speaks about the seeming contradiction in the fact that G-d, with all of His incredible greatness, has decided that He desires praise specifically from lowly flesh-and-blood creations such as ourselves, who are so far removed from the Divine truth.
- “Unetaneh Tokef,” the famous passage we have described at length in our discussion of the prayers of Rosh Hashanah.
- “And all believe that He is a G-d of faith”: A passage following an alphabetical acrostic, which speaks of G-d as omnipotent, righteous, upright, and a righteous judge.
- Since it is forbidden to prostrate oneself directly on the floor, a towel or other item should be spread on the floor.
- One should kneel on one’s knees when reciting the word “kneel,” then lean forward at the words “and bow down.” The face should be resting on the towel, with the body supported by both hands.
- After Mussaf, the passages of “Hope to G-d” and Aleinu are not recited. They will be recited instead later in the day, after Neilah.
- We recite Psalm 20, followed by the chapters of Psalms for that day (Psalms 55 through 59), and then Psalms 133 through 141 and the Six Remembrances.
- Purchasing the aliyah of Maftir and the reading of the Book of Jonah is considered to be auspicious for the acquisition of wealth.
- The Neilah service should begin before sunset.
- During this Shemoneh Esrei, the speci
A special Shemoneh Esrei is recited for Yom Kippur. During this prayer, like the other prayers of Yom Kippur, we recite various verses from throughout the Bible that describe the greatness of G-d and His Kingship over the world, along with verses that speak about the forgiveness He bestows on His nation for their sins.
Viduy – Confession
Immediately before the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei, we insert a special Viduy that includes the prayer of Ashamnu, along with the passage of Al Cheit. We confess for our sins and beg G-d to grant us atonement for them and to accept our repentance.
When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, the standard passages of Vayechulu and the Seven-Faceted Blessing should be inserted at this point.
The Shemoneh Esrei is followed by a number of passages that will certainly be familiar from the Selichot services, as well as a few additional refrains and other passages that are recited only on Yom Kippur. The common denominator of all these passages is that they consist of pleas directed to G-d, the King of kings and the Creator of the universe, for forgiveness.
The following is a brief overview of some portions of this section of the prayer service:
The Conclusion of the Prayer Services
At the conclusion of Al Cheit and the final passages of Selichot, the Ark is opened and the congregation recites the prayer Avinu Malkeinu together.
When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Avinu Malkeinu is omitted.
The Ark is closed, and the congregation recites Psalm 24—“For David a song, the earth and its fullness are G-d’s”— together. The chazzan recites the concluding verses aloud.
When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Psalm 23 is recited here.
The prayer service then concludes with Aleinu and Al Tira.
Before Going to Sleep
The bedtime Shema is recited as on any Shabbat or festival day, followed by nine chapters of Psalms (Psalms 124 through 132).
The Morning of Yom Kippur
The requirement of Netilat Yadayim, the ritual morning hand washing, applies on Yom Kippur as on any other day. On Yom Kippur, however, the water should be poured only on the fingers, up to the palms, even though it is poured on the entire hand on every other day of the year.
After the hands have been dried with a towel, one may rub one’s eyes with them in order to remove the discharge that accumulates there during the night.
As part of the afflictions of Yom Kippur, it is forbidden to brush one’s teeth or rinse out one’s mouth on this morning.
In the Morning Blessings, the blessing of “Who has provided me with all of my needs” is omitted, since it refers specifically to shoes, and it is forbidden to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur.
The Shacharit Service
The Shacharit service is similar to that recited on every Shabbat. It begins with Korbanot, followed by Hodu and Pesukei Dezimrah. Psalm 130 is recited before Barchu, and we then move on to the Shema and its blessings. The unique services of Yom Kippur, which can be found in the machzor, begin only with the Shemoneh Esrei.
The Shemoneh Esrei recited at Shacharit is identical to that of Maariv of the night before. It is followed by the chazzan’s repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, which contains numerous additions.
The chazzan’s repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei of Shacharit is heavily expanded, with many additional lyrical passages and prayers. Some of these prayers are recited while standing and others are recited while seated; some are recited with the Ark open, while others are recited while it is closed. The machzor delineates the exact customs with regard to all of these details.
Pivotal Passages in the Chazzan’s Repetition of Shacharit
Toward the end of the chazzan’s repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, the entire congregation recites in unison the passages of the Al Cheit, and then the Ark is opened and Avinu Malkeinu is recited.
The Song of the Day is then recited, in accordance with whichever day of the week it is, and then the Torah reading begins.
The Torah Reading
The Ark is opened, and two Torah scrolls are removed. During the opening of the Ark, as usual, the verses “You have shown…” and “When the Ark traveled…” are recited. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are also recited three times, along with a special prayer beginning with the words, “Master of the Universe, fulfill my requests for the best.”
Six honorees are called up as the first Torah scroll is read. The Torah portion read from this scroll is the section that deals with the sacrificial service performed by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) in the Holy Temple on Yom Kippur. It is found in the Torah portion of Acharei Mot, in the Book of Leviticus.
The second scroll is used for the reading of the Maftir, for which one honoree is called up. The Maftir reading deals with the sacrificial offerings of Yom Kippur and is found in the Torah portion of Pinchas in the Book of Numbers.
After Hagbahah has been performed with the second Torah scroll, the Maftir recites the blessings of the Haftarah and reads the Haftarah. The Haftarah for Yom Kippur is a portion of the Book of Isaiah, which deals with fast days and is appropriate for the atmosphere of this sacred day.
After the Haftarah, the person who was honored with Maftir recites the blessings over the Haftarah and adds a special blessing, “For the Torah and for the service,” which is unique to Yom Kippur and mentions it as “this Day of Atonement.”
When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Yekum Purkan and Mi Shebeirach are recited at this point.
Yizkor
After the Torah reading, a special prayer is recited in memory of the souls of departed relatives who have passed on. The prayer is known as Yizkor, since its opening words are “Yizkor Elokim—May G-d remember.” Any person whose parents are both still alive should leave the synagogue during this service. Only people who have lost one or both parents remain inside.
This prayer beseeches G-d to “remember” the souls of the departed and to allow their souls to enter the Garden of Eden. The petitioner pledges to donate money to charity in order to bring merit to their souls.
In the liturgy, Yom Kippur is known as Yom Hakippurim, literally “the day of atonements.” This plural form indicates that it atones for both the living and the dead.
The Mussaf Service
We recite Ashrei and then move on to the Mussaf service.
The chazzan prefaces the Mussaf service with a special prayer beginning with the words, “Behold, I am impoverished of deeds,” in which he beseeches G-d to bless him success in his role as the congregation’s representative and emissary in their prayers.
Like Shacharit, Mussaf is filled with selections from the Bible describing G-d as exalted and as the King of the world, along with other quotes that describe Him as forgiving the sins of His nation.
Central Passages in the Chazzan’s Repetition of Mussaf
Before we move on to a lengthy description of the sacrificial service in the Temple on Yom Kippur, we open the Ark and recite Aleinu together.
The Order of the Sacrificial Service
When the Temple still stood, Yom Kippur was the most significant day of the year, in terms of the sacrificial service performed on that day. The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) was responsible for all of the special rites of Yom Kippur, and he performed them personally. The machzor contains a lengthy, detailed description of the rituals performed in the Temple.
During the course of this recitation, we kneel and bow several times, in the passages that describe how the priests in the Temple would bow while the Kohen Gadol was performing his service.
At these points in the service, we follow the same procedure that was used during Aleinu. A towel or similar item should be spread out on the floor, and we bend forward and then bow while reciting the words, “would kneel and bow and fall on their faces.”
We go on to describe the conclusion of the Kohen Gadol’s service in the Temple and his safe return home: “And so, how glorious was the Kohen Gadol when he left the Sanctuary safely.”
We then discuss at length the fact that the Temple today lies in ruins, and because of our sins, we can no longer witness the Kohen Gadol’s performance of the rituals of Yom Kippur in the Temple.
The Ten Martyrs
As part of our description of the anguish we suffer from being in exile, we recite a passage known as “Eleh ezkerah— These I will remember,” that describes the cruel execution of ten of the world’s greatest righteous men and sages during the period of Roman sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
The Blessing of the Kohanim
The Mussaf service concludes with the Blessing of the Kohanim.
On Yom Kippur, as on Rosh Hashanah, we recite a special prayer for our dreams to have positive meanings. This prayer begins with the words “Master of the universe,” and is recited by the congregation while the Kohanim sing a tune at the very end of their priestly blessing.
The Conclusion of the Prayer Service
After the blessing for peace, the final blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei, the Ark is opened and the chazzan recites aloud the passage, “Strengthen us today, bless us today… accept our prayers willingly and mercifully today.” The congregation responds “Amen” after each line and then recites the line that follows it. It is customary to sing these lines to a joyous tune, as a sign of our own joy and confidence that G-d has heard our prayers.
In many synagogues, there is a brief recess after Mussaf before the Minchah service begins. The duration of this break depends on the various times that were set by the gabbaim for the prayer services to begin.
The Minchah Service
Minchah begins with the recitation of Korbanot, and we then begin the Torah reading of Minchah immediately, without reciting Ashrei and Uva Letzion.
A Torah scroll is removed from the Ark, and three honorees are called up to the Torah. The Torah reading for Yom Kippur afternoon is a passage from the Torah portion of Acharei Mot in the Book of Leviticus that discusses the prohibition of marrying various close relatives.
The Haftarah is the entire Book of Jonah, which speaks about the imperative of repentance and illustrates the fact that every person has the ability to repent of his sins, even if a punitive decree has already been issued against him, as was the case with the people of Ninveh.
A Brief Summary of the Book of Jonah
The prophet Jonah, the son of Amitai, is commanded by G-d to go to the city of Ninveh and announce that the city is doomed to be destroyed because of the corruption of its inhabitants. Jonah tries to “run away” from G-d so that he will not have to deliver this bitter prophecy to the people of Ninveh.
Jonah boards a ship traveling far away, but a fierce storm erupts at sea and the boat seems about to break apart. The sailors throw overboard every heavy item on the ship, but to no avail. They then cast lots to determine on whose account the storm has erupted, and the lots indicate that it is because of Jonah.
Jonah tells them that he knows that the storm is occurring on his account. He suggests that they throw him into the sea, and then the storm will abate. Feeling that they have no choice, they pray to G-d and attempt to excuse themselves for what they are about to do, stating, “For You, G-d, as You wish, You have done.”
Jonah is cast overboard, and an immense fish swallows him alive. Jonah is inside the fish’s stomach for three days and three nights. While he is there, he prays to G-d with great fervor, expressing his gratitude to G-d and begging for forgiveness.
G-d accepts Jonah’s prayer and commands the fish to “spit” him out on dry land. G-d then commands Jonah to complete his mission and tell the people of Ninveh that their city will be destroyed in forty days. Indeed, Jonah listens to G-d this time; he enters the city and announces his prophecy to all of its residents.
The people of the city, with the king of Ninveh at their head, are moved to repent. They declare a fast day, renounce their evil ways, and renew their relationship with G-d. When G-d sees their actions and their sincere repentance, He “regrets” the evil that He was going to cause to befall them, and He refrains from destroying the city.
When Jonah learns that the sins of Ninveh have been forgiven, he is very upset because his prophecy will now be viewed as a false prophecy, since it was never fulfilled. He travels into the desert and builds a small hut to protect himself from the sun. G-d causes a type of desert shrub called a kikayon to grow in order to provide him with shade, and Jonah is very happy about that.
Before the following morning, G-d dispatches a tiny worm to chew up the kikayon, and when the sun shines, Jonah collapses in a faint due to the intensity of the heat. G-d then addresses him: “You had mercy on the kikayon, which you did not toil over and you did not raise… Should I not have mercy on Ninveh, the large city, which has many [more] than one hundred twenty thousand people … and many animals?”
The Conclusion of the Prayer Service
We then move on to the Shemoneh Esrei and the chazzan’s repetition thereof. Minchah concludes with the recitation of Avinu Malkeinu, followed by Psalm 27.
The Neilah Service
The Neilah Service
The final prayer service of Yom Kippur is the Neilah service. Yom Kippur is the only day on the Jewish calendar on which we recite five prayer services.
The word Neilah, which literally means “locking,” represents the fact that during the era of the Holy Temple, the gates of the Temple would be locked at this time and the ritual service of Yom Kippur would conclude.
Those gates are symbolic of the gates of heaven, which are also on the verge of being “locked” at the end of this sacred day, as G-d “seals” the decree that was issued on Rosh Hashanah. At Neilah, we muster up the last dregs of our strength to pray, and we “assemble” at the “gates of mercy” with the plea, “Open the gate for us at the time of the locking of the gate!” We thus beg G-d to seal us in the Book of Life.
The Procedure for Neilah
The Ark is opened at the beginning of the Neilah service and is left open until its conclusion.
The prayer service begins with Ashrei and Uva Letzion, followed by the Shemoneh Esrei.
