Signification and celebration of Yom Kipour, a call
to reconciliation with G-d and ones neighbor
יום כיפור
Yom
Kippur, יום כיפור means
"Day of expiation". It occurs on the tenth day of the month of
Tishrei and puts an end to the "Ten Days of Awe" which are the
days of repentance that start on the first day of the month of
Tishrei, for Rosh Hashana. Each one is called on this special
day to think about the year that passed and to submit to G-d.
Leviticus
16:29-34 "It is to be a permanent regulation for you that
on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves
and not do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner
living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you
to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins.
It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny
yourselves. "This is a permanent regulation. The cohen anointed
and consecrated to be cohen in his father's place will make the
atonement; he will put on the linen garments, the holy garments;
he will make atonement for the Especially Holy Place; he will
make atonement for the tent of meeting and the altar; and he will
make atonement for the cohanim and for all the people of the community.
This is a permanent regulation for you, to make atonement for
the people of Isra'el because of all their sins once a year."
Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him.
Leviticus 23:32 It will be for you a Shabbat
of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest
on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until
the following evening."
Both
the citizen and the foreigner were called to repent together.
The
role of the Cohen Gadol was very important on this day because
it was the only moment of the year that he would come into the
Holy of Holies with incense to expiate for the sins of the people.
Clothed
in white linen garments, he would officiate before the holy Presence
of G-d. The blood of the sacrificed bull was sprinkled seven times
before the holy Ark after that the Kohen had entered with incense.
Two
goats were chosen and lots were cast to design one goat for the
L-rd and the second as a scapegoat for Azazel to carry the sins
of the whole people. After placing the lots upon the goats, the
High Priest tied a length of crimson-dyed wool between the horns
of the scapegoat and a man was designed to lead the scapegoat
to the desert.
The
Kohen would confess the people's sins laying his hands on the
scapegoat. This confession of sins was called "vidduy"
The
scapegoat was then sent to the desert, carrying all the sins of
the people. Up to the Jewish Tradition, the scapegoat, once arrived
at Azazel Mount, was pushed down the cliff. The man in charge
of this mission cut the crimson-dyed wool and tied one on a rock
and the other one to the horns of the animal. At the Temple
time, the crimson-dyed wool was also tied at the door of the Temple
and would become white at the death of the scapegoat. The people
knew that he was forgiven, but sometimes it would stay red.
Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, "says ADONAI, "let's
talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they
will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will
be like wool.
The
Shabbat before Yom Kippur is called Shabbat shuva : a Shabbat of repentance and return. It is
called so in relation with the Prophet portion reading of this
day:
Hosea 14:2 (14:3) Take words with you, and
return shuva שׁוּבָה
to ADONAI; say to him, "Forgive all guilt, and accept what is
good; we will pay instead of bulls (the offerings of) our lips.
Hebrews 13:15 Through him, therefore, let
us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the
natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.
This
Shabbat is special because it is a day to give honor to the Creator
and also a repentance day: the letters of the word שבת
are
included in those of the word tshuva תשובה,
which means "return, repentance": this Shabbat is thus an appropriate
day for repentance. We are called to repent in a deep way, not
quickly but in order to change completely of direction to come
back to the right direction.
How
does it concern us as believers in the One whom blood was better
than the one of the goats and bulls to wash us from any impurity?
Hebrews 9:11-14 But when the Messiah appeared
as cohen gadol of the good things that are happening already,
then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not man-made
(that is, it is not of this created world), he entered the Holiest
Place once and for all. And he entered not by means of the blood
of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting
people free forever. For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons
with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores
their outward purity; then how much more the blood of the Messiah,
who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God as a sacrifice
without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead
to death, so that we can serve the living God!
Glory
to G-d ! He granted us the eternal forgiveness of our mistakes
and gives us the mean to repent each day, if we wish, for His
Spirit convinces us of sin. He is our great Kohen Who intercedes
each day on our behalf.
Yeshua
fulfilled everything: He set us free from slavery of sin at Pesach
and forgave our sins at Kippur. He was both the lamb and the scapegoat
sent for Azazel for us. His shed blood brought eternal reconciliation
with the Father.
As
we commemorate the Feast of deliverance by grace at Pesach, we
also commemorate the forgiveness by grace at Kippur !
All
those feasts speak of Yeshua and tell us of His work : Pessach,
this of deliverance, Shavuot, this of the giving of the Holy Spirit,
Rosh Hashana, this of His coming back, Yom Kippur, this of His
forgiveness, and Shabbat, this of the double portion of the Living
Bread !
The
day of Yom Kippur is consecrated as a double Shabbat, Shabbat
Shabbaton in order to celebrate this mostly holy day when
Yeshua destroyed the deeds of the devil and granted us access
to the holiness of G-d. May His name be blessed forever !
Leviticus 16:31 It is a Shabbat of complete
rest shabbat shabbaton שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן
for you, and you are to deny yourselves. "This is a permanent
regulation.
Let's
take the opportunity of this special Godly ordained time, for
both the citizen and the foreigner, to check ourselves and fix
any damage done to our neighbor and to dedicate ourselves one
more time. We should ask forgiveness to the ones we could have
offended during the year and forgive those who have offended us.
May
our names be forever written in the Book of Life of the Lamb !
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, both
great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened;
and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were
judged from what was written in the books, according to what they
had done.
Celebration
of the Feast:
The
fast starts at evening and finishes the next evening. No food
and no drink are allowed.
The
traditional prayers at the synagogue are :
-
Kol
nidrei, at the eve of Kippur : a prayer meant to break all
vain vows during the year.
-
Vidduy :
the confession of sins
-
The
Torah readings are Leviticus 16, Numbers 22 :7-11, and the
prophet Jonas.
-
Neila :
prayer done at the end of the fast to close the day.
|
