What is Yom Kippur?

The Day of Atonement…

Ten days after the shofar awakens us at Rosh Hashanah, we will arrive at one of the most sacred days of the Hebrew calendar. Whether you’re planning to count down these Days of Awe with anticipation or you’re just learning about this holy day for the first time, Yom Kippur offers something every heart needs: the promise of complete forgiveness, cleansing, and a fresh start.

In Leviticus 23, God established this day with unmistakable clarity; this wasn’t a suggestion—it was a divine appointment, one of His moedim, designed to address humanity’s deepest need: reconciliation with our Creator.

This ancient holiday encompasses several profound themes that resonate across time: 

Atonement—making things right between humanity and God
Teshuvah—repentance, literally meaning “return,” the act of turning back to God
Forgiveness—both receiving divine forgiveness and extending it to others
Purification—spiritual cleansing and renewal that transforms us from the inside out
Judgment—the final sealing of God’s judgment for the year, following the awakening call of Rosh Hashanah

Yom Kippur isn’t just another religious observance—it offers timeless truths about God’s justice, mercy, and our deepest need for atonement.

Understanding the Days of Awe

To truly understand Yom Kippur, we must first grasp its place within the larger journey known as the Days of Awe. This ten-day period creates a complete arc of spiritual transformation that speaks to the need for reflection, repentance, and renewal.

Rosh Hashanah begins this journey with the awakening call of the shofar. According to tradition, God opens the “books” of judgment on this day, and the shofar blast serves as a spiritual alarm clock, calling people to examine their lives. The themes focus on God as King and Judge, creating an atmosphere that is both celebratory (welcoming a new year) and sobering (acknowledging that we stand before divine judgment).

The Days of Teshuvah that follow represent the work of repentance and reconciliation. This period of intense spiritual preparation and self-examination provides time for recognizing our wrongs, feeling genuine remorse, making amends where possible, and resolving not to repeat harmful behaviors. Many add extra prayers during these days, give more charity, and actively seek forgiveness from people they’ve wronged. According to Jewish tradition, God’s judgment remains “open” during this time—there’s still opportunity to influence the outcome through our actions and heart posture.

Finally, Yom Kippur serves as the culmination and sealing of this spiritual journey. The books are “sealed” and God’s judgment for the year is finalized. This day of ultimate atonement and purification offers each person a chance to stand before God completely vulnerable and honest, holding nothing back.

This extended ten-day process recognizes a profound truth that we know all too well: real change takes time. We cannot simply flip a switch and become better people. The Days of Awe provide space for the hard work of genuine repentance while building towards the final atonement that Yom Kippur offers.

The Biblical Foundation

It is important for us to note that Yom Kippur didn’t emerge from human tradition or cultural evolution—it originates directly from God’s commandment in the Torah. The detailed instructions found in Leviticus 16 and 23 establish this as far more than a good idea; it represents God’s own design for addressing the fundamental human problem of sin and separation.

The Torah origins reveal God’s direct commandment for atonement, centered around the role of the High Priest who alone could enter the Holy of Holies on this sacred day. The significance cannot be overstated—this was the one day each year when the barrier between God and humanity could be crossed, but only through the prescribed ritual of blood sacrifice and careful adherence to God’s instructions.

The Two Goats Ritual provides rich symbolism that speaks across millennia. The first goat served as the sin offering, one that would purify the Tabernacle from residual sin that had been left there from the people of Israel coming and going throughout the year. The second goat, the scapegoat, symbolically carried away the people’s guilt and shame into the wilderness, representing the complete removal of sin. The first goat reminds us of the “Fall cleaning” that we are doing in our hearts during this special season leading up to, and on, Yom Kippur; while the second goat serves as a reminder for us of the ultimate “scapegoat”—Yeshua our Messiah who has given us a way to escape the fate sin leads us to and instead renew in us a new, eternal life with Him!

God established this as “A Statute Forever” (Leviticus 16:34), recognizing the universal human need it addresses. This wasn’t a temporary fix, but a permanent provision that reveals God’s character as both perfectly just and infinitely merciful. The annual repetition acknowledged that our need for atonement doesn’t end—we continue to fall short and require God’s gracious provision for restoration.

Preparing & Observing Yom Kippur

The power of Yom Kippur begins long before the actual day arrives. The preceding days call for Selichot prayers, increased charity, and—perhaps most challenging—seeking forgiveness from people we’ve wronged.

This soul-searching goes beyond surface-level regrets to probe the deeper areas of our hearts. Some questions worth considering during these preparatory days:

The 25-Hour Journey

The observance of Yom Kippur itself follows a carefully structured rhythm designed to create space for deep connection with our Lord. It begins with a pre-fast meal and candle lighting, marking the transition into sacred time.

Kol Nidre opens the day, setting a tone of solemnity and anticipation. This ancient prayer acknowledges our human frailty and tendency to make promises to God that we later break, seeking release from vows we cannot fulfill.

Five prayer services mark the day’s progression:

Maariv – The evening service with its solemn Kol Nidre prayers on the eve of Yom Kippur

Shacharit – The morning prayer service, including readings from Leviticus followed by the Yizkor memorial service honoring departed loved ones

Musaf – A service that includes detailed recounting of the ancient Yom Kippur Temple service, helping us understand the historical roots of this day

Minchah – The afternoon service featuring the reading of the Book of Jonah, with its themes of repentance, God’s mercy, and second chances

Ne’ilah – The climactic “closing of the gates” service at sunset, followed by the triumphant shofar blast marking the end of the fast

The fast itself serves as physical discipline for spiritual focus. Traditional restrictions include no work, food, drink, leather shoes, cosmetics, or marital relations. These limitations aren’t arbitrary rules but intentional ways to remove normal pleasures and distractions, creating what some call “the democracy of discomfort”—rich and poor, young and old, all equally dependent on God’s mercy.

Throughout the day, both individual and communal confession and prayer create opportunities for honest acknowledgment of our failures and sincere seeking of God’s forgiveness.

What Yom Kippur Teaches Us

Yom Kippur begins with the reality of sin and separation—the gap between who we are and who we’re meant to be. This isn’t about religious guilt-tripping, but rather an honest assessment of our current condition. We’ve all experienced the frustration of falling short of our own standards, let alone God’s perfect holiness.

But this holy day doesn’t leave us there.. it reveals God’s heart for relationship over judgment, His desire to restore rather than condemn. The Hebrew word for atonement (kapparah) means both covering and cleansing—God doesn’t just hide our failures, He removes them entirely.

The Messianic Fulfillment

As believers of Yeshua, Yom Kippur takes on additional layers of meaning that enhance rather than replace its significance. Chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews reveal Yeshua as both our High Priest and our ultimate sacrifice—the One who entered the heavenly Holy of Holies by His own perfect blood, securing eternal redemption for us once for all.

When Yeshua died, the temple veil tore from top to bottom, symbolically opening direct access to God’s presence. No longer do we need an annual ritual or human mediator—we can approach God’s throne of grace boldly because of Messiah Yeshua’s finished work.

Yet this raises an important question: if Yeshua completed the work of atonement, why do we continue observing Yom Kippur? The answer lies in understanding the difference between completed work and ongoing application. While our ultimate standing before God is secure in Messiah, we continue to need the spiritual disciplines of repentance, self-examination, and renewal that Yom Kippur provides.

Moreover, God established this as “a statute forever,” and Yeshua came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Our observance becomes a bridge to the Jewish community, a testimony of our respect for God’s appointed times, and preparation for the final return of our Messiah.

Living the Lessons Year-Round

The goal of Yom Kippur isn’t just a once-yearly experience—it’s an annual reset that transforms how we live throughout the year. The experience of standing clean before God shouldn’t end when the shofar sounds at Ne’ilah.

This might involve establishing regular practices of self-examination, building habits of honest assessment and course correction before problems become entrenched patterns. Community accountability becomes crucial for sustaining the insights and commitments made during the Days of Awe.

One of Yom Kippur’s most beautiful aspects is the joy that follows genuine repentance—moving from mourning to dancing, from heaviness to celebration. There’s profound relief in finally dealing honestly with our failures and receiving God’s forgiveness. This leads to freedom from shame and guilt, renewed purpose and identity, and often community restoration as individual healing impacts relationships.

Yom Kippur at B’rit Hadasha

This year, we warmly invite you to join us at B’rit Hadasha for this sacred journey from judgment to grace. Whether you’re a longtime observer of Yom Kippur or completely new to this holy day, you’ll find a meaningful way to enter into God’s appointed time of cleansing and renewal. We would love for you to join us for any and all of the below services that we will be having for this High Holy Day: 

Erev Yom Kippur Service

Wednesday, October 1st at 6:00PM

Yom Kippur Service

Thursday, October 2nd at 10:30AM

Ne’ilah Service

Thursday, October 2nd at 6:00PM

Each service will consist of a series of traditional blessings/chants, Scripture readings, musical worship, messages from our elders, and more.
Our Erev service will include the traditional Kol Nidre prayers and following the morning service we will have Yizkor. For the final service, we will include the Ne’ilah (“Closing the Gates”) prayers, participate in Zichron Mashiach at the end of the service, and then close with a light break-fast meal in our fellowship hall to mark the joyful end of Yom Kippur together.
For questions and more information about our Yom Kippur services, please connect with us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to observing this High Holy Day with you!