View source for Yom Kippur

{{short description|Holiest day in Judaism}}
{{For-multi|the 1973 Arab–Israeli war|Yom Kippur War|the board game|Yom Kippur (game){{!}}''Yom Kippur'' (game)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = Yom Kippur<br />{{nobold|{{lang|he|{{Script/Hebrew|יוֹם כִּפּוּר}}|rtl=yes}}}}
| image         = Maurycy Gottlieb - Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpg
| caption       = {{nowrap|''[[Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur]]'' (1878)}}<br/>by [[Maurycy Gottlieb]]
| official_name = 
| nickname      = 
| observedby    = [[Jews]] and [[Samaritans]]
| date          = 10 [[Tishrei]]
| duration      = One day
| frequency     = Annual ([[Hebrew calendar]])
| observances   = {{hlist|[[Ta'anit|Fasting]]|[[Jewish prayer|prayer]]|[[Asceticism in Judaism|asceticism]]}}
| type          = Jewish
| significance  = Atonement and repentance to [[God in Judaism|God]] for personal sins; sealing of one's fate for the upcoming year
| relatedto     = [[Rosh Hashanah]]
| date{{LASTYEAR}} = {{Calendar date/infobox|year=last}}
| date{{CURRENTYEAR}} = {{Calendar date/infobox|year=current}}
| date{{NEXTYEAR}} = {{Calendar date/infobox|year=next}}
| date{{NEXTYEAR|2}} = {{Calendar date/infobox|year=next2}}
| longtype      = Jewish, national (in [[Israel]])
}}
{{Judaism}}

'''Yom Kippur''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|j|ɒ|m|_|k|ɪ|ˈ|p|ʊər|,_|ˌ|j|ɔː|m|_|ˈ|k|ɪ|p|ər|,_|ˌ|j|oʊ|m|-|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Yom Kippur.wav}} {{respell|YOM|_|kip|OOR|,_|YAWM|_|KIP|ər|,_|YOHM|-}};<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref><ref>{{cite EPD|18}}</ref> {{langx|he|{{Script|Hebrew|יוֹם כִּפּוּר}}}} {{Transliteration|he|Yōm Kippūr}} {{IPA|he|ˈjom kiˈpuʁ|}}, {{literal translation|'''Day of Atonement'''}}) is the holiest day of the year in [[Judaism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Festival 2016: Seven Festivals Celebrated in the Israelite Samaritan Year |url=https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/festival/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=Israelite Samaritan Information Institute |date=24 July 2018 |language=en-GB |archive-date=1 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901085413/https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/festival/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Festival of Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement) |url=https://www.the-samaritans.net/the-festival-of-yom-kippur-the-day-of-atonement/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=The Samaritans |language=en-US |archive-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913235447/https://www.the-samaritans.net/the-festival-of-yom-kippur-the-day-of-atonement/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Afflicting the Soul: A Day When Even children Must Fast – TheTorah.com |url=https://thetorah.com/article/afflicting-the-soul-a-day-when-even-children-must-fast |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=thetorah.com |archive-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913235504/https://www.thetorah.com/article/afflicting-the-soul-a-day-when-even-children-must-fast |url-status=live }}</ref> It occurs annually on the 10th of [[Tishrei]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Numbers|29:7|HE}}</ref> corresponding to a date in late September or early October.

For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on [[Atonement in Judaism|atonement]] and [[Repentance in Judaism|repentance]]. The day's main observances consist of [[Ta'anit#Full fast|full fasting]] and [[Asceticism in Judaism|asceticism]], both accompanied by extended [[Jewish prayer|prayer services]] (usually at [[synagogue]]) and [[Confession (Judaism)|sin confessions]]. Some minor Jewish denominations, such as [[Reconstructionist Judaism]], focus less on sins and more on one's goals and accomplishments and setting yearly intentions.

Alongside the related holiday of [[Rosh Hashanah]], Yom Kippur is one of the two components of the [[High Holy Days]] of Judaism. It is also the last of the [[Ten Days of Repentance]].

==Name==
The formal Hebrew name of the holiday is {{Lang|hbo-Latn|Yom HaKippurim}}, 'day [of] the atonements'.<ref name=ha>{{Cite web |url=https://hebrew-academy.org.il/2011/10/04/%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%95%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/ |title=יום כיפור ויום הכיפורים |date=4 October 2011 |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517064527/https://hebrew-academy.org.il/2011/10/04/%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%95%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This name is used in the Bible,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mg.alhatorah.org/Dictionary/3725 |title=Concordance: כִּפֻּרִים |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517064528/https://mg.alhatorah.org/Dictionary/3725 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mishnah]],<ref>Mishnah Yoma 1:1, 1:3, 1:4, etc.</ref> and [[Shulchan Aruch]].<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 416:4, etc.</ref> The word {{Lang|hbo-Latn|kippurim}} 'atonement' is one of many [[Biblical Hebrew]] words which, while using a grammatical plural form, refers to a singular abstract concept.<ref name=ha/>

Beginning in the classical period, the singular form {{Lang|he-Latn|kippur}} began to be used in [[piyyut]], for example in [[Unetanneh Tokef]], alongside the standard plural form {{Lang|he-Latn|kippurim}}. Use of {{Lang|he-latn|kippur}} spread in the medieval period, with {{Lang|yi-Latn|Yom Kippur}} ({{lang|yi|יום כיפור}}) becoming the holiday's name in [[Yiddish]] and {{Lang|lad-Latn|Kippur}} ({{lang|lad|כיפור}}) in [[Judaeo-Spanish|Ladino]]. In modern Hebrew, {{Lang|he-Latn|Yom Kippur}} or simply {{Lang|he-Latn|Kippur}} is the common name, while {{Lang|he-Latn|Yom HaKippurim}} ({{lang|he|יום הכיפורים}}) is used in formal writing.<ref name=ha/>

In older English texts, the translation "Day of Atonement" is often used.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yom Kippur 5784 |date=24 September 2023 |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/hebrew/en/article/yom-kippur-5784/r5wnqiuea |publisher=[[SBS Australia]] |access-date=August 26, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement |url=https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/yom_kippur.html#loaded |website=Hebrew for Christians |access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref>

== In the Torah ==
The [[Torah]] calls the day {{Lang|hbo-latn|Yom HaKippurim}} ({{Lang|hbo|{{Script|Hebrew|יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים}}|rtl=yes}}), and decrees fasting ("affliction of the soul") and a strict prohibition of work on the tenth day of the seventh month, later known as [[Tishrei]].<ref name="bibleverse||Leviticus|23:27|HE">{{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:27|HE}}</ref> The laws of Yom Kippur are commanded by God to Moses in three passages in the Torah:
# {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:1–34|HE}}: [[Aaron]] may only enter the sanctuary by performing a complex sacrificial procedure, later known as the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]]. This service must be performed yearly on the date of Yom Kippur, while the people are to fast and not work on this date.<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:1–34|HE}}</ref>
# {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|23:26–32|HE}}: The tenth day of Tishrei is a holy day of atonement. A Temple sacrifice must be offered, while the people must fast and not work, "on the ninth day from evening until evening".<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:26–32|HE}}</ref>
# {{Bibleverse|Numbers|29:7–11|HE}}: The tenth day of Tishrei is a holy day; one must fast and not work. The ''[[mussaf]]'' (additional) sacrifice for the day is specified.<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|29:7–11|HE}}</ref>

Yom Kippur is mentioned briefly in another context: on Yom Kippur of the [[Jubilee (biblical)|Jubilee year]] the [[shofar]] was to be blown.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|25:9|HE}}</ref> According to some, this is the source for the current custom of blowing the shofar at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.<ref>[[Jacob ben Judah Landau|Sefer Haagur]], Hilchot Yom Hakippurim 951: ...ותוקעין תקיעה אחת זכר ליובל</ref>

=== Temple service ===
{{Main|Yom Kippur Temple service}}

When the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] stood, Yom Kippur was the occasion of an elaborate sacrificial service, as commanded by {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16|HE}}. The most prominent portion of the service was the lottery drawn on two goats with one being sacrificed as an offering and one being thrown off a cliff. This is the origin for the term [[scapegoat]]. The rabbis summarized the laws of this service in [[Mishnah]] tractate [[Yoma]], and they appear in contemporary traditional Jewish prayer books for Yom Kippur, and are studied as part of a traditional Jewish Yom Kippur worship service.<ref name=kasirer>Arnold Lustiger, Michael Taubes, [[Menachem Genack]], and [[Hershel Schachter]], ''Kasirer Edition Yom Kippur Machzor With Commentary Adapted from the Teachings of Rabbi [[Joseph B. Soloveitchik]]''. New York: K'hal Publishing, 2006. pp. 588–589 (summary); 590–618.</ref> The [[Mussaf]] prayer on Yom Kippur includes a section known as the [[Avodah (Yom Kippur)|Avodah]], where a poem is recited describing this Temple service.

==Significance==
===High Holy Days===
Yom Kippur is one of the two [[High Holy Days]], or ''Days of Awe'' (Hebrew {{Lang|he-latn|yamim noraim}}), alongside [[Rosh Hashanah]] (which falls nine days previously).<ref name="hhd">{{Cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-high-holidays/ |title=The High Holidays |publisher=My Jewish Learning |access-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-date=17 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017151031/https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-high-holidays/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah [[God]] inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into the [[Book of Life]], and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict.<ref name="theology">{{Cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yom-kippur-theology-and-themes/ |title=Yom Kippur Theology and Themes |publisher=My Jewish Learning |access-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927211542/https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yom-kippur-theology-and-themes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This process is described dramatically in the poem [[Unetanneh Tokef]], which is recited on Rosh Hashanah in the Ashkenazic and Italian rites and on Yom Kippur in the Eastern Ashkenazic and Italian rites:
{{blockquote|A great [[shofar]] will be blown, and a small still voice will be heard. The angels will make haste, and be seized with fear and trembling, and will say: "Behold, the day of judgment!"... On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on the Yom Kippur fast it is sealed, how many will pass and how many will be created, who will live and who will die, who in his time and who not in his time... But repentance [''teshuva''], prayer, and charity [''[[tzedakah]]''] remove the evil of the decree... For You do not desire a person's death, but rather that he repent and live. Until the day of his death You wait for him; if he repents, You accept him immediately.}}

During the Days of Awe, a Jew reflects on the past year's actions and seeks forgiveness for wrongs done against both God and other people.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2025-09-25|title=The 10 Days of Awe|url=https://momentmag.com/jewish-holidays/rosh-hashanah/the-10-days-of-awe/}}</ref>

=== Repentance (''{{Lang|he-latn|Teshuva}}'') ===
{{Teshuva}}
[[File:Flickr_-_Government_Press_Office_(GPO)_-_An_Orthodox_Man.jpg|thumb|200px|A Jewish man, wearing a [[kittel]], blessing his family on Yom Kippur eve]]

[[Repentance in Judaism]] (Hebrew: {{Lang|he-latn|Teshuva}}), traditionally, consists of regretting having committed the sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future, and [[Confession (Judaism)|confessing that sin]] before God.<ref>Maimonides, [[Mishneh Torah]], Laws of Teshuva 2:2</ref>

While repentance for one's sins can and should be done at any time, it is considered especially desirable during the [[Ten Days of Repentance]] between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and particularly on Yom Kippur itself.<ref>Maimonides, [[Mishneh Torah]], Laws of Teshuva 2:7</ref> Thus, the Yom Kippur prayers contain extended confessions which list varieties of errors and sins, and to which one can add their own missteps, along with requests for forgiveness from God.

According to the Talmud, "Yom Kippur atones for sins done against God ({{Lang|hbo-latn|bein adam leMakom}}), but does not atone for sins done against other human beings ({{Lang|hbo-latn|bein adam lechavero}}) until the other person has been appeased."<ref>[[Yoma]] 85b</ref> Therefore, it is considered imperative to repair the harm that one has done to others before or during Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is described in the prayers as "a day of creating love and brotherhood, a day of abandoning jealousy and strife".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Machzor_Yom_Kippur_Ashkenaz%2C_Musaf_for_Yom_Kippur%2C_The_Avodah_Service.54?vhe=The_Metsudah_Machzor._Metsudah_Publications,_New_York_-_Heb_(paragraph_ed.)&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |title=Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz: Musaf for Yom Kippur: The Avodah Service |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619094552/https://www.sefaria.org/Machzor_Yom_Kippur_Ashkenaz,_Musaf_for_Yom_Kippur,_The_Avodah_Service.54?vhe=The_Metsudah_Machzor._Metsudah_Publications,_New_York_-_Heb_(paragraph_ed.)&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |url-status=live }}</ref> It is said that "if one does not remove hatred [from their heart] on Yom Kippur, their prayers are not heard".<ref>[[Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (book)|Kitzur Shulchan Aruch]] 131:4</ref>

In recent generations other interpretations of ''Teshuvah'' have been presented.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Freeman |first1=Tzvi |title=Repentance is a scam |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1625044/jewish/Repentance-Is-a-Scam.htm |website=Chabad.org |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref>{{bsn|date=October 2025}} They argue that the traditional, self-punishing practice of dwelling on and weeping over past sins often leads to depression and is counterproductive in the modern era.

Instead of "repentance" (focusing on guilt and remorse over mistakes), they interpret ''Teshuvah'' in a more literal sense: "return" to God. This involves proactively filling one's life with [[Torah]], [[Mitzvot]], joy, love, and sincere prayer to G-d. When an individual is wholeheartedly focused on growing closer to the Divine light, the regrettable behaviors of ones past are then naturally recognized as a useless weight holding them back. This recognition triggers a genuine, aching remorse that causes the sin to fall away enabling the person to let go and continue growing. Thus, Yom Kippur should be used to reach towards the light and embrace God's unconditional love, allowing the messy stuff to fall away naturally.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

===Thirteen attributes===
According to the Bible, after the sin of the [[golden calf]], Moses descended from Mount Sinai and broke the [[Tablets of Stone]], which contained the [[Ten Commandments]] and symbolized the covenant with God.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|32:15-19|HE}}</ref> After God agreed to forgive the people's sin, Moses was told to return to Mount Sinai for a second 40-day period, in order to receive a second set of tablets.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|34:1-4|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Exodus|34:28-29|HE}}</ref> According to rabbinic tradition, the date Moses descended with the second set of tablets was Yom Kippur. On this day Moses announced to the people that they had been forgiven; as a result the Torah fixed this date as a permanent holiday of forgiveness.<ref name=so>[[Seder Olam Rabbah]] 6</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The 120-Day Version Of The Human Story|url=https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2508/jewish/The-120-Day-Version.htm|access-date=2021-06-08|website=chabad.org|language=en-US|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608171533/https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2508/jewish/The-120-Day-Version.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[[Yaakov Medan]], [https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/yom-kippur/first-yom-kippur The First Yom Kippur] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618132933/https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/yom-kippur/first-yom-kippur |date=18 June 2023 }}</ref>

The new covenant, which God announced by proclaiming the [[Thirteen Attributes of Mercy]] to Moses, is textually similar to the covenant of the Ten Commandments except that God's nature is described as merciful and forgiving, rather than zealous.<ref>Yoshi Fargeon, [https://www.etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/studies-tanakh/biblical-commentaries/%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%99%D7%92-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%93%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA מה בין י"ג מידות לעשרת הדברות?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618100124/https://www.etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/studies-tanakh/biblical-commentaries/%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%99%D7%92-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%93%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA |date=18 June 2023 }}</ref> When the Jewish people sinned in later eras, prophets would repeatedly quote the Thirteen Attributes to God as a reminder of God's commitment to mercy and forgiveness.<ref>E.g. {{Bibleverse|Numbers|14:17-18|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Micah|7:18-20|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Psalms|86:15-16|HE}}</ref> This is continued to the present day, as recitation of the Thirteen Attributes remains an important part of the Yom Kippur prayers (in [[Maariv]] and [[Neilah]]).

===Closeness to God===
While many of the observances of Yom Kippur (such as fasting and long prayers) can be difficult, there is also a tradition in which they are interpreted positively, as indications of closeness of God. Various sources compare the observances of Yom Kippur – fasting, barefootness (not wearing leather shoes), standing (in prayer), particular manners of prayer, even the peace that exists between Jews on this day – with the behavior of angels, suggesting that on Yom Kippur Jews become like angels in heaven, purified and close to God and not limited by physicality.<ref name=angel1/><ref name=angel2/>

Yom Kippur was also unique as a time of closeness to God in the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]]. Yom Kippur was the only occasion on which the [[High Priest of Israel]] was allowed to enter the [[Holy of Holies]], the innermost chamber of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], where God's presence was said to dwell. On Yom Kippur the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies several times, first to create a cloud of incense smoke in which (the Bible promises) God would reveal Himself without being seen,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:2|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:12-13|HE}}</ref> and later to offer sacrifices of atonement.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:14-16|HE}}</ref>

While the encounter with God and the atonement may appear to be unrelated, in fact they are mutually dependent. On one hand, the priest is only worthy to approach God when in a state of purity, with the sins of the people being forgiven. On the other hand, only by approaching God with an intimate, personal request can God be persuaded to abandon justice for mercy, permitting the purification to take place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hatanakh.com/es/node/33370|title=Atoning Before God}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/torah/sefer-vayikra/parashat-acharei-mot/blood-prohibitions-book-vayikra |title=אחרי מות-קדושים {{!}} לפני ה' תטהרו |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629055230/https://www.etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/torah/sefer-vayikra/parashat-acharei-mot/blood-prohibitions-book-vayikra |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the Torah, the Yom Kippur Temple service was commanded in wake of the deaths of [[Nadab and Abihu]] on the eighth day of the [[Tabernacle]] inauguration.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:2|HE}}</ref> Not only was this eighth day the occasion of the Yom Kippur command, but the eighth day was also similar in its nature to Yom Kippur, both in biblical texts (e.g. the sacrifices offered on each day) and in rabbinic interpretation.<ref name=shmini>[[Yoel Bin-Nun]], [https://www.hatanakh.com/sites/herzog/files/herzog/imported/mega8_ybn.pdf היום השמיני ויום הכיפורים], Megadim 8:9-34 (1989)</ref> The purpose of the eighth day was the revelation of God's presence to the people;<ref name=shmini/>{{rp|14}} similarly, the Yom Kippur service was a unique opportunity for the people's representative to obtain closeness with God.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/torah/sefer-shemot/parashat-tetzaveh/%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%91-%D7%95%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%90-%D7%95%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D|title=הקטורת, נדב ואביהוא ויום הכיפורים|website=תורת הר עציון}}</ref>

A [[midrash]] compares the Yom Kippur prayers to a verse from the [[Song of Songs]], describing a woman who rises from bed at night to begin a romantic encounter with her lover. With each Yom Kippur prayer, it is implied, Jews approach closer to God:

{{blockquote|"I rose up to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with [[myrrh]], my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt" ({{Bibleverse|Song of Songs|5:5|HE}}) – "I rose up to open to my beloved" – this refers to ''Yotzer'' [the [[shacharit|morning prayer]]]; "My hands dripped with myrrh" – this refers to [[Mussaf]]; "my fingers with flowing myrrh" – this refers to [[Mincha]]; "upon the handles of the bolt" – this refers to [[Neilah]].<ref>[[Bahya ben Asher]], ''Kad Hakemach'', p. 122b</ref>}}

Using a similar metaphor, the [[Mishnah]] describes Yom Kippur as a wedding date, as on this date Moses returned having reestablished the covenant between God and Israel.<ref name=taanit48/> Along with [[Tu B'Av]], Yom Kippur was historically considered one of the two happiest days of the Jewish year, for on this day Jews receive forgiveness for their sins, and on this date the covenant with God was reestablished.<ref>[[Babylonian Talmud]] [https://www.sefaria.org/Taanit.30b.8 Taanit 30b-31a] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108103227/https://www.sefaria.org/Taanit.30b.8 |date=8 January 2024 }}</ref>

According to [[Hasidic philosophy|Hassidic thought]] Yom Kippur is related to the deepest level of the human [[soul]]. The soul is described as having five different levels, the fifth and most essential of which is called [[Yechidah]], meaning "one and unique". This yechidah is the soul in its state of complete fusion and oneness with its Creator, forming an inseparable whole.

Yom Kippur is the day when this essential bond of yechidah shines within the time and space of our world. It is the one time a year when the Divine unites with the essential oneness of the soul within each person, and in that moment of ultimate connection, all else falls away.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Freeman |first1=Tzvi |title=Once in a year |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4884705/jewish/Once-In-a-Year.htm |website=Chabad.org |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref>{{bsn|date=October 2025}}

===Purification===
In {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:30|HE}}, the [[Torah]] summarizes the purpose of Yom Kippur as follows:
{{blockquote|For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to purify you; from all your sins before the Lord you shall be purified.<ref name=v1630>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:30|HE}}</ref>}}

There are two forms of impurity in Judaism (see [[Tumah and taharah]]): ritual impurity (e.g. when one touches a corpse) and moral impurity (when one commits a serious sin).<ref name="malbim">[[Malbim]], ''HaTorah VeHaMitzvah'', commentary on [https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%90_%D7%99%D7%90_%D7%9E%D7%90-%D7%9E%D7%96#%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%A7%D7%A1%D7%95 Vayikra 11:43] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703083159/https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%90_%D7%99%D7%90_%D7%9E%D7%90-%D7%9E%D7%96#%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%A7%D7%A1%D7%95 |date=3 July 2023 }}, [https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%90_%D7%94_%D7%91-%D7%92#%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%A9%D7%95 Vayikra 5:2-3] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703083200/https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%90_%D7%94_%D7%91-%D7%92#%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%A9%D7%95 |date=3 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>[[David Tzvi Hoffman]], introduction to Leviticus 11 ({{Alhatorah|Leviticus|11:1|R. David Zvi Hoffmann}}); his term for "moral impurity" is {{Script/Hebrew|טומאת הקדושות}}.</ref> While the Yom Kippur Temple service did purify the Temple if it had become ritually impure,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:16|HE}}; see {{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:16|Shadal}}</ref> the emphasis of the day is on the Jewish people's purification from moral impurity.<ref name=v1630/>

Leviticus 16:30 mentions purification twice. According to [[Netziv]], the first mention is a promise that God will purify Israel on this day, while the second is a command, calling on Israel to purify themselves through repentance.<ref>{{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:30|Netziv}}</ref> Thus, on this day Jews do their utmost to repent. But if, by the end of the day, they have reached the limits of their ability and are still morally flawed, God extends them forgiveness and purification anyway.<ref>Meir Lichtenstein, [https://ravmayer.org/lessons/%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%9D-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%98%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9F/ אשריכם ישראל לפני מי אתם מיטהרין]</ref>

{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|17:13|HE}} states that "Israel's hope ({{Lang|hbo-latn|mikveh}}) is in God". According to [[Rabbi Akiva]], this verse alludes to a ritual purification bath (also pronounced ''[[mikveh]]''), and thus on Yom Kippur God metaphorically becomes a mikveh in which Israel immerses and purifies itself.<ref>Mishnah, Yoma 8:9</ref> This idea is symbolized by immersion in an actual mikveh. In the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]], the High Priest would immerse upon putting on and taking off his white Yom Kippur garments;<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:4|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:24|HE}}</ref> the rabbis counted no fewer than five immersions over the course of the day's service.<ref>Mishnah, Yoma 3:3</ref> Among modern-day Jews, too, there is a custom of immersion before Yom Kippur (though not on Yom Kippur itself, as bathing is forbidden in normal circumstances).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-05-10/ |title=Peninei Halakha: 10. Erev Yom Kippur Customs |date=4 May 2014 |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703083159/https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-05-10/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

When the [[scapegoat]] was selected on Yom Kippur to symbolically carry the people's sins to the desert, a [[Kermes (dye)|crimson]] cord was tied around its horns.<ref>Mishnah Yoma 4:2</ref> While the practical purpose of this cord was to distinguish the scapegoat from the goat which was to be slaughtered, it also symbolized the sin which the scapegoat was carrying away.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.daat.ac.il/he-il/hagim/hodashim/yom_hakipurim/stav-lashon.htm |title=תפקיד הלשון של זהורית |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=31 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531035409/https://www.daat.ac.il/he-il/hagim/hodashim/yom_hakipurim/stav-lashon.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|1:18|HE}} promises that if the Jewish people repents, "if [their] sins are like crimson, they shall become white as snow." According to tradition, in some years the scapegoat's cord would miraculously turn white to indicate that the people's sins were forgiven and purification achieved in that year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.67a.7 |title=Yoma 67a |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703083159/https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.67a.7 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Jewish unity===
Yom Kippur is considered a day of Jewish unity. In [[Kol Nidre]], in which vows are released, [[Herem (censure)|vows of excommunication]] against sinning Jews were similarly lifted and these "transgressors" were allowed to pray alongside other Jews.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://orot.ac.il/%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95-%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%9C-%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D |title=אנו מתרין להתפלל עם העבריינים |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618113825/https://orot.ac.il/%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95-%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%9C-%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the Talmud, "Any fast in which Jewish sinners do not also participate is not a valid fast".<ref>Keritot 6b</ref>

Similarly, the [[Mishnah]] describes Yom Kippur as a day on which men and women would once meet each other in the vineyards in order to arrange marriages.<ref name=taanit48>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Ta%27anit.4.8 |title=Taanit 4:8 |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618102600/https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Ta%27anit.4.8 |url-status=live }}</ref> While this story is surprising given the generally somber nature of the day, it is based on [[Levite's concubine#Finding new wives|the Biblical episode]] where the oath against marrying Benjaminites was circumvented by allowing them to take women from the vineyards as wives, and thus indicates the day's theme of abandoning grudges in order for the Jewish people to be reunited.<ref name=beer>[[Yaakov Medan]], ''Be'er Miriam: Yom Hakippurim''</ref>{{rp|29–30}}

== Customs ==

=== Erev Yom Kippur ===
[[File:Weinles On the eve of Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|right|220px|''On the eve of Yom Kippur'' by [[Jakub Weinles]]]]

On the day preceding Yom Kippur, known as {{Lang|he-latn|Erev Yom Kippur}} (lit. 'eve [of] day [of] atonement'), a number of activities are customarily performed in preparation for Yom Kippur. These activities generally relate to the themes of the holiday, but are forbidden or impractical to do on Yom Kippur itself.

According to the [[Talmud]], "Yom Kippur does not atone for sins between a person and his fellow until he has appeased his fellow."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.85b.7 |title=Yoma 85b |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517191451/https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.85b.7 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thus, it is common practice on Erev Yom Kippur to request forgiveness from other individuals for misdeeds one has done to them. The Talmud records no less than 14 stories attesting to the importance of the day for repairing relationships with one's spouses, parents, children, coworkers, the poor, and other individuals.<ref name=navon>{{cite web |url=http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/ErevYomKippur.pdf |title=Erev Yom Kippur – The purpose of the day as seen through Talmudic anecdotes (PDF) |access-date=March 25, 2011 |archive-date=24 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624202150/http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/ErevYomKippur.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The day before a major Jewish holiday is often devoted towards preparing for that holiday (as with burning ''[[chametz]]'' before [[Passover]] or obtaining the [[Four Species]] before [[Sukkot]]); for Yom Kippur, the appropriate preparation is to seek forgiveness from one's fellow man.<ref name=navon/> Nevertheless, one should not ask forgiveness if this will cause further harm (for example, by bringing up an insult the victim was unaware of).<ref name=eyk/>

According to ''[[halakha]]'', one must eat on Erev Yom Kippur. A variety of reasons have been suggested for this requirement, among them:<ref name=eyk/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/989587/jewish/Pre-Fast-Feasting.htm |title=Pre-Fast Feasting |website=chabad.org |access-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820231408/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/989587/jewish/Pre-Fast-Feasting.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Eating well before the fast will make it easier to complete the fast in good health.
* Eating before the fast will actually make the fast subjectively more difficult, due to "withdrawal" from the previous day's feast, and thus increase a person's level of "affliction" on this day (though it is not agreed that a person should in fact attempt to increase their affliction beyond the basic requirements<ref name=angel>{{Cite web |url=https://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/2659 |title=צום יום הכיפורים - עינוי נפש או כמלאכים |access-date=21 May 2023 |archive-date=21 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521083638/https://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/2659 |url-status=live }}</ref>).
* In general, Jewish holidays are celebrated with festive meals. Since a meal celebrating Yom Kippur cannot be held on the day itself, it is held beforehand.
* One celebrates the forgiveness they are about to receive for their sins, thus demonstrating that they are in fact bothered by their sins, and thus are more deserving of forgiveness.

[[Kreplach]] are traditionally served at the pre-fast meal.<ref>Gelbard, Shmuel P., ''Rite and Reason: 1050 Jewish customs and their sources'' (Engl. transl. 1998, Petach Tikvah, Isr., Mifal Rashi Publ'g) page 456.</ref> Also, it is common to ask for and receive [[lekach]] on Erev Yom Kippur.<ref>{{cite book | last=Schneerson | first=Menachem Mendel | title=Proceeding Together | date=1995 | isbn=978-1-881400-43-1 | page=10| publisher=Sichos in English }}</ref>

Many [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] men immerse themselves in a ''[[mikveh]]'' on this day.<ref name = OU>{{cite web |url=http://www.ou.org/chagim/yomkippur/ykcustoms.htm |title=OU Customs for Erev Yom Kippur |access-date=September 21, 2008 |archive-date=10 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910040536/http://www.ou.org/chagim/yomkippur/ykcustoms.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Opinions differ on whether this is a technical act to remove [[Tumah and taharah|ritual impurity]], or else a symbolic one to symbolize one's cleansing from sin on Yom Kippur.<ref name=eyk>David Brofsky, [https://www.etzion.org.il/en/halakha/orach-chaim/holidays/laws-and-practices-erev-yom-kippur The Laws and Practices of Erev Yom Kippur] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517191452/https://www.etzion.org.il/en/halakha/orach-chaim/holidays/laws-and-practices-erev-yom-kippur |date=17 May 2023 }}</ref>

The ''[[kapparot]]'' ritual, in which either money or a chicken is given to charity, is performed by some on Erev Yom Kippur as a means to enhance atonement.

Prior to this day's morning prayer service ([[Shacharit]]), ''[[selichot]]'' prayers are recited, as they have been for the entire High Holiday period. In the afternoon prayer ([[Mincha]]), the [[Confession (Judaism)#In prayer|long confession]] is recited, just as it is on Yom Kippur itself. This confession is recited before the last Erev Yom Kippur meal (the "Separation Meal" – Hebrew [[Seudat mitzvah#Seudah HaMafseket|''se'udah'' ''hamafseket'']] or ''aruha hamafseket''),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/989816/jewish/Separation-Meal.htm#:~:text=Prior%20to%20sunset%2C%20we%20partake,such%20as%20chicken%20and%20soup. |title=The Separation Meal |website=chabad.org |access-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001112106/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/989816/jewish/Separation-Meal.htm#:~:text=Prior%20to%20sunset%2C%20we%20partake,such%20as%20chicken%20and%20soup. |url-status=live }}</ref> in case one becomes intoxicated at this meal and is unable to confess properly afterwards, or else because a person might choke to death at that meal and die without confessing (seemingly an unlikely possibility, but one which reminds a person of their mortality).<ref name=eyk/> Nevertheless, some recommend repeating the Vidui immediately before Kol Nidrei if time allows.<ref>Ramban Yoma Yoma 87b.</ref>

=== Fasting and asceticism ===

The Torah commands Jews to "afflict themselves" ({{Lang|hbo-latn|ve'initem et nafshoteichem}}) on Yom Kippur.<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|16:29|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:31|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:27|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:29|HE}}</ref> While these verses do not explicitly mention the form of affliction, the phrase "afflicting oneself" frequently appears elsewhere in connection with fasting or lack of food,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Psalms|35:13|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|58:3|HE}}; {{Bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|58:10|HE}}; see also {{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|8:3|HE}}, etc.</ref> and public fast days for repentance were a common practice in Biblical times.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mg.alhatorah.org/Dictionary/6685 |title=Concordance: צוֹם |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517074411/https://mg.alhatorah.org/Dictionary/6685 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the [[Oral Torah|Jewish oral tradition]], the Yom Kippur "affliction" consists of the following five prohibitions:<ref>''[[Mishnah]]'' tractate ''[[Yoma]]'' 8:1</ref>
# Fasting (no eating and drinking)
# No wearing of leather shoes
# No bathing or [[washing]]
# No [[anointing]] oneself with perfumes or lotions
# No marital relations.

In traditional custom, the fast is required of males over age 13 and females over age 12.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/At_Home/Fasting_and_Asceticism/Fasting_Details.shtml|title=Yom Kippur Fasting: The Details|first=Lesli Koppelman|last=Ross}}</ref> However, fasting is waived in the case of dangerous medical conditions ([[pikuach nefesh]]),<ref>See Shulchan Aruch OC 618 and commentaries for the details of who is considered to fall into this category.</ref> and in such a case one is actually required to break the fast.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/ |title=Saving a Life (Pikuach Nefesh) |publisher=[[MyJewishLearning.com]] |accessdate=2023-09-24 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929100914/https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Just as it is a [[mitzvah]] to fast on Yom Kippur, it may also be a mitzvah to eat or drink on Yom Kippur to safeguard a person's health.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aish.com/eating-on-yom-kippur/ |title=Eating on Yom Kippur? |date=22 August 2011 |publisher=[[Aish.com]] |accessdate=2023-09-24}}</ref> In such situations, though, it is preferable (if the medical situation allows for it) to consume only small amounts of food or drink at a time.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/528963/jewish/What-is-the-procedure-for-one-who-must-eat-on-Yom-Kippur.htm |title=What is the procedure for one who must eat on Yom Kippur? |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618103454/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/528963/jewish/What-is-the-procedure-for-one-who-must-eat-on-Yom-Kippur.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-08-05/ |title=Peninei Halakha: 05. Eating and Drinking Minimal Quantities ("Le-shi'urim") |date=7 May 2014 |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618103842/https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-08-05/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Fasting, along with the other restrictions, begins at [[sunset|sundown]], and ends after [[dusk|nightfall]] the following day. One should add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day, called {{Lang|he-latn|tosefet Yom Kippur}}, lit. 'addition to Yom Kippur'.

Yom Kippur is one of the only occasions when fasting is permitted on [[Shabbat]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mako.co.il/spirituality-popular_culture/weekly-answer/Article-a89185b28745e31006.htm |title=מתי אפשר להזיז מועדים? |date=29 April 2013 |access-date=4 September 2023 |archive-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904072241/https://www.mako.co.il/spirituality-popular_culture/weekly-answer/Article-a89185b28745e31006.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Technically, one can fast following a bad dream on Shabbat, see TB Shabbat 11a.  Nevertheless, this is rarely practiced in our times.</ref>

====Symbolism====

A number of different interpretations of these restrictions have been suggested.

In one approach, fasting replaces animal sacrifices. Fasting causes one's fat and blood to be diminished, just as the fat and blood of a sacrifice were burned on the altar. Thus, the fast is a form of sacrifice which can atone for sin like the Temple sacrifices once did.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.17a.5|title=Berakhot 17a:5|website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref>

Other approaches suggest that the prohibitions represent not suffering, but rather special holiness. For example, on Yom Kippur, Jews are said to become like angels. Just as angels do not need to eat, drink, or wear shoes, so too Jews do not engage on these activities on Yom Kippur.<ref name=angel1>{{Cite web |url=https://torah.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-09-five-types-affliction-part-ii-yom-kippur-service-all-israel |title=The Affliction: Being an Angel for a Day |access-date=21 May 2023 |archive-date=21 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521091410/https://torah.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-09-five-types-affliction-part-ii-yom-kippur-service-all-israel |url-status=dead }}</ref> By detaching themselves from physical needs, Jews become purified and resemble angels.<ref name=angel2>{{Cite web|url=https://news-archive.hds.harvard.edu/news/2016/09/30/becoming-angels-yom-kippur|title=Becoming Angels on Yom Kippur {{pipe}} HDS News Archive|date=28 September 2017|website=news-archive.hds.harvard.edu}}</ref><ref>Drashot [[Maharal]] for Shabbat Shuva</ref>

Similarly, the prohibitions allude to the experience of Moses on Mount Sinai, who did not eat or drink while receiving the Torah and while receiving forgiveness for the people's sins.<ref name=rmed/>

Similarly, the prohibitions have been interpreted as a return to the purity of the biblical Garden of Eden. Upon leaving Eden shoes became necessary for the first time ("thorns and thistles will grow in your way...the snake will raise its head (to bite you) and you will give your heel (to crush it)"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|3:18|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Genesis|3:15|HE}}</ref>); thus on Yom Kippur Jews do not wear (leather) shoes. While in Eden food and drink were easily obtained, but after the expulsion man must work for food "by the sweat of [his] brow"; thus food and drink are refrained from on Yom Kippur, as well as washing, and the use of cosmetics to remove sweat or its odor. In Eden death was unknown and procreation unnecessary; similarly on Yom Kippur marital relations are avoided.<ref name = air1>{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/a/nyu.edu/avi-rabinowitz/home/yom-kippur-which-shoes-did-adam-wear-when-he-was-run-out-of-the-garden-of-eden-sneakers |title=Why Rabbis wear sneakers on their holiest day |access-date=20 August 2015 |archive-date=24 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024070445/https://sites.google.com/a/nyu.edu/avi-rabinowitz/home/yom-kippur-which-shoes-did-adam-wear-when-he-was-run-out-of-the-garden-of-eden-sneakers |url-status=live }}"Article by Avi Rabinowitz, NYU homepages"</ref>

According to [[Maimonides]], the purpose of fasting (and the restriction on work) is to remove distractions from the task of repentance.<ref>[[The Guide for the Perplexed]], 3:43</ref>

By refraining from these activities, the body is uncomfortable but can still survive. The soul is considered to be the life force in a body. Therefore, by making one's body uncomfortable, one's soul is uncomfortable. By feeling pain, one can feel how others feel when they are in pain.<ref>Abrams, Judith. Yom Kippur: A Family Service Minneapolis: KAR-BEN, 1990. Print</ref>

===Prohibition on work===
The Torah calls Yom Kippur a day of rest ({{Lang|hbo-latn|shabbat shabbaton}}) on which work is prohibited.<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|16:29|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|16:31|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:27|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Leviticus|23:30|HE}}</ref> Thus, the activities forbidden on [[Shabbat]] are also forbidden on Yom Kippur: the [[39 Melakhot|39 categories of work]] as well as the [[Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat|rabbinic Shabbat prohibitions]].<ref name=ph>{{Cite web |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/category/15/15-07/ |title=Peninei Halacha: Chapter 07 – Laws of Yom Kippur |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075545/https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/category/15/15-07/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Other observances===
Wearing white clothing is traditional to symbolize one's purity on this day.<ref>See the Mishnah according to the text of [[Jerusalem Talmud]], [https://www.sefaria.org/Jerusalem_Talmud_Taanit.4.7.1 Taanit 4:7 (26a)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108100122/https://www.sefaria.org/Jerusalem_Talmud_Taanit.4.7.1 |date=8 January 2024 }} for an early mention of this practice among the people of Jerusalem.</ref> Various reasons have been suggested for this custom:
* On Yom Kippur, Jews are similar to the angels in heaven who are said to wear white.<ref>[[Shulchan Aruch]], [[Orach Chaim]], 610:4; see {{Alhatorah|Leviticus|16:4|Ramban}} which links the High Priest's white Yom Kippur garments to the angels' white garments ({{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|9:3|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Daniel|10:5|HE}})</ref>
* To allude to the verse "If your sins are like [[Kermes (dye)|crimson]], they shall become white as snow" ({{Bibleverse|Isaiah|1:18|HE}})<ref name=rmed>{{Cite web |url=https://rambam-medicine.org.il/yom-kipur/ |title=הכנת הגוף והנפש ליום כיפור |date=11 April 2021 |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629051629/https://rambam-medicine.org.il/yom-kipur/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* To recall the High Priest who wore white for the Yom Kippur Temple service (and on no other occasion)<ref name=rmed/>

Many [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi Jewish]] men wear a [[kittel]] which, in addition to being white, symbolizes the seriousness of God's judgment on this day, as in some communities the deceased are buried wearing kittels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/561,2080037/Why-is-a-kittel-worn-on-Yom-Kippur.html |title=Why is a kittel worn on Yom Kippur |website=askmoses.com |first=Simcha |last=Bart |access-date=2009-09-30 |archive-date=2011-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607070303/http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/561,2080037/Why-is-a-kittel-worn-on-Yom-Kippur.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Yom Kippur is honored in the same ways as [[Shabbat]] and other holidays, to the extent permitted. Thus, the house is cleaned ahead of time, and the table covered with a nice tablecloth, even though it will not be used for eating. The synagogue is cleaned ahead of time, and all the lights left on. One bathes before Yom Kippur, and clean clothes are worn. Smelling pleasant smells is allowed on Yom Kippur, therefore many make a point of smelling pleasant spices throughout the day.<ref name=ph/>

In most communities, candles are lit just before Yom Kippur, as is done before Shabbat.  However, there were communities which had the custom not to light candles when Yom Kippur falls on a weekday (when it falls on Shabbat, everyone agrees that there is an obligation to light just like any other Sabbath), and therefore the Halakhic authorities debate whether or not a blessing is recited on this lighting.<ref>Shulchan Aruch OC 610</ref>

It is traditional for parents to give their children a special blessing before beginning the Yom Kippur prayers.<ref>[[Chayei Adam]], 144:19</ref> Those whose parents have died light a [[yahrzeit candle]] in their memory before Yom Kippur begins.<ref>[[Aruch Hashulchan]] 610:6</ref>

=== Breaking of the fast ===
Following the fast, [[Sephardic Jews|Sephardic Jewish]] communities traditionally serve a drink made from melon seeds similar to the Turkish ''sübye''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Apan |first1=Mukaddes Arigül |last2=Zorba |first2=Murat |date=2018-03-22 |title=Improvement of quality and shelf-life of Sübye, a traditional beverage of Turkey |journal=Food Science and Technology |language=en |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=719–725 |doi=10.1590/1678-457X.12517 |issn=0101-2061|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Ben-Naeh-2023">{{Cite book |title=The Old Sephardi Yishuv in Eretz Israel |publisher=Ben-Zvi Institute for the Study of Jewish Communities in the East; Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem |year=2023 |editor-last=Ben-Naeh |editor-first=Yaron |series=Jewish Communities in the East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries |pages=371–372 |language=he |trans-title=היישוב היהודי הספרדי הישן בארץ ישראל |issn=1565-0774 |editor-last2=Held Delaroza |editor-first2=Michal}}</ref> [[History of the Jews in Turkey|Turkish Jews]] refer to it as ''subiye'', while [[Greek Jews]] call it ''[[pepitada]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Subiye \ Pepitada – Melon seed drink for breaking fast |url=https://www.foodish.org/en/community-recipe/subiye-pepitada-melon-seed-drink/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Foodish – by [[Anu – Museum of the Jewish People]] |language=en-US}}</ref> This is followed by coffee with milk and ''[[biscochos]]'' (savory ring-shaped cookies), pieces of bread dipped in olive oil and ''[[za'atar]]'' alongside tomato, and later, chicken cooked with dry [[Quince|quinces]] or plums.<ref name="Ben-Naeh-2023" />

== Prayer services ==
[[File:1785176_ADLER_-_National_Library_of_Israel.ogg|thumb|''"[[Kol Nidrei]]"'', opening the Yom Kippur prayers, recorded in the early 1950s]]

The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. One is the number of prayer services. Unlike a regular day which has three prayer services ([[Shacharit]], [[Mincha]], and [[Maariv]]), or a [[Shabbat]] or [[Jewish holidays|Yom Tov]] which has four prayer services (those three, plus [[Mussaf]]), Yom Kippur has five prayer services (those four, plus ''[[Ne'ila]]'', the closing prayer).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/997118/jewish/How-Many-Sets-of-Prayers-On-Yom-Kippur.htm |title=How Many Sets of Prayers On Yom Kippur? |author=Yisroel Cotlar |publisher=Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center |access-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302223804/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/997118/jewish/How-Many-Sets-of-Prayers-On-Yom-Kippur.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The prayer services also include private and public confessions of sins (''[[Confession (Judaism)|Vidui]]''),<ref name="theology"/> and a unique prayer dedicated to the special Yom Kippur {{Lang|he-latn|avodah}} (service) of the [[Kohen Gadol]] (high priest) in the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Holy Temple in Jerusalem]].<ref name=ja>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jewishagency.org/yom-kippur-prayers/ |title=Yom Kippur Prayers |date=12 February 2020 |publisher=The Jewish Agency for Israel |access-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201060504/https://www.jewishagency.org/yom-kippur-prayers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Yom Kippur prayer services include additional poems (''[[piyyutim]]'') and petitions for forgiveness (''[[selichot]]''). Notable poems recited include [[Avinu Malkeinu]], [[Unetanneh Tokef]] (in Eastern Ashkenazic and Italian communities), Ki Anu Amecha (in Ashkenazic communities, although the order of the verses varies between communities), the [[Ten Martyrs]] (in Eastern Ashkenazic and some Western Ashkenazic communities), [[HaAderet v'HaEmunah]], and [[Avodah (Yom Kippur)#Additional prayers|Mareh Kohen]] (both in Ashkenazic communities). If Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Avinu Malkeinu is recited by Ashkenazic only during the [[Ne'ila]] prayer service, whereas the Sephardic and Italian rite recite it as normal at Shacharit and Mincha.

Many married Ashkenazi Orthodox men wear a ''[[kittel]]'', a white robe-like garment for evening prayers on Yom Kippur, also used in Eastern European communities by men on their wedding day.<ref name=JVL_yk>{{cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday4.html |title=Jewish Virtual Library – Yom Kippur |access-date=September 21, 2008 |archive-date=10 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110134256/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday4.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=OU15>{{cite web |url=https://www.ou.org/holidays/yom-kippur/halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur |title=Halacha L'Maaseh: Yom Kippur |date=3 September 2015 |access-date=September 20, 2015 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905231456/https://www.ou.org/holidays/yom-kippur/halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They also wear a [[tallit]] (prayer shawl), which is typically worn only during morning services.<ref name=MJL>{{cite web |url=http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/prayer-services-for-yom-kippur/ |title=My Jewish Learning – Prayer Services |access-date=May 22, 2017 |author=Rabbi Daniel Kohn |archive-date=31 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531023039/http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/prayer-services-for-yom-kippur/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Order of prayers===
Before the beginning of Yom Kippur, many Jews recite the optional {{Lang|he-latn|Tefillah Zakkah}} ('the pure prayer'), in which (among other topics) one declares that they forgive anyone who has harmed them in the past, "except for damages which can be recovered in court, and except for those who say: I will harm him and he will forgive me", asks God not to punish anyone who has been so forgiven, and asks God to show similar graciousness in forgiving their own sins.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.betipulnet.co.il/particles/%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%96%D7%9B%D7%94_%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%94_%D7%91%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%A2%D7%AA_%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D |title=תפילה זכה- רשימה בהשפעת יום הכיפורים |access-date=8 May 2023 |archive-date=8 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508140842/https://www.betipulnet.co.il/particles/%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%96%D7%9B%D7%94_%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%94_%D7%91%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%A2%D7%AA_%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D |url-status=live }}</ref>

Like all Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur begins in the evening, and the evening prayer ({{Lang|he-latn|Maariv}}) is preceded by the special Kol Nidre (described [[#Kol Nidre|below]]) prayer.

The next morning, the morning prayer ({{Lang|he-latn|Shacharit}}) is recited. The Torah reading is from {{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16|HE}}, describing the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]] and the laws of the day. The Yom Kippur Torah reading is divided into six portions, and seven on the Sabbath. The [[Haftarah]] is from {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|57:14-58:14|HE}}, according to which God will ignore the prayers of one who fasts while continuing to perform evil deeds. In most communities, [[Yizkor]] is then recited.

Next is the added prayer ({{Lang|he-latn|Mussaf}}) as on all other holidays. The highlight of this prayer is the [[Avodah (Yom Kippur)|Avodah]] recitation, where the prayer leader recounts the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]] by which the [[High Priest of Israel|High Priest]] would once obtain atonement from God in the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]. Other notable additions to Yom Kippur Mussaf in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite include the [[Unetanneh Tokef]] and [[Ten Martyrs]] poems.

While the original custom was for the Yom Kippur prayer service to take the entire day with no break, in recent years some have instituted a short break after Mussaf before the next prayers, which last until the conclusion of the fast.

Next is the afternoon prayer ({{Lang|he-latn|Mincha}}) and a Torah reading. The [[Haftarah]] that follows is the entire [[Book of Jonah]], which has as its theme the story of God's willingness to forgive those who repent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=מחזור ר"ה-יוה"כ-סוכות - דניאל גולדשמיד|page=12|url=https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=22323&st=&pgnum=12|access-date=2022-09-30|website=www.hebrewbooks.org|archive-date=1 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001112310/https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=22323&st=&pgnum=12|url-status=live}}</ref> The service concludes with the ''[[Ne'ila]]'' ("closing") prayer, which begins shortly before sunset, when the "gates of prayer" will be closed. After Ne'ila, Yom Kippur comes to an end with a recitation of ''[[Shema Yisrael]]'' and the blowing of the ''[[shofar]]'',<ref name=ja/> which marks the conclusion of the fast<ref name=MJL /> and symbolizes freedom from sin.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-07-18/ |title=Peninei Halakha: 18. Declaring Faith and Blowing the Shofar |date=6 May 2014 |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618125747/https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/15-07-18/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Finally, the brief weekday Maariv prayer is recited, before the recitation of [[Havdalah]].

===Kol Nidre===
{{Main|Kol Nidre}}
Before sunset on Yom Kippur eve, worshipers gather in the [[synagogue]]. The cantor stands with two community members at his sides, and chants the [[Kol Nidre]] prayer (Aramaic: כל נדרי, English translation: 'All [[vow]]s').  It is recited in a dramatic manner, before the open ark, with an Ashkenazic melody that dates back to the 16th century.<ref>{{cite news |last=Green |first=David B. |url=https://www.haaretz.com/culture/books/lawrence-a-hoffman-and-the-message-of-kol-nidre-1.386780 |title=Lawrence A. Hoffman and the message of Kol Nidre |newspaper=Haaretz |date=September 26, 2011 |access-date=September 14, 2013 |archive-date=30 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930075359/http://www.haaretz.com/culture/books/lawrence-a-hoffman-and-the-message-of-kol-nidre-1.386780 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kol Nidre is recited in [[Aramaic]], except in the [[Italian Nusach|Italian]] and [[Romaniote Jews|Romaniote]] rites where it is recited in Hebrew.

<blockquote>All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur (in some versions: which we took between last Yom Kippur and this Yom Kippur), we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.<ref>Translation of Philip Birnbaum, from ''High Holiday Prayer Book'', Hebrew Publishing Company, NY, 1951</ref></blockquote>

Then the service continues with the evening prayers ({{Lang|he-latn|Maariv}}) and an extended [[Selichot]] service.<ref name=dg/>

=== Avodah ===
{{Main|Avodah (Yom Kippur)}}
The {{Lang|he-latn|Avodah}} ('service') passage in the Musaf prayer recounts in detail the [[Yom Kippur Temple service]] which was once performed in the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]. This passage traditionally features prominently in both the liturgy and the religious thought of the holiday.<ref name="ja"/> During its recitation, Jews "imagine themselves in place of the priests when the Temple stood".<ref>[[David HaLevi Segal|Taz]], [[Orach Chaim]] 413:4</ref>

This traditional prominence is rooted in the [[Babylonian Talmud]]'s description of how to attain atonement following the destruction of the Temple in tractate Yoma. The recitation poetically describes the High Priest's confessions of his and the people's sins, his entry into the [[Holy of Holies]], his sending away of the [[scapegoat]], and all other parts of this day's complex Temple service.<ref name=dg>Daniel Goldschmidt, [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=22323 Machzor leyamim noraim] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507133229/https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=22323 |date=7 May 2023 }}</ref> A variety of liturgical poems are added, including a poem recounting the radiance of the High Priest after exiting the Holy of Holies, as well as prayers for the speedy rebuilding of the [[Third Temple|Temple]] and the restoration of [[korban|sacrificial worship]].

In most Orthodox and some Conservative synagogues, the entire congregation [[prostration|prostrates]] themselves at each point in the recitation where the [[Kohen Gadol|High Priest]] would pronounce [[Tetragrammaton|God's holiest name]] (during recitation of 
{{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:30|HE}}).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-06-29|first=Shlomo|last=Riskin|title=The High Priest's Yom Kippur Temple Service|url=https://www.ou.org/holidays/the_high_priests_temple_service/|access-date=2022-09-30|website=Orthodox Union|language=en|archive-date=30 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930152628/https://www.ou.org/holidays/the_high_priests_temple_service/|url-status=live}}</ref> These three times, plus in some congregations the ''[[Aleinu]]'' prayer during the [[Musaf]] [[Amidah]] on Yom Kippur and [[Rosh Hashanah]], are the only times in [[Jewish services]] when Jews engage in prostration (except for some [[Yemenite Jews]] and {{Lang|he-latn|talmidei haRambam}} ('disciples of [[Maimonides]]') who may prostrate themselves on other occasions during the year).

Orthodox liturgies include prayers lamenting the inability to perform the Temple service and petitioning for its restoration, which Conservative synagogues generally omit. In some Conservative synagogues, only the ''[[Hazzan]]'' (cantor) engages in full prostration. Some Conservative synagogues abridge the recitation of the Avodah service to varying degrees, and some omit it entirely. [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist]] services omit the entire service as inconsistent with modern sensibilities.

===Confession===
As confession is a core aspect of repentance,<ref>Maimonides, [[Mishneh Torah]], Laws of Teshuva 1:1</ref> confession (or {{Lang|he-latn|vidui}}) is a major part of the Yom Kippur prayer services. A confession is recited ten times on Yom Kippur, twice in each of the five standard prayers. In each prayer service, the confession is recited once by the individual in their silent prayer, and again communally during the cantor's repetition of the Amidah. (The {{Lang|he-latn|Maariv}} prayer has no repetition, so the second confession is instead recited in the communal [[Selichot]] recitation which follows the silent prayer.) Confession is recited an 11th time by individuals in the Mincha prayer of Yom Kippur eve, before the beginning of the holiday, and in some communities this is repeated by the Chazzan.

The Yom Kippur confession text consists of two parts: a [[Confession (Judaism)#Ashamnu, the short confession|short confession]] beginning with the word {{Lang|hbo-latn|Ashamnu}} ({{Lang|hbo|{{Script|Hebrew|אשמנו}}|rtl=yes}}, 'we have sinned'), which is a series of words describing sin arranged according to the {{Lang|he-latn|aleph-bet}} (Hebrew alphabetic order), and a [[Confession (Judaism)#Al Cheyt, the long confession|long confession]], beginning with the words {{Lang|hbo-latn|Al Cheyt}} ({{Lang|hbo|{{Script|Hebrew|על חטא}}|rtl=yes}}, 'for the sin'), which is a set of 22 [[acrostic]]s, in some communities double acrostics, also arranged according to the {{Lang|he-latn|aleph-bet}}, enumerating a range of sins.<ref>The Ashkenazic machzor has a double acrostic, whereas the Italian machzor only has a single.</ref> Al Cheyt is omitted in both recitations of the confession in Neilah.

=== In Reform Judaism ===
Reform synagogues generally experience their largest attendance of the year on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah for worship services. The prayer philosophy of [[Reform Judaism|Reform]], as described in the introduction of the movement's High Holy Day prayerbook, ''Mishkan HaNefesh'', is to reflect "varied theological approaches that enable a diverse congregation to share religious experience... with a commitment to Reform tradition, as well as [to] the larger Jewish tradition." A central feature of these Reform services is the rabbinic sermon. "For more than a century and a half in the Reform Movement," writes Rabbi [[Lance J. Sussman|Lance Sussman]], "High Holiday sermons were among the most anticipated events in synagogue life, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre night."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2018/08/30/why-we-need-good-sermons-now-more-ever |title=Why We Need Good Sermons Now More Than Ever |access-date=2018-09-12 |archive-date=2018-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912210041/https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2018/08/30/why-we-need-good-sermons-now-more-ever |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Observance ==
As one of the most culturally significant Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is observed by many [[Jewish culture|secular Jews]] who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews attend synagogue on Yom Kippur – for many secular Jews the High Holy Days are the only times of the year during which they attend synagogue<ref>Cohen, S.M.; Eisen, A.M.: ''The Jew Within: Self, Family, and Community in America'', p. 169. Indiana University Press, 2000. "For completely uninvolved Jews ... the question of synagogue attendance rarely arises. They are unlikely ever to consider the matter, except at Rosh Hashanha and Yom Kippur or to attend a bar or bat mitzvah." See also Samuel C. Heilman, Synagogue Life, 1976.</ref> – causing synagogue attendance to soar.

=== Observance in Israel ===
[[File:Yom Kippur on Highway 20 Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Ayalon Highway]] in [[Tel Aviv]], empty of cars on Yom Kippur 2004]]
Yom Kippur is a legal holiday in Israel. There are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut down, there is no public transportation, and all shops and businesses are closed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.israelinsider.com/Views/6829.htm |title=Sounds of The City |publisher=[[Israel Insider]] |date=October 14, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217055647/http://web.israelinsider.com/Views/6829.htm |archive-date=February 17, 2007 }}</ref>

In 2019, 60.5% of the Jewish people of [[Israel]] said that they were intending to fast on Yom Kippur.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-10-07 |title=Poll: Over 60% of Jewish Israelis plan to fast on Yom Kippur |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-over-60-of-jewish-israelis-to-fast-on-yom-kippur/ |access-date=2025-10-03 |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> It is very common in Israel to wish [[Jewish greetings#Holidays|''Tsom Kal'']] ([an] easy fast) or {{Lang|he-latn|Tsom Mo'il}} ([a] benefiting fast) to everyone before Yom Kippur, even if one does not know whether they will fast or not.

It is considered impolite to eat in public on Yom Kippur or to play music or to drive a motor vehicle. There is no legal prohibition on any of these, but in practice such actions are almost universally avoided in Israel during Yom Kippur,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-shutting-down-for-yom-kippur-holy-day/|title=Israel shuts down for Yom Kippur|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|date=29 September 2017 |access-date=29 June 2018|archive-date=29 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629074959/https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-shutting-down-for-yom-kippur-holy-day/|url-status=live}}</ref> except for emergency services.

Over the last few decades, bicycle-riding and inline skating on the empty streets have become common among [[Jewish culture|secular Israeli]] youths, especially on the eve of Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pri.org/stories/2009-09-28/yom-kippur-kids-and-bikes-tel-aviv |title=Public Radio International, "The World", 'Yom Kippur: Kids and Bikes in Tel Aviv' |date=14 August 2013 |publisher=Theworld.org |access-date=7 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123434/http://www.pri.org/stories/2009-09-28/yom-kippur-kids-and-bikes-tel-aviv |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1973, an air raid siren was sounded on the afternoon of Yom Kippur and radio broadcasts were resumed to alert the public to the surprise attack on Israel by Egypt and Syria that launched the [[Yom Kippur War]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=C. I. E. |date=2023-10-06 |title=Yom Kippur War Begins |url=https://israeled.org/yom-kippur-war-begins/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=CIE |language=en}}</ref>

=== Observance by athletes ===
{{Main|Observance of Yom Kippur by Jewish athletes}}

Since the early 20th century, numerous [[Jewish athletes]] have opted not to participate in their sport on Yom Kippur if a sporting event coincides with the High Holy Day. Such incidents throw into sharp highlight the conflict many [[Jewish people]] face between social pressures and personal beliefs on a daily basis. Athletes observing Yom Kippur are often lauded for their decision not to play, which is also seen as a source of pride by many in the [[Jewish community]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Koenig |first1=Avi |title=The Phenomenon Of Jewish Athletes Sitting Out On Yom Kippur |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/10/29/ny/the-phenomenon-of-jewish-athletes-sitting-out-on-yom-kippur |work=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]] |date=October 29, 2018 |access-date=15 May 2024 |archive-date=15 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515124155/https://www.jta.org/2018/10/29/ny/the-phenomenon-of-jewish-athletes-sitting-out-on-yom-kippur |url-status=live }}</ref>

The most famous example of this phenomenon is [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]] pitcher [[Sandy Koufax]] of [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], who refused to play on Yom Kippur when it clashed with Game 1 of the [[1965 World Series]] which Koufax, as the team's best pitcher, was slated to start. Koufax garnered national attention for his decision, which was seen as an example of the conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs.<ref name="yomkippur">{{cite web| title = Yom Kippur and Sandy Koufax | work = JewishSports.com | first=Sandor | last=Solomvits | url=http://www.jewishsports.com/reflections/koufax_yom.htm | access-date = August 2, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061018193520/http://www.jewishsports.com/reflections/koufax_yom.htm |archive-date = October 18, 2006}}</ref>

Similarly, another Baseball Hall of Famer, first baseman [[Hank Greenberg]], garnered national attention in 1934 when he refused to play on Yom Kippur, even though his [[1934 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] were in the middle of a [[pennant race]] and Greenberg himself was leading the league in runs batted in.<ref name="huffingtonpost1">{{cite web|author=Dreier|first=Peter|date=November 13, 2013|title=How Will Jewish Ballplayers Handle the Yom Kippur Quandry?[sic]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/how-will-jewish-ballplaye_b_3920740.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921195339/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-will-jewish-ballplaye_b_3920740|archive-date=September 21, 2019|access-date=September 14, 2013|publisher=Huffingtonpost.com}}</ref> When Greenberg arrived in synagogue on Yom Kippur, the service stopped suddenly, and the congregation gave an embarrassed Greenberg a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite news|author=Merron|first=Jeff|date=September 26, 2001|title=Green, Koufax and Greenberg – same dilemma, different decisions|publisher=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/merron_on_green.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129052852/http://www.espn.com/classic/s/merron_on_green.html|archive-date=January 29, 2019}}</ref>

The examples of Greenberg and Koufax have been followed by numerous athletes, including fellow baseball players [[Shawn Green]], [[Kevin Youkilis]], [[Brad Ausmus]], and [[Art Shamsky]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=M. Stephen|url=http://www.jewishsports.com/profiles/kevinyoukilis.htm |publisher=JewishSports.com|title=One on One with Kevin Youkilis|access-date=June 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505222031/http://jewishsports.com/profiles/kevinyoukilis.htm |archive-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gammons |first=Peter |url=https://www.espn.com/gammons/s/2001/0929/1256892.html |title=Apolitical blues |publisher=ESPN |date=September 29, 2001 |access-date=March 18, 2010 |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320194219/https://www.espn.com/gammons/s/2001/0929/1256892.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="baseballsavvy1">{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballsavvy.com/archive/w_shamsky.html |title=Where Are They Now – Art Shamsky |publisher=Baseball Savvy |date=September 14, 2004 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-date=2 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902122430/http://baseballsavvy.com/archive/w_shamsky.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Outside of baseball, notable players to sit out Yom Kippur include: football player [[Gabe Carimi]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Hirsch|first=Deborah|date=December 27, 2010|title=Gabe Carimi: Star in shul and on the football field|url=https://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/12/27/2742329/gabe-carimi-star-in-shul-and-on-the-football-field|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216121704/https://www.jta.org/2010/12/27/culture/gabe-carimi-star-in-shul-and-on-the-football-field|archive-date=December 16, 2018|access-date=February 9, 2011|publisher=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency|JTA]]}}</ref> golfer [[Laetitia Beck]],<ref name="haaretz6">{{cite news |last=Saval |first=Malina |url=https://www.haaretz.com/weekend/anglo-file/golf-israelis-abroad-beck-follows-in-koufax-s-footsteps-1.389802 |title=Golf / Israelis abroad / Beck follows in Koufax's footsteps |newspaper=Haaretz |date=October 14, 2011 |access-date=September 17, 2013 |archive-date=29 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929065136/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/anglo-file/golf-israelis-abroad-beck-follows-in-koufax-s-footsteps-1.389802 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Soclof |first=Adam |url=https://www.jta.org/2011/10/07/the-archive-blog/the-original-sandy-koufax-of-womens-golf |title=The original Sandy Koufax of women's golf |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=October 7, 2011 |access-date=September 17, 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927101053/http://www.jta.org/2011/10/07/the-archive-blog/the-original-sandy-koufax-of-womens-golf |url-status=live }}</ref> chess player [[Boris Gelfand]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/gelfand-and-grischuk-winners-in-4th-round-london-grand-prix |title=Gelfand and Grischuk winners in 4th round London Grand Prix |publisher=ChessVibes |access-date=September 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926150544/http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/gelfand-and-grischuk-winners-in-4th-round-london-grand-prix |archive-date=September 26, 2013 }}</ref> and professional wrestler [[Bill Goldberg]].<ref name="Handler">{{cite web |last=Handler |first=Judd |url=http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/cover_may05.html |title=The Hebrew Hulk |work=[[San Diego Jewish Journal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003163700/http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/cover_may05.html |archive-date=October 3, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Reilly1">{{Cite magazine |author=Rick Reilly |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/2000/06/06/life_of_reilly/ |title=Wrestling with Their Son's Career |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=13 October 2020 |archive-date=3 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903141832/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/2000/06/06/life_of_reilly/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Recognition by the United Nations ===
Since 2016 the [[United Nations]] has officially recognized Yom Kippur, stating that from then on no official meetings would take place on the day.<ref name="taltrachtmanalroy">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/world/united-nations-yom-kippur-holiday/|title=U.N. recognizes Yom Kippur as official holiday|author=Tal Trachtman Alroy|date=19 December 2015|work=CNN.com|access-date=19 December 2015|archive-date=23 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223121613/http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/world/united-nations-yom-kippur-holiday/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the United Nations stated that, beginning in 2016, they would have nine official holidays and seven floating holidays of which each employee would be able to choose one.<ref name="taltrachtmanalroy"/> It stated that the floating holidays will be Yom Kippur, Day of [[Vesak]], [[Diwali]], [[Gurpurab]], [[Orthodox Christmas]], Orthodox [[Good Friday]], and [[Presidents' Day]].<ref name="taltrachtmanalroy"/> This was the first time the United Nations officially recognized any Jewish holiday.<ref name="taltrachtmanalroy"/>

== Date of Yom Kippur ==
{{See also|Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050}}
Yom Kippur falls each year on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is nine days after the first day of [[Rosh Hashanah]]. In terms of the [[Gregorian calendar]], the earliest date on which Yom Kippur can fall is September 14, as happened most recently in 1899 and 2013. The latest Yom Kippur can occur relative to the Gregorian dates is on October 14, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. After 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will result in Yom Kippur falling no earlier than September 15.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oztorah.com/2010/07/an-early-rosh-hashanah-ask-the-rabbi/ |title=Rosh HaShanah and the Gregorian calendar |publisher=Oztorah.com |access-date=September 12, 2012 |archive-date=30 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330125058/http://www.oztorah.com/2010/07/an-early-rosh-hashanah-ask-the-rabbi/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Gregorian calendar dates for recent and upcoming Yom Kippur holidays are:

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* {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{LASTYEAR|2}}}}
* {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{LASTYEAR}}}}
* {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}}
* {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}}
* {{Moveable date |holiday=Yom Kippur |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}}
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==See also==
* {{anl|Ashura}}
* {{anl|Break fast}}
* {{anl|Good Friday}}
* {{anl|Lent}}
* {{anl|Ramadan}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Wiktionary|Yom Kippur}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.feldheim.com/pathway-to-prayer-rosh-hashanah-and-yom-kippur-sephardic-custom.html/ Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayers for Sephardic Jews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511213057/http://www.feldheim.com/pathway-to-prayer-rosh-hashanah-and-yom-kippur-sephardic-custom.html/ |date=11 May 2021 }}
* [http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/rosh_hashana/index.asp?WT.mc_id=wiki From Our Collections: Marking the New Year] – Online exhibition from Yad Vashem on the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur before, during, and after the Holocaust
* [https://www.hebcal.com/ Dates for Yom Kippur]
* [https://www.tefilah.com.au/lesson/kol-nidrei/ Yom Kippur Prayers sung by Chazzanim]
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yom-Kippur More information on Yom Kippur]

{{Jewish holidays}}
{{High Holidays}}
<!--- Yom Kippur is not a US Holiday, like July 4th {{US Holidays}} -->

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Yom Kippur| ]]
[[Category:Book of Leviticus]]
[[Category:Tishrei observances]]