What to Know About Yom Kippur Prayers

Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is taken into account the holiest day of the yr in Judaism. It takes place 9 days after Rosh Hashanah, the opposite Jewish Excessive Vacation. For working towards Jews, these “Ten Days of Repentance” are a time for prayer and reflection. This yr, Yom Kippur begins at sunset on Sunday, September 24, 2023 and ends at dusk on Monday, September 25, 2023.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers are present in a particular prayer ebook for the Excessive Holidays, known as a Machzor. You could find all of the Yom Kippur prayers in English and in English and Hebrew on-line.

Yom Kippur is a solemn day devoted to prayer and fasting — a lot in order that it “incorporates the best quantity of prayer of any single day within the Jewish yr,” in accordance with My Jewish Studying. There are 5 providers which can be historically held on Yom Kippur: Kol Nidrei and Ma’ariv, Shachrit, Musaf, Mincha, and Ne’ilah.

Yom Kippur prayers

There are additionally a couple of prayers which can be generally recited at dwelling, earlier than households depart to attend providers at synagogue.

Blessing over the challah

For a lot of households and communities, it is customary to eat a big, “final” meal earlier than the quick begins. That is known as a Se’udat HaMafseket, which implies “meal of chopping off.” Together with challah with this meal is frequent, and earlier than having fun with the bread, the standard hamotzi blessing is alleged.

Hebrew:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ

Transliteration:

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.

English:

Blessed are you, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Blessing over the candles

After the meal, when it comes time to gentle the candles to usher in Yom Kippur, the customary blessing over the candles is modified barely for the vacation.

Hebrew:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל (שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל) יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים

Transliteration:

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam asher kiddishanu
b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel (shabbat v’shel) yom ha-kippurim.

English:

Blessed are you, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us along with his commandments and commanded us to gentle the (Shabbat and) Yom Kippur candles.

*The phrases in parentheses are solely included solely when Yom Kippur begins on a Friday evening, that means it is concurrently Shabbat.

Shehecheyanu

Instantly after the candles are lit, it’s also conventional to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing, a prayer of because of God on particular events.

Hebrew:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Transliteration:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.

English:

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who has saved us alive, sustained us, and introduced us to this season.

The Priestly Blessing

Lastly, many dad and mom bless their youngsters with the Birkat Kohanim earlier than leaving for the Kol Nidre service that begins the vacation.

Hebrew:

יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ

יָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ

יִשָּׂ֨א יְהוָ֤ה פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם

Transliteration:

Yivarechecha Adonai viyishmirecha

Ya’er Adonai panav elecha veechuneka

Yeesa Adonai panav elecha viyasem lecha shalom

English:

Might Adonai bless you and watch over you.

Might Adonai shine His countenance to you and favor you.

Might Adonai elevate His countenance towards you and grant you peace.

Yom Kippur providers

The primary service of Yom Kippur really takes place simply earlier than the vacation begins at sunset, on the night of Yom Kippur, or Erev Yom Kippur. This Yom Kippur night service known as Kol Nidrei.

The following day, there are the Yom Kippur daytime providers of Shachrit, Musaf (further service), and Mincha.

The Viddui, which implies “confession,” is a novel prayer repeated many occasions throughout Yom Kippur providers. The opening portion is called the Ashamnu.

The ultimate Yom Kippur service is the Ne’ilah service, which accurately means “closing.” The service ends with a closing Teki’ah Gedolah, an extended blast of the Shofar (ram’s horn), to sign the conclusion of the Day of Atonement.

Many congregants will then recite Ma’ariv, or the primary night prayer after Yom Kippur, earlier than heading off to their break-fast meals.

To these observing Yom Kippur this yr, we want you a simple quick and yom tov.