What is Religious History Made Up Of?

Yom Kippur, also referred to as the Day of Atonement, is one of the two High Holy Days for the Jews, the first one being the Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur takes place ten days after the Rosh Hashanah. It falls on the 10^th of Tishrei. Tishrei is the Hebrew month that happens around September to October.

The main purpose of this day is to reconcile people and God. According to the beliefs of the Jews, this is the day when the fate of each person is decided upon by God. While it’s an intense holiday, many still see it as a happy celebration, as it is when people who observe the tradition well, are able to make peace not only with God but also with other people.

This holiday has three primary parts: Teshuvah, prayer, and fasting. Teshuvah, which means repentance, is an integral part of the Yom Kippur. The ten days from the Rosh Hashanah up to the Day of Atonement are otherwise known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this time, Jews go to people they have offended to ask for their forgiveness. This enables them to start their new year with a clean conscience.

If the other party does not grant the forgiveness requested, the person should ask at least two more times. According to the rabbis, people should not withhold their forgiveness especially for offenses that did not bring about any irreversible damage.

Many people believe that their sins from the past year can be forgiven by God through prayer and fasting. But Jewish traditions say that only the sins made against God can be forgiven through these methods. Because of that, if a person commits an offense against another person, he/she must ask forgiveness to the one he/she offended before participating in the services during the Yom Kippur.

Another essential part of the Yom Kippur is prayer. The Day of Atonement is actually the Jewish year’s longest synagogue service that starts on the eve of Yom Kippur. The song entitled Kol Nidre (All Vows) signals the start of the prayer. The prayer is called Al Khet and is repeated to ask forgiveness for sins committed during the previous year. Moreover, the celebration also includes 25 hours of fasting. Although there are other fasting days in the Jewish calendar, the Yom Kippur fast is the most important to observe according to the Torah.