Funmunch Home


 
 
Since the first of Elul, more than a month before Yom Kippur, all of the customs, traditions, introspection, prayers, even foods, have been a kind of dress rehearsal for Yom Kippur: the day Jewish fate is sealed.
 

Preparation for Yom Kippur begins the day before :-
 
Atonements
The ancient custom of Kapparot, or atonements, used to be practiced the afternoon before Yom Kippur. It involved swinging a live chicken around one's head and reciting the following prayer:

This is my change, this is my compensation, this is my redemption. This Rooster is going to be killed, and I shall enter upon a long, happy and peaceful life

When the rite was completed, the chicken was slaughtered and given to the poor. Because of the ceremony's seeming magical undertones, it ultimately drew rabbinic disaproval. Today, instead of waving a chicken, those who practice kapparot, put some money in a handkerchief, swing it around, and then donate it to charity.

 
Confession
The viddui, or confessional, is said during the afternoon prayers on the day before Yom Kippur. It is a custom for men to wear white. Although the vidui is repeated throughout Yom Kippur, it was thought that if one should die later that day, perhaps over something eaten before the fast, one would have already recited the confessional and sought forgiveness.
 
Seudah Ha-Mafseket
The final meal. Since Yom Kippur is the toughest fast day of the Jewish calendar, (about 25 hours) the rabbis thought to add a little festivity to the day before. The Talmud, in Tractate Yoma (81b), says that just as it is a mitzvah to fast on the tenth of Tishri, so is it a mitzvah to eat on the ninth.

The meal, which is similar to a traditional Sabbath meal, with soup and chicken, takes place before sunset and before synagogue services. Kiddush, the prayer over wine, is not recited, but the blessing over challah, taditional Jewish bread, is:

Baruch ata adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, hamotzei lechem, meen ha'aretz.
Blesses are you king of the universe who delivers forth bread from the earth.

During this last meal, salty foods, which may make the fast harder, are avoided. Drink plenty of water, and don't forget to wash and brush your teeth before beginning the fast. If you drink a lot of caffeine, it is a good idea to start cutting down at least one week beforeYom Kippur to avoid headaches from caffeine withdrawal.
 
Memorial Lights
In memory of parents who are deceased, special candles that burn throughout Yom Kippur are lit. Then the two holiday candles are lit and blessed. This lighting signals the beginning of Yom Kippur, which means no eating or drinking from this point.

First Blessing: Baruch ata adonai elohaynu melech haolam, asher keedshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadleek ner shel (shabbat) yom hakeepureem.

Blessed are You Adonai, Eternal One, Who enables us to welcome (shabbat) Yom Kippur by kindling these lights

Second Blessing: Baruch ata adonai elohaynu melech haolam, shehehayanu, v'keeyomanu v'higeeyanu laz'man hazeh.

Blessed are You Adonai, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and encouraged us to observe this day.

          Blessings over Children: Before leaving for the synagogue, it is custom to bless one's children.

May G-d make you like (for a boy) Ephraim and Menasseh, (for a girl) like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. May G-d bless you and safeguard you. May G-d illuminate his countenance for you and be gracious to you. May G-d turn his countenance to you and establish peace for you.
 
Five Prohibitions
Once the holiday candles are lit, Yom Kippur and its five prohibitions take effect. From sunset to sunset, there is
  • no eating or drinking;
  • no bathing;
  • no using creams or oils;
  • no wearing leather shoes;
  • and no sexual relations.

However, children not yet bar or bat-mitzvah, women who are pregnant or nursing, and anyone who is sick or infirm, may eat and drink as needed.  (Consult with a rabbi to be certain you qualify for an exemption.)