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Parasha Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): The Fast He Has Set Before Us

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It is traditionally believed that God’s judgment is pronounced yearly on Rosh Hashanah, and that this judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur יוֹם כִּפּוּר (or Yom HaKippurim)—The Day of Atonement, which is so important that is traditionally considered the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The central themes of Yom Kippur are atonement and repentance. These are the focus of intensive prayers, both corporate and personal, throughout the whole day in the synagogue. It is common practice to observe a total fast on Yom Kippur lasting 25 hours. The Hebrew word for fast is tzom (צום), but that is not the word that appears in the commandments regarding Yom Kippur; rather, we are commanded to “afflict our souls.”

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Tisha B’Av: The Greatest Tragedy in Jewish History

Tonight, as the sun sets and the holy day of Tisha B'Av (the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av) begins, the Jewish People will commemorate the greatest tragedy in Jewish history—the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Religious Jews will gather together to mourn the destruction of the Temples and to read the Book of Lamentations aloud in synagogues around the world, as well as at the Kotel (Wailing Wall).

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