>> holiday 101 Day Of Atonement Yom Kippur is a time of affliction. Elizabeth Applebaum Special to the Jewish News When This year, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Friday, Oct. 7, and lasts though Saturday, Oct. 8. What The Holiday Is About Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement (yom in Hebrew means "day:' and kip- pur means "atonement"), the day we seek expiation for our sins. 1 : $2.00 r r r $1.00 Off Purchase of $10.00 or more I Not valid with any other offer Not valid on breakfast specials With coupon fr• I Exp 10/30/11 II II II II Off 10% Off Your Purchase of $20.00 I I or more I I I Not valid with any other offer I Not valid on breakfast specials With coupon I I I I Exp 10/30/11 I I Total Bill I Not valid with any other offer I Not valid on breakfast specials I I With coupon I Exp 10/30/11 L Open 7 days a week for breakfast lunch and dinner www.leosconeyisland.com Leo's Grand RiverlOcation is available for your next special:occasion. Up to 200 people, no charge for the room and pick from Leo's regular menu or from our catering menu featuring, wing dings, ribs, shish kebobs, pizza and full bar service 40380 Grand; River between Haggerty a , Meadowbrook 248-615-2102 ofifrfri4, Banquets Weddings Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Shoc Reunions Anniversaries Birthdays WE CATER AT MOST SYNAGOGUES, TEMPLES, HOTELS AND THE HALLS OF YOUR C ICE Weeleete- geett-rvici JEWEL CLASSIC CUISINE Approved by Council of Orthodox Rabbis KOSHER CATERERS PHILIP TREL, rood & Beverage Director 248-661-4050 Farmington gills Log on to aloniine.us giveaways • forums • calendars VISIT JNonlinems 54 October 6 • 2011 iN Why We Celebrate The commandment to observe Yom Kippur is found in the Torah: Leviticus 16:29, and Numbers 29:7. Further expansion on the holiday is in Levitivus 16:30-34, 23:26-32, and Numbers 29:8-11. Rites and Rituals The commandment to observe Yom Kippur states that the Jews shall "afflict" themselves. The ancient rabbis interpreted this to mean five things: no food or drink, no wearing leather shoes, no bathing for pleasure, no mar- ital relations and no anointing with oils (in ancient times, people used oil to clean, soften and perfume the skin). The prohibition against food and drink includes chewing gum and smoking. Persons on a regimen of medication should consult with their rabbi for the proper procedure for tak- ing medicine. Like all Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur includes extra prayers and a Torah reading. The prayers of Yom Kippur, however — for all services — are the longest of any day in the year. In many congregations, the recitation of prayers takes up the better part of the day. A significant feature of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the vidui, or con- fession. This consists of two parts: Ashamnu ("We have trespassed"), an alphabetically arranged list of sins, and Al Chet ("For the sin"), a long inventory of transgressions, accompa- nied by beating of the breast. The con- fession is recited at all of the services of Yom Kippur. Along with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur is the only day we prostrate ourselves in prayer, in a modified form, as was done in the days of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The prostration is done during the can- tor's repetition of the Musaf service. Prostration is performed by kneeling and touching the forehead to the floor. Yom Kippur includes two unique prayer services: the famous Kol Nidre, which begins Yom Kippur and in which we nullify all personal vows for the coming year, and Neilah, which closes the holiday. Unlike Rosh Hashanah, we do not blow the shofar during Yom Kippur. Instead, the holi- day ends with a shofar blast. Thematic Significance Yom Kippur is regarded as the day that God seals the decision God made on Rosh Hashanah regarding the fate of every person. The image created for the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the Book of Life in which appears the name of every human. On Rosh Hashanah, God decides the fate of each person; and on Yom Kippur, God seals it. Although it is generally said that Yom Kippur — unlike other holidays such as Pesach, Shavuot, Chanukah and Purim — does not commemorate a historical event, traditionally, we believe that Yom Kippur is the anni- versary of God's forgiving the Jewish people their first disastrous, national sin: the infamous episode of the golden calf. Moses chastised the people, destroyed the tablets of the Torah given by God and went back up the mountain a second time to pray for God's forgiveness, and to receive new tablets (Exodus 32:30-35). He returned to the encampment and then ascended the mountain a third time (Exodus 34). This reckoned as the first day of Elul, the month immediately preced- ing Rosh Hashanah. Moses prayed for God to grant the Jewish people complete atonement. After 40 days, God erased the col- lective sin of the Jews, and Moses returned to the people with new tab- lets of the Torah on the 10th of Tishrei, Yom Kippur. Customs and Traditions It is traditional on Yom Kippur to wear white to remind us of our morality because burial shrouds are white, and also as a symbol of purity because we hope that God will forgive our sins and restore us to lives of virtue. It is customary to greet one another with: Gmar chatimah tovah ("May your fate be sealed for the good"); some people shorten the greeting to Gmar tov. I 1