10 Things to Know About Yom Kippur 

1. A day to forgive

More than 3,300 years ago, after hearing about GOD on Mount Sinai, the children of Israel sinned by making and worshiping an idol, the golden calf. Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, saw what had happened and in anger broke the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments were engraved. Then Moses went up the mountain again and stayed there for 40 days, and then for another 40. On the tenth day of the month of Tishrei he came down, giving the now repentant people two new tablets of the Covenant.
Since then, the day of Moses’ descent from the mountain has been known as Yom Kippur, the day of forgiveness, a solemn occasion on which to ask GOD to forgive us for whatever we have done wrong.

“Acceptance of sin,” “acknowledgement of one’s limitations,” “humiliation before GOD for sins committed,” and in case we don’t remember specific ones, we can always ask for mercy toward those we may have done without realizing it. Just to speak evil or think evil is also sin, it just depends on what degree you are on the Illuminati’s Ladder, as we like to call it here at ASH.

2. A week to prepare

The Kohen Gadol (the High Priest) on this solemn day would separate himself from his family and his community for a week before Yom Kippur, holed up in the “Lishkat Parhedrin,” a special room in the Holy Temple. This process of seclusion was a way for the Kohen Gadol to ensure that he remained ritually pure, not “distracted,” to focus on service and his and the community’s sins. An opportune time for introspection, when he could finish his spiritual preparation to represent the Jewish people on the holiest day, and in the holiest place on earth, the Temple.

3. Blessings before Yom Kippur

There is an ancient custom of blessing one’s children before the beginning of Yom Kippur, and although there is no specific formula, it is customary in Jewish tradition to say:

For a son, “May GOD make you like Ephraim and Menashe.”

For a daughter: “May GOD make you like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah.”

If, on the other hand, one wants to make a blessing for children in general, one can say, “May GOD bless and protect you. ‘May GOD make His face shine on you and be kind to you. ‘ May GOD turn His face toward you and grant you peace.” Taken from the blessings that fathers give to their children on Shabbat.

4. Kol Nidre is just the beginning

The first invocation of Yom Kippur, known as Kol Nidre, is often considered the prayer par excellence. Yet in reality, it is not even a true prayer, but simply a declaration to undo all our vows that we do not intend or cannot fulfill.

5. Five things it is a good principle not to do

It is common knowledge that during Yom Kippur we do not eat or drink, but fasting is only one of five things we should avoid on this holy day. The other four are marital relations, washing, lotions or the use of oils and wearing leather shoes.
Fasting and abstinence from conjugal relations are quite understandable as prohibitions on this day of repentance, while the last three are worth reasoning about together.
Not washing, and not putting lotions or oils symbolizes not wanting to care for the “outward,” but only for the Spirit. Just as one should do in mourning, or when we find ourselves in great sadness and distress.
Being barefoot was in the past one of the first “signs” of suffering, and thus in this case of repentance. In the Torah, shoes often symbolize one’s material essence, his or her physical connection to the ground. In striving for a purer state of spirituality during Yom Kippur, one takes off one’s shoes in a manner similar to Moshe doing so at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5), Yehoshua outside Yericho, the kohanim in the temple, and anyone else ascending Har Habayit (Mishnah Berachot 9:5).

6. Yom Kippur is for every believer

It is a day of unity. Even if you have “forgotten” GOD and His precepts, there is always a place for you among His children. Just as we were at Sinai, “as one people with one heart,” today if repentant before GOD we can be forgiven. Anything is forgiven on Yom Kippur if we are deeply repentant and pledge not to do it again.

7. Five prayers

On any given day for believers who follow Judaism, there are three daily prayers: Maariv (evening prayer), Shacharit (morning prayer) and Minchah (afternoon prayer). During Shabbat and holidays, we add Musaf (additional prayer). Yom Kippur is the only day of the year when we pray Ne’ilah, the closing prayer, which is said as the sun is setting in the west and this special day is drawing to a close.

8. The pronunciation of the Name

There is only one day when it is possible to know from the High Priest the pronunciation of the Name of GOD. YHWH was pronounced once a year, only during the celebration of Yom Kippur, because to claim too much closeness to the Creator, even through the mere pronouncement of His Name, was a sign of pride.
We are told by tradition that there were many who upon hearing the Name fell into ecstasy, or great weeping in the crowd, an energy too great for many to handle.

9. he two goats and the red thread

Two goats were brought to the Temple to be sacrificed. The High Priest would draw lots: one was destined “to the Lord,” and the other, “to Azazel.” The goat dedicated “to the Lord” was offered in sacrifice, while the other the High Priest infused it with the sins of the nation, and then it was taken away, to the deserted hills outside Jerusalem. Destined for death, carrying with her the sins of the people.
Tradition tells us that a scarlet thread was attached to her horns, and half the thread was removed before the animal was driven away. If the ritual was effective, the remaining red thread would then turn white, and this symbolized Israel’s purity.

10. The final burst of joy

The sound of the shofar (the famous horn) at the conclusion of Yom Kippur is the culmination of a day spent fasting and praying for a better New Year. The sound of the shofar is reminiscent of the sound that resounded when the Divine Presence departed from Mount Sinai.