“Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and God, but between man and his neighbor, until they have been reconciled.”
— Mishnah Yomá 8:9
Complete study on Yom Kippur: The Day of Forgiveness
1. The name, meaning and context general
Yom Kippur (יום כיפור) it literally means “Day of Atonement”, or “Day of Forgiveness”. It is the day most solemn of the jewish year and closes the cycle of the High Holidays (Yamim Noraim), which start with Rosh Hashanahthe New Year.
According to the Torah, Yom Kippur is the day in which God granted atonement for the people of Israel for their sins, provided that there is true repentance (teshuvah). It is celebrated on the 10 of the Hebrew month of Tishreiexactly ten days after Rosh Hashanah. In the gregorian calendar usually falls between September and October.
VIDEO IN SPANISH ABOUT YOM KIPPUR 2025
2. Biblical foundation
The first reference appears in Leviticus 16 and Leviticus 23:26-32, where God commands Moses to establish a day of complete atonement:
“It will be for you a day of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls... because on this day atonement shall be made for you, and ye shall be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” (Leviticus 16:29-30)
This mandate was given after the episode of the golden calfwhen Moses interceded for the people, and obtained the divine forgiveness. Since then, Yom Kippur symbolizes the reconciliation between God and his people.
3. Spiritual purpose
Yom Kippur has a double objective:
- The atonement for sins between man and God.
- The purification of the soul and spiritual renewal.
In this day looking for a deep introspection, review the acts of the year and correct the moral compass. Practice full fast and waive the physical pleasures to focus on the spirit.
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4. Practices and rituals main
A. Fasting and abstaining
Yom Kippur begins on the evening of the 9th of Tishrei and lasts approximately 25 hours. During this time observant jews refrain from:
- Eat and drink.
- Bathing or using perfumes.
- To have marital relations.
- Use leather footwear (symbol of material comfort).
B. Prayers and liturgy
The day is marked by five liturgical services in the synagogue:
- Kol Nidrei (dusk above): Solemn opening ceremony. Override votes missed the previous year.
- Shacharit (morning): Morning prayer.
- Musaf: Includes the reading of the service of the Temple in biblical times and the public confession (viduy).
- Minchah (afternoon): Contains the reading of the book of Jonah, a symbol of genuine repentance.
- Ne ila (close): Last chance to ask for forgiveness before the sealing of the divine judgment. It ends with the touch of a shofarthat marks the end of the day and spiritual liberation.
C. The confession (Viduy)
It is recited several times during the day, a collective confession of sins (plural), emphasizing the shared responsibility of the people. Example:
“We have sinned, we have betrayed, we have spoken falsely...”
5. Yom Kippur in the Temple of Jerusalem
At the time of the First and Second Temple, Yom Kippur was the only day of the year in which the High Priest (Cohen Gadol) I walked into the Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim). There he offered the incense and the blood of the sacrifices for himself, for his family and for the whole nation.
The ritual center were two he-goats:
- One offered to God in sacrifice.
- Other, the “scapegoat” (Azazel), on which were loaded symbolically the sins of the people, and then was sent to the desert.
This rite was the overall purification of Israel before God.
“Repentance, prayer and good actions may void the decree severe.”
— Prayer of the Solemn Days
6. Theological symbolism
Yom Kippur express several key principles of biblical thought and rabbinic:
- Teshuvah (repentance): The possibility of change, moral and spiritual.
- Kapará (atonement): The divine act that erases the sin when there is sincere repentance.
- Selijá (forgiveness): The divine mercy that allows you to begin again.
The Talmud teaches that “Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and God, but between man and his fellow until you have reconciled” (Mishnah Yomá 8:9).
“God is not looking for perfection of man, but of his sincerity.”
— Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanos
7. Dimension ethics and community
Forgiveness is not only a religious matter, but also moral and social. Before the fast, jews often ask for forgiveness to those who have offended during the year, seeking to restore human relationships.
The central concept is that God forgives the man as the man forgives others.
8. Interpretation in rabbinic tradition
The scholars of judaism, see Yom Kippur like an annual opportunity for “renew the soul” and recreate the inner world.
The Rambam (Maimonides) he wrote:
“Repentance and Yom Kippur only expiate for the sins between man and God, not between a man and his neighbor until the offended party has been appeased.” (Mishné Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 2:9)
9. Yom Kippur today
Today, Yom Kippur is respected even by jews, non-practicing. The streets of Israel were flushed; there is no public transport or television broadcasts. It is a day of silence national, introspection and reconciliation.
In the diaspora, communities will gather in the synagogues, and many spend the entire day in prayer and meditation.
10. Universal symbolism
Beyond judaism, Yom Kippur brings a universal message about the human need for redemption, forgiveness, and moral renewal. It represents the balance between justice and mercy, remembering that the soul can be regenerated by the sincerity and change.
Conclusion
Yom Kippur is much more than a festival: it is a spiritual experience total. It represents the climax of the biblical calendar, the time of humanity —according to the jewish tradition— is confronted with the divine judgment and the chance for a new start.
In the words of the prophet Isaiah (1:18):
“Though your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
“There is No greater virtue than the one who forgives, or greater strength than he who rules his own anger.”
— Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)
