Yom Kippur: When a Nation Repents
Today is no ordinary day for the people of Israel. The frantic hubbub on city streets as a country goes about its morning routine on the first day of the week is more subdued, more focused. The reason is simple. The nation prepares for the Sabbath of Sabbaths…
Schools, universities and offices send students and employees home early. Shops, markets and restaurants shut their doors tight at around noonday. Busses and trains carry their last passengers to their destination long before dusk. Traffic die down to a trickle and then disappear altogether from the usually congested highways and streets. Radio and television stations wish their listeners and viewers an “easy fast” before shutting down for the next 25 hours.
Then, right before the sun slips behind the white walls of Jerusalem, a holy hush falls over the Land of Promise, as sundown ushers in Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)—the holiest day of the year for the people of Israel.
The Jewish nation is not the only ones who view Yom Kippur as sacred. Leviticus 23:26–27a tells us that this biblical festival is also holy to God. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls…’”
Today, thousands of years after God gave Moses these instructions, the people of Israel are once again preparing for God’s appointed time as per His directives: by afflicting their souls. This entails abstaining from all fleshy comforts—including all food or drink—and fasting and praying for a 25-hour period.
The purpose of Yom Kippur is explained in Leviticus 23:28, “… for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.”
In biblical times, this was the only day per year on which the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies where the presence of the Almighty dwelt. There, the High Priest would call upon the name of God, offering a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins on behalf of the people of Israel. Yom Kippur is thus a special day of repentance.
Today is no different. Yom Kippur is a day of self-assessment and repentance of the sins of the past year. Synagogues throughout Israel are usually filled to capacity and snatches of prayers can be heard drifting through the quiet streets all day.
Throughout the ages, Yom Kippur has acted as a unifying and regenerating factor for the Jewish people. Regardless of physical location, conviction or belief, the Day of Atonement stirs a spark in the heart of many a Jew.
The same holds true today. Despite the severity of the fast—with complete abstinence from any food or liquids for more than 24 hours—the majority of Israelis chooses to observe Yom Kippur.
The awe and reverence that wraps itself around the country and its people on this day is spectacular to behold. For many, the concept of an entire country and its people grinding to a complete standstill to seek God’s face in repentance—in answer to an ancient command—is unheard of. Yet that is exactly what happens today, millennia after the Almighty shared His heart with the great, great, great grandparents of those who still choose to obey today.
While the Day of Atonement is observed with the awe and reverence due a day so sacred to both the people and the God of Israel, there is also an element of joyous expectation that comes with this feast. In fact, some in Israel refer to it as the happiest day of the year. The reason is simple: on Yom Kippur, the Almighty graciously bestows undeserved atonement to His people.
As the city outside grows quiet and a holy hush descends over the nation and Israel prepares to afflict their souls according to the instructions their ancestors received from God Himself, we join our hearts with the Jewish people as a nation repents.