What is the history behind Yom Kippur?

Question

How did it start, why is it the highest jewish holiday, what do you do, what do you eat, ect.

Answer 1

Yom Kippur was started after the Jews sinned in the desert. Moses went to G-d to beg forgiveness. This forgiveness and the giving of the second set of the Ten Commandments took place on YK.

It is the highest Holiday because it is all about repenting and returning to G-d. We spend an entire day immersed in spirituality and fixing our relationship with G-d.

We block out the world and all connection to physicality, even resting from eating and drinking in order to concentrate on fixing our relationship with G-d.

If you had a fight with someone, you would meet them for coffee and sit down to work out the causes of the rift in your relationship. You would give your undivided attention. You would turn off your cell phone and work with the person. So too, on YK, we close out all physicality and all distractions - even eating- and concentrate on coming close to G-d.

Answer 2

Yom Kippur began as a national day of atonement when the high priest would perform certain rituals for the sins of the people to be forgiven. Yom Kippur has become a personal day of atonement now that the Temple no longer stands. The ancient ritual still does exist in the sounding/ blowing of the shofar (ram's horn). Besides the sacrifice of two rams, the high priest also would choose two goats, one of which was pushed over a cliff as a "kapara" for the sins of the people, while the other was to be sacrificed on the altar. The people fast, and a special prayer is said at the start of the fast on the eve before Yom Kippur known as "Kol Nedre" meaning that all the vows that were made but failed to be kept are to be voided. The people in synagogue also make cofessions of sins that they've made or might have made during the previous year. In short, it is a very solemn day. Used as a verb, the word "l'khaper" means "to atone".or "to make expiation for sins".

Answer 3

What do you eat? - NOTHING, it is a day of fasting, technically a 25 hour fast but some would go 25 as a safety measure for not eating too early, also no washing, no sex and other human desires are often chosen by followers.



As far as I'm aware this is the day that our God chooses to atone our sins - we must show him that we follow His word (man cannot live on bread alone but on every word of our God).



I only know what I've learned on this site really but I hope that helps :)

Answer 4

Its the sabbath of sabbaths, being the day of atonement. We fast, attend synagogue, and recall our sins on this day. Some people make a list of sins and read it over, regretting what they have done, so that they're not as likely to repeat in the coming year. Think of it as a big practice in mindfulness

Answer 5

the Torah commands us to fast this day

most Jews also go to synagogue, but some just fast



this is the day we ask God to forgive our sins

In the past, our ancestors transferred our sins to a goat who was then pushed of a cliff, as well as a few other sacrifices, but this is no longer done. These days we just fast and many go to synagogue