Judaism is a monotheistic religion, following the beliefs given by God which are shown and recorded through the Torah, the main Jewish sacred text, as well as the Hebrew Bible and sacred writings. Many festivals are celebrated in the Jewish religion, but one of the key events of the Jewish calendar is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is one of the two holidays celebrated in the high holidays. The high holidays occur around late September to early October, although the dates change every year. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah both make up these holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, as the calendar is lunar based, and then it is followed by Yom Kippur ten days later. These ten days are for repentance. This is an opportunity to reflect on one's transgressions and sins over the past year. Once ten days have passed, Yom Kippur occurs. This is the most important and holy day of the Jewish calendar. It is called the Day of Atonement or the ‘Sabbath of Sabbaths' according to Jewish Festivals. A Jew must think about their lives, pray at Synagogue, and ask for forgiveness so they can go into the new year with no sins. To do this, the Torah commands no Jew (with the exception of the sick, the elderly and women who have just given birth) can do any sort of work, eat food or drink water for 25 hours, from sunset of one day to sunset of the next day. The purpose of this is to prevent people from focusing on their material and superficial property and to instead focus on their relationship with God and atoning for their sins. Before the first sunset, there is a pre-Yom Kippur feast, where people gather for a meal to gain strength before fasting. Throughout the day many special texts, songs, and customs are spoken at Synagogue. It is also ‘customary for Jews to dress in white as it is a symbol of purity', according to Religious Studies A in Judaism. Charity work is often common as it is a good way to atone for their sins. Five prayer services take place on this day. The blowing of a shofar, or a ram's horn, is used to signify the end of the fast. Once the fast has been broken, people join for a large meal with family and friends.
A key belief that Jews believe in, expressed through all sacred texts, including the Torah, and through all prayers and practices, is the belief that God is omnipotent and all-powerful, as he is the only one. Since Judaism is a monotheistic religion it is important that this belief is reinforced. This belief surrounds the fact that God has the ability and power to deliver justice to those who follow his rules and punish those who disobey him. The core belief comes from God's creation of the world and how he has power over his people. Yom Kippur has direct links to this core belief, as the holiday's purpose is to seek forgiveness for their sins. It is stated in the Torah in Leviticus 17:11 that 'The soul (Nefesh) of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement for your souls.' This outlines how God has the power to give one the opportunity to atone their sins and receive forgiveness from him. It shows that he is the only one powerful enough to forgive, punish or reward someone. Therefore, Yom Kippur is so important, as it the only way to get God's forgiveness by removing all superficial items and replacing them with prayer and sacrifice for a day. This holiday also outlines how sacred and important this holiday is, as 'God's name was so sacred to the Jews that it was pronounced only once a year by the high priest when giving the blessing on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.', as stated in Lev. 23:27. Yom Kippur is a time where Jews reflect on God's omnipotence and try to receive forgiveness from him as they recognise his power. By fasting it allows one to reflect on God's power to forgive their sins.
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By celebrating festivals such as Yom Kippur it allows someone who practices Judaism to strengthen the relationship between the outer dimensions and inner dimensions of the religion, or the practice and beliefs. One way how the two dimensions affect each other is through practice regulation and the maintaining of the religion. For example, the inner dimensions and beliefs impact how one acts in a situation that correlates to that belief. For example, in Judaism, it is customary not to eat pork. This belief that pork is ‘unclean' impacts the outer dimension and practice as it does not follow the Kosher diet. This is a way of regulating that belief and ensuring that the belief is maintained. By continuously practicing a certain ritual or practice it strengthens the belief and is a way of staying true to the religion as it is a regular thing to do. Another way the relationship between outer dimensions and inner dimensions affect each other is about the spiritual maturity of a person. By practicing a certain ritual, it allows the person to gain a deeper understanding of their belief and how to grow as a person in the eyes of their religion from that. Through the practices of a religion, one can develop a greater appreciation for the belief as they have learnt more from others who also practice it. For example, if young Jew just thought Hanukkah was about exchanging gifts, through more practicing of the festival and by being informed by others they can learn about the depth of the belief that surrounds Hanukkah, therefore gaining spiritual maturity.
Bibliography
- ADL authors, ‘5 things to know about the Jewish High Holidays, https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/5-things-to-know-about-the-jewish-high-holidays, 16/10/19, 2019
- Fleming, M., Religious Studies A in Judaism, UK, Oxford University Press, 2016
- History.com Editors, ‘Yom Kippur’, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/yom-kippur-history, 15/10/19, 2009
- Torossian, R., ‘Yom Kippur Meaning and Quotes’, https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/yom-kippur-meaning-and-quotes/, 15/10/19, 2013
- Wood, A. Jewish Festivals, Great Britain, Heinemann Publishers, 1995
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