FEAST DAY OF ATONEMENT
From the book "The Jewish Festivals" by Hayyim Schauss, published
in 1938.
IN OLDEN DAYS
Old and New Earnestness
We have already mentioned that in olden times, before the
Babylonian Exile, neither Rosh Hashonoh nor Yom Kippur were
distinct holidays, separate from the autumn festival, Sukkos.
(And as I have already mentioned to you, this writer is what you
might call an agnotic of the inspiration of the Old Testament
Scriptures. If he was not he would have said no such comment -
Keith Hunt)
These two serious holidays are very different in character
from the three joyous festivals (Pesach, Shovuos, and Sukkos),
and are obviously a product of a later epoch, carrying that
epoch's imprint.
(Difference, does not prove none existance - day and night are
differnet but they both exist - Keith Hunt)
In each era of ancient Jewish history festivals were created
which were bound up with the ideas, the emotions, and the
conceptions of the Jews of that particular era. It was not
necessary to create new holidays. The old festivals were altered
and re-created; a new spiritual content was poured into them and
they became new institutions.
(As you can gather, this writer is of an evolution mind-set; he
does not take the inspiration of the Bible as literal - Keith
Hunt)
In very ancient times, when Jews were still shepherds in the
wilderness, they observed festivals that were in keeping with the
life of nomadic shepherd tribes. They observed, for instance,
Pesach, the New Moon, and the shearing of the sheep, as festival
days. Later, when they settled in Palestine and became peasants,
rooted in the soil of the land, they began the observance of the
three nature festivals that were bound up with tilling the soil
and the seasons.
(More evidence that the writer sees Israel in a secular evolution
mode of inventing or borrowing from here or there, the festivals
they now have. The Bible tells us that God gave His Festivals, as
given in Leviticus 23, to Israel from the beginning of their
liberation from Egypt - Keith Hunt)
But as the Jews traveled further on their own path of higher
spiritual culture, they sought more and more to separate their
festivals from nature, from the seasons of the year, and surround
them with a new religious content. This process began in the time
of the Jewish kingdom, and attained bold and far-reaching results
after the Babylonian Exile.
(Once more he continues from a secular evolution belief - Keith
Hunt)
Jewish life had changed considerably after the exile. Jewish
religious ideas and feelings had become purer and more earnest.
Their life as a people had changed, too, for Jews were, in that
time, spread over many near and distant lands. The three great
festivals of the Jewish peasants of the older days were no longer
suited to the conditions and the spirit of the newer day. Jews
had no longer the desire to observe nature festivals, which
consisted of eating, drinking, and rejoicing before God,
especially since that type of festival, which was closely bound
up with the village life of the peasants, no longer fitted the
conditions under which Jews lived in scattered communities in
various countries.
So the three great, yearly festivals took on, with time, a
new character. From village revels they evolved into national
observances. They lost their connection with the seasons of the
year and made of the entire people one festive community. Some of
the customs still pointed to the agricultural origin of the
festivals, as, for instance, the first sheaf of barley offered at
Pesach, and the two loaves of bread offered at Shovuos. But the
agricultural season was no longer the reason for the festival,
and the entire observance was no longer planned as an expression
of rejoicing before God, but was a means by which the celebrants
sought to approach nearer to God. The festival of the day was no
longer a folk revel but a "holy convocation" in the Temple or
synagogue, a day of rest, of earnestness, and of spiritual
uplift. Such festivals could be observed not only in the Temple
in Jerusalem, but everywhere, in all the lands to which the Jews
of that day were already scattered.
(Indeed, the writer continues with his evolutioning festivals
within a people that really had no similarity to the people in
the account written in the book of Exodus - Keith Hunt)
The only festival which still retained forms of the old
village revels was Sukkos; and it was for that very reason,
apparently, that Yom Kippur was instituted in those days as
a distinct holiday, so that five days earlier, before the
beginning of the revels, there should come a great and sanctified
day, a day of fasting and reflection on one's sins.
The Development of a Holy Day
Later we shall treat the Sukkos festival as it was
celebrated in ancient days. Suffice it to say that this festival
had the character of a wild revel, which the Jews took over from
the peoples about them. It displeased the spiritual leaders, the
religious teachers of the day, that Jews should open the year
with revelry just as did their heathen neighbors. It was,
therefore, arranged that the joyous festival be observed several
days later, and that the New Year be started with a great fast.
Revelry was not to be practiced when an old year ended and a new
year of life began; instead fasting would be the order of the
day, reciting confessional prayers, and a "reckoning of the soul"
to renew one's inner life for the coming new year. After the
fast, when sins were forgiven and one felt himself a new man
again, would be the time for revelry and joy.
(How the carnal mind can reason with what this writer wants you
to believe as to how the Jews moved over time into reasoning for
themselves the inventions of festivals - Keith Hunt)
In this way, in the course of time, it was arranged that the
tenth day of Tishri, the day on which the new year officially
started, was to be a day of ridding one's self of sin; and the
joyous autumn festival, parallel with the festival of spring, was
to begin on the fifteenth day of the month, at the full of the
moon.
Speculation arises as to why the beginning of the year, in
ancient days, came on the tenth of the month instead of the
first. The only logical explanation for this is that it stems
from a time when there was no leap year in the Jewish calendar,
no thirteenth month to equalize the sun-year and moon-year. In
order to accomplish this equalization, ten days or so were added
to the end of the previous year before reckoning the new year. It
is possible, then, that in the practical life of the period the
new year began on the first of the month; but officially the year
began on the tenth of the month, thus meeting the sun-year. These
ten intervening days were declared days of penitence.
(Oh what crazy and silly reasonings the carnal mind can invent,
when it is not "God centered" but believes not the inspiration of
the Bible. A more classic example than here I cannot give - Keith
Hunt)
When it is said, however, that Yom Kippur is a product of
the epoch after the Babylonian exile, it is not meant that it was
entirely a new institution. Yom Kippur became, in that time, a
new holiday only in that it was entirely separated from Sukkos
and assumed a new character and a new significance, but the core
of Yom Kippur was not new. We must assume that even in the time
of Solomon's Temple a definite day, or perhaps days were
established to cleanse the sanctuary of its profanations; but we
do not know exactly what the day was and what ceremonies attended
it. We must also take for granted that the joyous autumn
festival, even far back in history, began with a day of serious
mien and fasting and ended in revelry, or else that it began as a
revel and ended as a fast. But we do not know what motive or
character was attributed to this day that preceded or succeeded
the revelry. Later, as has been explained, the fast day was
entirely separated from the autumn festival and became a distinct
and genuine Jewish festival. It was remembered however that the
day before the last day of the festival, the day on which the
revelry reached its height, was one of seriousness; and Hoshano
Rabboh, the seventh day of Sukkos, the day before Sh'mini
Atseres, remained, therefore, through all time a minor Yom
Kippur.
(Once more I hope you are learning how twisted and inventive the
mind can be, when it does not believe the Word of God. And truth
my friends IS the Word of God, as Jesus clearly stated in John
17:17 - Keith Hunt)
We cannot be certain when all these changes and reforms in
the Jewish calendar took place. For all this happened in a period
of Jewish history, regarding which there is little documentation
- the four hundred years between the first destruction of
Jerusalem and the rise of the Hasmoneans. In these four hundred
years there evolved a practically new Jewish spiritual life with
new forms and institutions. How and under what conditions these
new forms and institutions arose we cannot know. It is,
therefore, not surprising that we know so little of the greatest
holiday that arose in that period: Yom Kippur.
(Of course this writer is confused, and figures there is no
writings to show how this great feast day of Atonement came into
being in the Jewish community, when he will not believe the books
within a book, that would give him the truth - the Bible - Keith
Hunt)
We can be certain, however, that Yom Kippur did not assume
its importance as the greatest fast day of the year and the great
day for all Jews all at once; it went through a long period of
evolution. Nor is its ritual uniform; it is made up of various
customs and ceremonies, some very ancient and some that were
added in later years.
(Oh indeed, some traditions were added over time, as Jesus talked
about the traditions of the Pharisees, which often made void the
commandments of God. But the writer does not even believe the Old
Testament scriptures let alone those of the New Testament - Keith
Hunt)
It appears that for a certain length of time the tenth day
of Tishri was both the beginning of the year and a day of
atonement. It was the latter in the Temple, but outside of the
Temple it still carried the traits of a festival. Jewish maidens
went to the vineyards on that day in a joyous dance procession.
The day still had a double character and this hindered its
importance as a day of penitence. For this reason a separation
was made: the first day of Tishri was made Rosh Hashonoh, the
official New Year, and the tenth day of the month became almost
entirely a day of confession and penitence. But the separation
never had the full effect it was supposed to produce. Rosh
Hashonoh and Yom Kippur intermingle in their roles. Yom Kippur
never actually became entirely a day of sorrow, a day which casts
shadow on all. Despite the fast, the confession, and the wailing,
it remains a festival with an undercurrent of joy. One must not
eat, but still, one wears festive clothes.
(The writer does not understand that a "fast day" can also be a
joyous day. Sin and its atonement and its banish into the
wilderness, in some of its main types, is both bitter and sweet.
Then when you mingle society evolution in festivals, and
disregard the written information contained in inspired sacred
writings from the Old Testament scriptures, you will most
definately wander off into the secualr reasonings which the
author has done - Keith Hunt)
The Jews of that period felt the need of a genuine Jewish
holiday in which they could express their deepest religious
feelings, and the tenth of Tishri became that day. It is not
surprising that the Jews realized the great importance of Yom
Kippur, and the day became and remained the greatest and holiest
day in the Jewish year.
.....................
Dear reader, this, what you have read, is a super example of the
deceptions of the demonic world that can influence your mind,
when you will not prove that the Bible is the INSPIRED word of
God, who gave Israel His Festivals as contained in Leviticus 23,
from the very start, when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt
under Moses. How broad the mind of man can be, how inventive, how
misguided, how foolish in understanding, and to put it in a
modern blunt phrase, how "utterly clueless" is the mind apart
from the connection with God's mind and revelation from His word.
Keith Hunt
To be continued
Feast of Atonement in Olden DaysSecond Temple Period JEWISH HISTORY OF FEAST OF ATONEMENT #2
From the book "The Jewish Festivals" by Hayyim Schauss" published
in 1938.
IN TEMPLE DAYS
The Great Day
During the latter period of the second Temple Yom Kippur was
already the holiest day of the year for all Jews. It was called
"The Great Day" or, more simply, "The Day." Jews in all lands
fasted on that day and spent it entirely in the synagogue,
earnestly praying. Even those Jews who were comparatively
unobservant the rest of the year became very pious on that day,
according to Philo, the Jewish philosopher who lived in
Alexandria a generation before the destruction of the second
Temple.
But, while praying in their synagogues, Jews everywhere
turned their eyes and their hearts to one spot, to the Temple,
where the High Priest conducted the sacred and mystic ceremonies
of the day. For that was the only day of the year on which the
High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. Not in the golden
ceremonial robes of the High Priest did he present himself before
God, but in the linen robes of an ordinary priest.
The High Priest did not ordinarily perform the rites of the
Temple. He showed himself to the people, dressed in his gold
robes, only on Sabbaths, festivals, and New Moons. On Yom Kippur,
however, he became the priest of the sanctuary, and he, himself,
conducted the entire service and confessed to God for his own
sins, for the sins of the other priests, and for the sins of the
entire people of Israel.
Seven days before Yom Kippur the High Priest moved from his
home to his chamber in the Temple. During this week he alone
conducted the service, offered the daily sacrifices, sprinkled
the blood, burned the incense, and tended the lighting of the
Menorah. He did this for seven successive days in order to become
well versed in the details, so that he would make no mistake on
Yom Kippur. In addition, he had to study to read the Torah before
the public; he had to read two portions of the Pentateuch from
the Torah-scroll on Yom Kippur, and recite one portion by heart.
In the last century before the destruction of the Temple the
High Priest was more often a noted politician than a learned man.
Therefore, learned members of the Sanhedrin would tutor him
during the week before Yom Kippur, teaching him what was
necessary.
But before continuing with the proceedings of the Yom Kippur
service, let us spend some time on a tour of the Temple.
A Tour of the Temple
A new, a third Temple, was constructed during the time of
which we speak. The second Temple, the one that was erected under
the leadership of Zerubbabel in the beginning of the Persian
world dominion, was small and poorly constructed of ordinary wood
and stone. It stood for about five hundred years, until Herod
demolished it and erected a larger and grander structure on the
site. Due to the fact that no enemy destroyed Zerubbabel's
Temple, that it was removed only to make way for a much more
beautiful building, the new Temple was also referred to as the
second Temple.
Decades after Herod's Temple was finished the work of
beautifying it went on. More than eighty years passed before it
was entirely completed, with all its adornments, a comparatively
few years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. The
completed Temple, therefore, stood only a little while before it
was burned down by the Roman army under Titus. This Temple of
Herod is the one we are to observe.
The Temple glistens in the distance and makes a clear
impression, for it is built of the finest of white marble,
snowlike in its purity. It is covered with thick golden plates.
When the sun shines on these a fiery glow comes forth, and the
Temple looks like a mountain of snow, from which issue golden
flames.
We approach the Mount of the Temple now. This holy mount
rises on a series of broad terraces, flat mounds that rise
regularly above each other. On the topmost terrace stands the
altar, and above it rises the House of God. Only priests are
allowed in the front room of the House of God, and then only in
the performance of the services; beyond is the rear room, the
"Holy of Holies," where only the High Priest may enter, and only
one day of the year, Yom Kippur.
The entire structure is encircled by a very broad wall and
is quite similar to a fortress. The wall is studded with high
points and staunch towers. On all four sides of the wall there
are gates leading into the Temple. We enter one of these gates
and approach a colonnade, four rows of marble pillars, surmounted
with cedar. There are many colonnades in the Temple but the one
under which we now stand is the largest and loveliest. It is
called the Regal Colonnade and has one hundred and sixty-two
marble pillars.
We enter a second colonnade and see souvenirs of victories:
swords, armor, and flags that Jewish armies once brought back
from battlefields as mementoes of victory. We lift our eyes,
however, and are deterred from all thoughts of war and victory;
over the main gate hangs a golden Roman eagle as a symbol of the
sovereignty of Rome over Jerusalem. No matter where we look, the
reflection of that eagle shines from the white marble of the
walls and from the polished stones of the floor. Amongst these
colonnades are rooms for the Levites and rooms for the sages,
where those with great knowledge of God's Torah sit and study
with their pupils.
From the covered colonnades we step into the great, open
outer court, plastered with vari-colored stones. All may enter
this court, even non-Jews. It is immense in size, larger than any
of the other courts.
We pass through the outer court and come to a stone fence.
This is the boundary line beyond which non-Jews may not pass.
Stone tablets surmount this fence, telling us, in Latin and in
Greek, that no outsider may go further, under penalty of death.
Beyond this fence we climb fourteen stairs and come to a flat
terrace, about ten yards wide. We then mount more steps and come
to the gate leading to the inner court. There are many gates to
this inner court on the north and south; but we enter through the
great double gate in the east. The other gates are covered with
gold plates, but the great eastern gate has no covering, for it
is made of costly bronze, that shines even brighter than gold. It
is called "Nicanor's Gate," after a rich Egyptian Jew who
presented it to the Temple as a gift. The golden plates on the
other gates are also a gift, from a rich Alexandrian Jew.
Nicanor's Gate is so large that when it is shut every evening
twenty men are needed to push together the heavy doors and to
shove the bolts and bars into the stone threshold. In all, two
hundred men are employed in the daily opening and shutting of the
gates of the Temple.
We pass through Nicanor's Gate into the inner court, the
Court of the Women, which is a square area of over two
hundred feet square. Men may enter the Court of the Women, but
women may not enter the Court of the Men, which is further on in
the Temple. High balconies, however, are provided for the women,
and from these they can observe the ceremonies in the inner
courts. There are four rooms in the corners of the Court of the
Women, open to the skies. One is for the use of Nazarites, men
under oath not to touch wine, nor cut their hair. The second room
is a storehouse for wood. Here sit those priests who are
disqualified, because of physical defects, from service at the
altar of the Temple. But they may do other work, and they sit
examining the pieces of wood designed for the altar, discarding
those with even the tiniest worm-hole, for only perfect wood may
be used in the fire of the altar. The third room is reserved for
lepers who have come to the Temple to become cleansed. In the
fourth room wine and oil are stored.
We pass through the Court of the Women and come to a flight
of fifteen steps, built in the form of an amphitheatre. Above
these stairs is the wall that separates the women from the Court
of the Men. We go through another gate and enter the Court of the
Men, which encircles the Temple on three sides. The greatest and
loveliest sight that a Jew can behold now appears before us: the
great altar of uncut stones and behind it the House of God
itself. The altar is quite large, and has four points that are
like horns. An eternal fire burns there, a fire that must never
be extinguished.
Only half of the Court of the Men is available for the use
of laymen. A low fence runs through the center of the court and
only the priests may venture beyond it. This area is known as the
Court of the Priests.
On both sides of the Court of the Priests are the treasuries
of the Temple. To the right of the altar is the slaughter area,
with twenty-four rings to tether the sacrificial animals. Behind
are eight small posts, with three rows of hooks on each one, to
hang the slain animals, and eight marble tables on which the
inners of the sacrifices are washed. In addition there are tables
for the altar utensils and for the dismembered bodies of the
animals. There is also a bronze wash-basin in which the priests
bathe their hands and feet.
Along the walls of the Court of the Priests are built
several halls: the hall in which the Sanhedrin meets; the hall in
which the High Priest lives the week before Yom Kippur; the rooms
in which the priests dress and bathe, and various other halls and
rooms.
Through a very high opening, without doors, the priests go
from their court to the Ulam, the porch of the House of God.
Another door leads from the porch, which is beautifully decorated
in gold, into the front room of the House of God. The door is
open, but a heavy, colored curtain hangs over it. Over this door
hangs a gigantic, golden grape-vine. It is supported by cedar
balconies and spreads its branches under the cornices of the
porch. Rich Jews coming from distant lands make contributions to
this vine, a gold grape or a gold leaf or such, till it seems as
if the vine will break beneath the mass of the golden fruit
hanging from it.
Twice a day priests pass through the porch and into the
sanctuary for the daily services. They pass into a long room, the
walls of which are decked in gold, but which is dark and
window-less. The only light comes from the golden Menorah, in
which seven oil wicks burn. Opposite the Menorah stands the
golden table bearing the twelve loaves of showbread. Between
these two objects stands the golden altar on which incense is
burned twice a day.
Beyond the Anteroom is the Holy of Holies, the greatest
sanctuary of all, separated from the rest of the Temple by two
drapes. Only one day a year, on Yom Kippur, are these hangings
removed for the entry of the High Priest. It is a pitch-black,
empty room. The only object in the room is a stone, three fingers
high, which is called the "Foundationstone."
The entrance of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies was
the main event in the ceremonies and ritual of "the Great Day.
The High Priests
During the first three hundred and fifty years of the second
Temple the high priesthood belonged to one family and descended
by succession. This family based its superiority on the fact that
it descended from Zadok, the first priest in the Temple of
Jerusalem when it was built by Solomon. The line extended thus
until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.
When the Hasmoneans won over the Greek forces they became
the rulers of the Jewish country. But it was not possible, in
those days, to just set one's self up as ruler over the Jews.
Rulership was vested in the High Priest. But since the Hasmoneans
were of the priestly caste, they had no trouble on that score.
They founded a new dynasty of High Priests and set on their own
heads a double crown, that of the High Priest and that of the
King.
After the fall of the Hasmonean kingdom, when Palestine
became a province of Rome, the high priesthood became more of a
political than a religious position. The Romans refused to permit
the descent of the high priesthood from father to son, for they
were unwilling to set up a dynasty of High Priests. For this
reason a new High Priest was appointed at intervals. Not every
priest could attain to this high position. There were, in
Jerusalem, a few aristocratic priestly families, and members of
these families were the regular candidates, securing the position
through political influence or through bribery. It obviously was
worthwhile to become High Priest, for it was a position that
brought power and riches. The High Priest of those days was
officially the religious head of the Jewish people, the master of
the Temple, and the leader of the Sanhedrin. As such he was the
ruler of Jerusalem and of all Palestine, insofar as the Jews had
autonomy under the Roman rule.
But despite the fact that the High Priests of those days
were not spiritually great and the real spiritual leaders of the
people were the scribes, the heads of the Pharisees, the
observance of the service in the Temple was not weakened. On the
contrary, the services were never carried out more precisely or
with greater grandeur and impressiveness than in the period
before the destruction of the Temple. And of all the services of
the year there was none as richly mystical and impressive as the
Yom Kippur service.
The Day before Yom Kippur
The High Priest stands at the eastern gate of the Temple in
the morning. The various animals that he will offer are led
before him for final examination before the service of sacrifice.
Jews prepare themselves for the Great Day. They beg forgiveness
of each other and remind themselves of sins they committed in the
course of the year; they are regretful and penitent. But one, the
High Priest, makes greater preparations than all others.
Religious awe fills his heart as he thinks of entering the
Holy of Holies. He also fears that through some accident he may
be disqualified. Should that happen, his understudy would have to
conduct the services of "the Great Day." The understudy is
therefore also prepared and ready for the occasion.
Yom Kippur Eve
The sun is about to set. The daily Temple service is
finished. A sanctified peace rests over the Mount of the Temple.
Jews feast hugely in preparation for the coming fast. The High
Priest, however, is not allowed much food, lest it make him
sleepy. On this night he must not sleep. The learned sages of the
Sanhedrin, who have been tutoring him all week in the order of
the service, make him vow not to depart from it in any detail.
They turn him over to the elders of the priesthood and leave.
These priests lead him to the room of the incense-makers, where
he practices gathering incense into his palms, so that they be
full, and yet not overflow.
Yom Kippur Night
Various means are used to keep the High Priest from falling
asleep. Portions of the latter books of the Bible are read to
him, or, if he can, he reads and gives interpretations. These
books of the Bible are less known than others and are therefore
calculated to arouse more interest and drive away the desire for
sleep. Should the High Priest still drowse, a group of young
priests stand about him, snapping their fingers, and he is made
to stand with his bare feet on the cold stone. They also sing
Psalms to him. In one way or another he is kept awake.
The respectable and pious Jews of Jerusalem also stay awake
that night, as do many in the provinces outside of Jerusalem
Ordinarily, preparations for the Temple service begin at dawn,
but for this occasion the preparations are started in the middle
of the night. Long before the cock has crowed, the court of the
Temple is filled with people. In the meantime priests, stationed
on the roof of the Temple, look for the first light of dawn. When
the light is sufficient for them to see Hebron between the hills
to the southeast they call out, "The light of morning has reached
Hebron." And the service begins.
Attiring the High Priest
First the High Priest is conducted to the bath house. The
High Priest bathes himself five times on this day; in addition,
he washes his hands and feet ten times. These bathings and
washings are performed in a special room in the Temple, near the
Court of the Priests. The first bath, however, the one in the
morning, takes place outside of the innermost court, beyond the
water tower.
Each time he bathes a curtain of byssus (costly linen) is
spread between him and the people. He doffs his ordinary raiment,
bathes, dons the golden vestments, washes his hands and feet in a
golden basin, and starts the daily sacrifice. He performs it in
his golden robes, and the congregation stands enthralled at the
sight. From their point of observation, the High Priest is a
glowing spectacle, with his golden diadem, the precious gems on
his breast, and the golden bells which hang on the hem of his
purple robe and which tinkle with every movement that he makes.
He then goes into the anteroom in order to burn the incense on
the golden altar, and to put the lamps of the Menorah in order.
This ends the regular daily service; now comes the special Yom
Kippur service, for which the High Priest dons garments of white
linen.
He is led to the bathhouse near the Court of the Priests. He
washes his hands and feet, divests himself of his ceremonial
golden robes, bathes himself, puts on the garments of white
linen, and again washes his hands and feet.
The Temple Service
And now, when the High Priest enters the court in simple
white, he makes an even stronger impression on the assemblage
than when he appeared in gold. The young bull that is destined
for the sacrifice stands ready between the porch and the altar.
The High Priest lays his hands on the bull's head and recites the
first confessional:
"I beseech Thee, O Lord! I have sinned, I have been iniquitous, I
have transgressed against Thee, I and my household. I beseech
Thee, O Lord, pardon the sins, iniquities and transgressions
which I have committed against Thee, I and my household, as it is
said: 'On this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse
you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the Lord.'"
Three times in this prayer does the High Priest expressly
pronounce the mystic and ineffable name of God, Yhwh. In all, he
pronounces God's explicit name ten times during the Yom Kippur
service. And as the ineffable name of God is pronounced by the
High Priest the assembled priests and worshipers prostrate
themselves and call out, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His
kingdom forever and ever."
The first part of the special Yom Kippur service is held in
the area between the porch of the Temple and the altar. The
second part, which starts now, is performed on the eastern side
of the altar, nearer to the assembled congregation.
The Sacrificial Goats
East of the altar two goats stand ready, with their heads
toward the sanctuary. Both are of equal size, the same
appearance, and cost an equal sum of money. In an urn next to
them are two golden tablets, identical in every detail, except
that one is inscribed, "For Yhwh," and the other is inscribed,
"For Azazel."
The white-robed High Priest proceeds to the eastern side
.........................
To be continued
Note:
Are you noticing all the "religious" pomp - the movements, the
preparations, the mind-set even, of the Priests and the religious
people of Judah, as they prepare for and anticipate this very
important day in their calendar of Festivals. Try to put yourself
into their sandals as you read through this discription by the
author. Very pious, very godly ..... well you would think so ....
Then read Matthew 23; Mark 7; the gospel of John, and also think
of other times when Jesus denounced the scribes, Pharisees and
Sadducees, in no uncertain manner. Ah, do you get the picture
now? When put in this context of the ministry of Christ, weeelll,
you should see that "outward" signs of "godly religion" can be
one of the greatest deceptions that Satan uses to deceive people
into thinking they are "spiritually pure" - right will God, part
of His children. The plain truth is that religious form,
expresion, sanctimonious words, hymn singing, putting on
religious air, having a fancy physical place to worship in,
having hundreds attend the service .... when the rubber hits the
road with God, all of it is useless. It is all DUNG to God if you
are not worshipping Him in "spirit and in truth" as Jesus said
the Father seeks such people who come to worship Him.
Outward form and words mean nothing if you do not seek to know
the true God in "spirit and in truth." Spirit is the contrite
humble mind, willing to be taught and corrected, loving truth
above everything else. Bible studies can be done on the words
"humble" "correction" "instruction" "love" "truth." And truth
.... that is the Word of God (John 17:17), searching it, reading
it from cover to cover, living by it, conducting your life around
and within the teachings of the Bible.
As you continue to read through this outward form of the Jews on
the Feast day of Atonement, remember, all they did scored NO
points with God, their false self-righteous mind-set only made
their deception more deceptive, and it all ended with Jesus
finally blasting them with the words recorded in Matthew 23.
Keith Hunt
History of Feast of AtonementOutward form can be in vain!
Continued from previous page:
of the altar escorted by two priests. The priest who acts as his
understudy walks to his right and on his left is the
representative of the subdivision of priests appointed for the
service on this day. The High Priest shuffles the tablets in the
urn, withdraws them, and places one on the head of each goat. He
calls out, "A sin offering for Yhwh," and the congregation
answers, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever
and ever."
It is a good omen if the tablet marked "For God" comes up in
the High Priest's right hand. But in this period, year after
year, the tablet marked "For Azazel," has come up in the right
hand. Fear grips the heart of the people. And when the Jews learn
of it they pray to the Almighty to help the Temple and the holy
city.
When the lot is decided the High Priest ties a red sash on
the horns of the Azazel goat, the scapegoat for the people. The
other goat will be sacrificed to God. The scapegoat faces the
assembled congregation who stare at him and await the ritual by
which the sins of the people will be loaded upon him and he will
be driven out, deep into the wilderness.
This ends the second part of the Yom Kippur service and now
begins the third and most awesome service of the day, when the
High Priest enters the Holy of Holies.
In the Holy of Holies
The High Priest goes back to the area between the porch and
the altar, where the young bull is tethered, places his hands on
the animal and once more confesses, reciting the same prayer as
before. But now he also confesses the sins of the priests, and
when he says, "I and my household," he adds "and the sons of
Aaron, thy holy tribe."
Again the assembly prostrates itself and calls out, "Blessed
be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever."
After this second confessional the High Priest slaughters
the bull, gathering the blood in a basin which he hands to a
waiting priest. It is the duty of this priest to keep stirring
the blood, so that it does not coagulate.
The High Priest walks up the ramp leading to the altar and
fills a golden fire-pan with burning coals; he then pours
handfuls of incense into a golden ladle and, in this way, with
the fire-pan in his right hand and the ladle in the left, he
proceeds slowly into the Holy of Holies. He enters between the
two drapes and, apart from everybody, he stands in the somber
dimness of the Holy of Holies, barely illuminated by the burning
coals in the fire-pan.
Filled with pious awe and fear, the High Priest places the
fire-pan on the "Foundation-stone" and pours the incense upon it.
The Holy of Holies is filled with smoke. The High Priest retires
into the anteroom and there offers prayers for the coming year.
The people in the court pray at the same time, quietly, but with
great fervor.
Finally, the High Priest emerges from the House of God and
enters the court. Great relief is felt by all present, for it is
a fearful thing, all believe, to be so near to God, in His holy
dwelling.
There is no rest for the High Priest. He takes the basin of
blood from the priest who is still stirring it, goes back into
the Holy of Holies, and sprinkles the blood upon the drape, once
above and seven times below, counting as he sprinkles: "One, one
and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five,
one and six, one and seven." He counts the sprinkling he made
above with every one he makes below. He then returns to the
anteroom and places the basin on a golden stand.
The goat destined as a sacrifice for God is now brought to
him. He slaughters it, gathers the blood in a basin, enters the
Holy of Holies for the third time, sprinkles the blood and goes
back into the anteroom, where he places the basin on another
golden stand. He then sprinkles the drape from the outside, first
with the blood of the bull, and then with the blood of the goat.
He then mixes the blood of the two animals and sprinkles it on
the golden incense-altar in the anteroom; what is left he pours
on the cornerstone of the great altar outside.
The Scapegoat
The ceremonial for forgiveness of sins committed against the
sanctuary is thus completed, and the symbolic ceremony of
transferring the sins of the entire people to the Azazel is now
begun. This ceremony is not as awesome as the preceding ritual.
There is, in fact, an undercurrent of joy, and the congregation
is alive with interest.
The scapegoat has been standing all this time in the same
place, and one would think he himself was waiting for the burden
of sin to be placed upon him. The High Priest now approaches the
goat and lays his hands upon him. As the representative of the
Jewish people he now makes the third confessional, similar to the
other two. But this time, instead of pronouncing, "I and my
household and the sons of Aaron, Thy holy tribe," he says, "Thy
people, the House of Israel." The High Priest faces the sanctuary
throughout the three confessionals. But, as he pronounces the
concluding words, "before the Lord ye shall be clean," he turns
and faces the people as he recites, "Ye shall be clean."
Again the worshipers prostrate themselves and call out, "Blessed
be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever."
Now comes a lively and interesting scene. Priests lead the
scapegoat through a gate of the Temple and hand him over to a
priest or Levite who had previously been selected. A great crowd
forms about them shouting, "Hurry and go, hurry and go."
The goat is led to a specified spot about ten miles beyond
the city, where a precipitious cliff overhangs a ravine. Prior to
Yom Kippur ten booths were erected as stations along the way.
Food and drink is available in each booth for the escorter
of the scapegoat, for he may break his fast if the journey
weakens him. But he never does break his fast. A group of Jews
escort him from the Temple to the first booth, and in each booth
there is somebody to meet him and escort him to the next booth.
He is not escorted, however, all the way to the cliff, his escort
stopping and watching from afar.
When man and goat come to the cliff the red sash is removed
from the goat's horns and divided in two. One part is attached to
the cliff and the other half tied to the horns of the goat, which
is then pushed over the cliff, life passing out of him as he
falls into the ravine.
The news that the scapegoat is in the wilderness is quickly
brought to the High Priest. Meanwhile he has sacrificed the young
bull and the second goat on the altar; he now begins the reading
of the Torah.
The Torah Reading
The Yom Kippur service is almost, but not quite, completed.
There are various items the High Priest must still attend to.
First he chants with great pomp those portions of the
Pentateuch that deal with Yom Kippur. This takes place in the
synagogue which is in the Temple.
The sexton" of the synagogue presents the Torah-scroll to
the head of the synagogue; he presents it to the High Priest's
understudy who, in turn, presents it to the High Priest. The High
Priest reads two portions of Leviticus from the scroll. He reads
and the congregation listens attentively reflecting on how fine
the words sound as they are chanted by the High Priest.
He rolls the scroll together and, holding it to his heart,
he says to the congregation, "Much more than this, that I have
read to you, is inscribed here." He then recites the portion of
the Book of Numbers that he learned by heart, says eight
benedictions, and the ceremony of the reading of the Torah is
completed.
The Service Ends
The High Priest then washes his hands and feet, doffs the
white linen garments, bathes himself, dons the golden robes,
again washes his hands and feet, and offers the Musaf (the
additional) sacrifice for Yom Kippur. Again he washes his hands
and feet, removes his golden robes, bathes himself, puts on the
white robes, washes his hands and feet again, and enters the Holy
of Holies for the last time to remove the fire-pan and the ladle.
This concludes the special Yom Kippur service. But the High
Priest has further duties. He now performs the regular service
which is performed daily in the Temple, toward sunset. For this
he again goes through the washing and bathing process, changing
back to the gold robes, washes his hands and feet again and
enters the anteroom, where he burns the incense on the golden
altar and lights the lamps of the Menorah.
Now the High Priest's work is really ended for the day. For
the last time he washes, changes his golden robes for his
everyday clothing, and sets out for his home. But not alone. A
crowd of people escort him, pushing and shoving for the honor of
walking close to him.
Towards Evening
All is lively and joyous on the streets of Jerusalem. People
go about, light of heart after the fast, and prepare themselves
for the joyous holiday of Sukkos. Every household is festive. But
the greatest festivity takes place at the home of the High
Priest. A group of priests of the higher caste and the
aristocrats of the city have come to greet him. The house is
full, and all partake of a luxurious feast, and frolic till late
in the night.
After the Destruction
The destruction of the second Temple brought an end to the
Yom Kippur service as practiced in the Temple, with its symbolic
rituals of forgiveness. But Yom Kippur did not lose its
importance in Jewish life. Even before the Temple was destroyed
Yom Kippur no longer depended entirely on the High Priest and the
special service that he conducted in the sanctuary.
Had Yom Kippur remained a holiday on which the High Priest
alone begged forgiveness for the sins of the people, it would
never have survived the destruction of the Temple. But Yom Kippur
had already gone through a long period of evolution; the people
continually took an ever greater part in the observance of the
day. Thus its importance grew outside of the Temple.
It has already been stated that while the Temple still
stood, in the last period before its destruction, Yom Kippur had
become the Great Day for Jews of the entire world, a day of
fasting and prayer in the synagogues. The day continued this
character after the destruction of the Temple. There was no
longer the special Temple service nor a High Priest to act as
intermediary between man and God. But Jews continued to observe
the day, without any intermediary, addressing themselves directly
to God through prayers and confessions.
Characteristic of the attitude of the Jews in Palestine to
Yom Kippur after the destruction of the Temple is the following
tale from the Talmud:
Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai, together with his pupil, Rabbi
Joshua, once stood gazing at the ruins of the Temple. And Rabbi
Joshua said, "Woe to us, that the place where Jews were forgiven
for their sins is destroyed." To which Rabban Jochanan answered,
"My son, regret it not. We have another medium, just as good, for
the forgiveness of sin. It is: Do good to mankind. For it is
written: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'"
In this way Jews at the time of the second destruction of
Jerusalem were prepared, through their religious ideals, and with
the religious ceremonies they had evolved for their homes and the
synagogue, to carry on without the Temple service.
But Jews did not forget the Yom Kippur ritual of the Temple
and the remembrance of it forms the most interesting part of the
Yom Kippur services. The order of the Temple ceremonial is
recited, and made dramatic and vivid in its rendition by the
cantor and the congregation. The three confessionals of the High
Priest are recited, the sprinkling of the blood is counted, the
congregation prostrates itself and, in its thoughts, relives the
ceremonial of Yom Kippur in the Temple.
The religious content of the day became so profound, and the
synagogue ritual became so rich, that Yom Kippur has remained
till this very day the greatest day in the Jewish year.
........................
And with all its ritual, pomp, fasting, prayers, and ceromony, it
is useless to the Jews today without Christ, the atonement
sacrifice. It is just another lesson that without worshipping God
in "spirit and in truth" all pious and outwardly righteous
looking religion is hollow and vain. Yes, it's shocking to some to
learn that you can have an outward form of religion, ceremony,
words, hymns, and what may seem like worship towards God, yet do
it all in vain. Jesus the Christ, in the Gospels, said it could
well be worship in vain. YOU need to fear the Word of the Lord,
not the religions of men. YOU need to be a serious student of the
Bible, searching for its truths, growing in grace and knowledge,
proving all things, and holding fast to that which is good. YOU
need to be earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to
the saints. YOU need to be doing what Jesus said we should do -
living by every word of God (Mat.4:4).
Certainly this solom fast day of the Feast of Atonement is a time
to meditate on what I have just said. The world one day, in the
plan of God, will be at one with Him, and then the people of the
earth will come to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Keith Hunt
Atonement Feast in Eastern EuropeWell at one time it was like ...
From the book "The Jewish Festivals" by Hayyin Schauss, punlished
in 1938.
Some practices and customs may not being observed today in the
year 2010 - Keith Hunt
IN EASTERN EUROPE
Elul Approaches
The Days of Awe do not arrive suddenly and unexpectedly;
people start preparing for them a long time in advance. The
attitude during the entire month of Elul is already an earnest
and sober one, and all feel that soon the solemn days, the days
of penitence will begin.
(Such readiness and feelings should be for the Passover season
NOT per se from Trumpets to Atonement - we shall see later how
the Jews got this backwards - Keith Hunt)
But undercurrents of the coming holidays are felt even
earlier, are felt on the Sabbath at which the blessing for the
coming New Moon, that of Elul, is recited. Every Sabbath before a
New Moon is a special Sabbath in the synagogue. But the Sabbath
before Elul is exalted above all the other pre-New Moon Sabbaths.
One knows that very soon, in just a few days, the call of the
Shofar will be heard and when the cantor, holding the
Torah-scroll, calls out "Rosh Chodesh Elul," the ring of his
voice is far different from the tone he uses on other Sabbaths on
which he announces Rosh Chodesh.
The first real sign that the Days of Awe are nearing appears
on the day before the New Moon of Elul. The day before each New
Moon is called a minor Day of Atonement. There are no more than
three or four very pious old Jews in town who observe all these
minor days of atonement. But the day before Elul is different.
Many Jews fast on that day, and there is a big congregation
present for the afternoon prayers, to recite S'lichos, prayers of
supplication and confessions; it really feels like Yom Kippur.
On the second day of Rosh Chodesh, the first of Elul, at the end
of the morning services the blowing of the shofar begins, after
which Psalm xxvii is recited. The shofar call is a signal
that the time for penitence is approaching, and sober earnestness
descends on all.
The Days of Elul
The life of the town goes on as ordinarily. But it is easy
to see that the Jews are deliberately more pious. Certain petty
sins, common the year round, are now guarded against. People pray
more carefully and with greater fervor, and those with ample time
remain in the Bes haMidrosh, the House of Study, to recite
Psalms, to study a chapter of Mishnah, or other religious and
devotional books. For these are days, it is said, when the very
fish in the stream shiver with foreboding.
The solemnity of the month of Elul is more in evidence in
the cemetery than anywhere else, for these are the days on which
one visits the graves of his ancestors. Women, for the most part,
come and weep and bare their hearts to those who were once near
and dear to them, and who now lie between the markers of stone
and wood. Some stand at the headstones and weep silently; others,
however, moan and howl hysterically and are heard far afield.
There is a special book of prayers written for this occasion, but
most of the women lack the education to pick out the appropriate
ones. There are, however, a couple of learned women in town, and
they recite these prayers at the cemetery with the mourning
women. It is understood that they are to be paid for their
trouble. Some of the women are not content just to mourn at the
cemetery. They "measure the field." That is, they pace about the
cemetery with a spool of cotton which they unroll, and with which
they span the ground. This cotton is then taken to the
candle-maker, who uses it as wicks for candles, which the women
donate to the synagogue.
For the children it is, in many ways, a very pleasant
period. For the days from the middle of Elul till after Sukkos
are vacation days between the summer and fall semesters, and
school is open only half-days. But they do not get much
satisfaction from their freedom. The sober air of penitence that
rules over the adults has its influence on them. Their conscience
forbids them to frolic and joy. The children also know that life
hangs in the balance now, and the time is coming when the fate of
every man will be judged and inscribed in heaven.
S'lichos
The awesome atmosphere becomes even more pronounced,
and still more circumspect becomes the attitude of the
townspeople during the week of S'lichos (supplications) which
begins on the Sunday before Rosh Hashonoh. On that day all rise
very early, while it is still pitch dark outside. Since the hour
of arising is much earlier than usual, the beadle goes about the
town with a lantern in his hand, knocking on windows with a
wooden mallet, waking the Jews for S'lichos. There are some pious
people in town, women as well as men, who fast on this day.
Even the school-boys, the older ones, rise early to attend the
S'lichos services in the House of Study. They attend only on the
first day's services and not on the succeeding days with the
exception of the day before Rosh Hashonoh.
The Day before New Year
Old and young alike rise early on the day before Rosh
Hashonoh to attend the special S'lichos services of that day,
even earlier in the morning than they did for the first S'lichos.
Some take a glass of tea and a cracker before going to the
synagogue; that is allowed because it is still night. Afterwards
eating is forbidden, for on this day all fast till noon.
Afternoon services are held at one o'clock, and after that all go
home for a light lunch. Many Jews go to the public bath, even
before breaking their fast.
It is also customary to go to the bath on the day preceding
other festivals. There are even certain Jews who go to the bath
every Friday, provided it is heated. Bathing, however, on the day
before Rosh Hashonoh, and also on the day before Yom Kippur, is a
religious precept. It is especially creditable to immerse oneself
in the ritual bath on those days.
Rosh Hashonoh Eve
In the synagogue the atmosphere is festive for the evening
services, but the prayers are chanted with the intonation
associated with the Days of Awe, which induces a highly religious
attitude. After the services all wish one another "A Festive
Holiday," and add, in Hebrew, "May you be inscribed and sealed
for a good year"; but everyone does not know Hebrew well and the
words are difficult to pronounce, so many content themselves with
just saying simply, "A good year."
The table is festively arrayed when the worshipers arrive
home from the synagogue. On the table is a small jar filled with
honey, an omen for a sweet year; this is spread on the first
slice of bread eaten. In many homes some new fruit of the season
is served. This fruit is generally grapes, for all other fruits
have been tasted in the course of the summer. But grapes come
from distant, warm countries and are expensive, so not all can
afford to partake of this luxury. Pious Jews, therefore, deny
themselves one certain fruit all summer long, in order to be able
to make the special blessing over it at the Rosh Hashonoh table
on the second evening.
In the Synagogue
Rosh Hashonoh is not a home festival. Meals are eaten in the
home, but the entire observance and ceremonial is in the
synagogue. For this reason the cantor plays the chief role in the
festival, and the better his voice, the more involved his trills
and arpeggios, the greater is the satisfaction one receives from
the festival. Services start very early in the morning and do not
end till after midday. All the prayers are recited and chanted
with pious fervor. But there are, in addition, certain exalted
moments when the spirit that fills all hearts on the Days of Awe
expands and religious feelings are raised to the highest pitch.
Such an exalted moment comes at the blowing of the shofar. Psalm
XLVII is recited seven times; then all quiets down. The hearts of
the worshipers beat fast; and when the trumpeter calls out
"Blessed be," the beginning of the benediction, a tremor of awe
and fear passes through the congregation.
The Most Exalted Moment
The greatest and most exalted moment of the services comes
when the Ark of the Torah is opened and the chant of Un'saneh
Tokef f begins. An unnatural fear grips the hearts of the
worshipers. They pull their prayer shawls over their heads and
recite the words in a loud voice, with tears and sobs. The
sobbing and weeping is much louder in the women's section. The
women weep oceans of tears as they read the simple, yet
expressive words that tell how God judges the world on that
fearful and solemn day:
"We will declare the greatness and the holiness of this Day, for
thereon Thy kingdom is exalted, Thy throne established in mercy,
and Thou judgget in truth. It is true that Thou art the judge;
Thou reprovest; Thou knowest all; Thou bearest witness, recordest
and sealest: Thou also rememberest all things that seem to be
forgotten; and all that enter the world must pass before Thee,
even as the shepherd causes his sheep to pass under his rod. Thou
numberest and countest, and visitest every living soul,
appointest the limitations of all Thy creatures, and recordest
the sentence of their judgment: How many are to pass away, and
how many are to come into existence; who are to live and who are
to die; who are to accomplish the full number of their days, and
who are not to accomplish them; who are to perish by water and
who by fire; who by the sword and who by hunger; who by
earthquake and who by plagues; who shall have repose and who
shall be troubled; who shall be tranquil and who shall be
disturbed; who shall be prosperous and who shall be afflicted;
who shall become poor and who shall become rich; who shall be
cast down and who shall be exalted."
(No, God is not pre-ordaining the lives of people, maybe a few
like John the baptist, and Jeremiah. But by and large God is not
pre-ordaining lives to this and that. Solomon was inspired to
write "time and chance" is a large part of most lives on earth -
for most people the Lord is not directing as the above words from
Jews would want you to believe - Keith Hunt)
The moans die down and the congregation calms itself
somewhat at the words: "But Repentance, Prayer and Charity avert
the evil decree."
(Well it averts the decree of the second death for sure; but may
righteous suffer from all kinds of things, some even death for
the faith once delivered to the saints. The apostle Paul sure did
not have an easy "put up your feet, and drink your beer" of life,
and the 11th chapter of Hebrews shows God's people do not always
have the safe and smooth life - Keith Hunt)
However, the prayer does not end with this. There still
comes a sharp reminder of the shortness and impotence of man's
life:
"How weak is man! He comes from the dust and returns to
the dust; must toil for his sustenance; passes away like
withered I grass, a vanishing shadow, a fleeting dream.
But Thou, O God, art eternal; Thou art King everlasting."
(Well, that is true, our life is but a blink of an eye for length
of days compared to an Eternal God - Keith Hunt)
Tashlich
There is no sleeping or promenading after the midday
meal. As soon as dinner is finished, the worshipers return to the
synagogue to recite Psalms and conduct the afternoon services.
And after that comes the Tashlich custom. The entire town, young
and old, dressed in festive array, goes out to a near by stream,
men and women at different points on the river, and recite the
Tashlich prayers, so named from the passage in Micah read there
which begins with the word, v'sashlich (and Thou wilt cast [all
their sins into the depths of the sea] ).
There is a slight respite after this ceremony, during which
tea is served, and a festive feeling rules. But then people rush
back to the synagogue and chant Psalms again, until it is time
for evening prayers.
With the exception of the Tashlich ceremony, the entire
ritual of the day is repeated on the morrow.
The Days o f Penitence
The day after Rosh Hashonoh is a fast day, the Fast of
Gedaliah, in memory of the death of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam But
people do not care about the historical origin of the day; it is
for them just one of the many fasts between the first day of
S'lichos and Yom Kippur.
The first ten days of Tishri, which include both Rosh
Hashono and Yom Kippur, are known as the "The Ten Days of
Penitence." The days between the two holidays are already colored
by the solemnity of Yom Kippur. The very pious fast till midday
every day of this period, with the exception of the Sabbath and
the day before Yom Kippur, days on which it is forbidden to fast.
The Saturday between the two holidays is called Sabbath Shuvoh,
from the first word of the portion of the Prophets which is read
on that day. This Sabbath is observed much more strictly than
are ordinary Sabbaths, and the rabbi delivers a long sermon
before the afternoon prayers, in which he endeavors to arouse the
congregation to whole-hearted penitence.
Kaporos
The second day before Yom Kippur has special significance in
that it is the day of Kaporos. There is no specified time for
this ceremony; some observe it in the afternoon, some early in
the evening, some late at night and others the following morning.
The men use roosters for the ceremony and the women hens. When
the family is large it is rather expensive to supply a fowl for
each member of the family, so money is used instead. Those who
use money for the ceremony generally perform it the morning
before Yom Kippur.
The homes are unusually noisy. The fowls, their legs tied,
cluck and crow at the tops of their voices. It generally happens,
too, that a rooster gets excited and begins to run and fly all
over the house, despite his bound feet, and there follows a long
struggle to subdue him.
First the fowl, or the money, is held in the hand and
everyone reads selections from certain Psalms, beginning with the
words, "Sons of Adam." Then the fowl is circled about the head
nine times, the following being recited at the same time: "This
is instead of me, this is an offering on my account, this is in
expiation for me; this rooster, or hen, shall go to his, or her,
death (or, this money shall go to charity), and may I enter a
long and healthy life.
The greatest ado is in the yard of the shochet, the ritual
slaughterer, where the Kaporos are taken to be slaughtered after
the above ceremony has taken place. Only the poorer Jews carry
their Kaporos to the shochet, however. The wellto-do have the
shochet call at their homes and dispatch the fowls there, for
there should be no time lost between the Kaporos ceremony and the
slaughtering of the fowl. This can be done only when the shochet
is present at the ceremony. The ritual is delayed in the
well-to-do homes until the shochet arrives, sometimes late in the
night. This has its compensations, however, for at that hour the
fowls are asleep and easy to take off the roost.
The Kaporos ceremony is so universal in its appeal that it
has crept into the language of the people. When one stares at a
thing unknowingly, it is said of him that he looks like a rooster
at the words "Sons of Adam." Should there be a great fuss and ado
somewhere in town it is said that the stir is as great as at the
Kaporos ceremony.
The Day before Yom Kippur
The day before Yom Kippur has a double character. It is the
day on which Jews prepare for Yom Kippur, and it is also a
holiday in its own right. Exactly as it is a religious
commandment to fast on Yom Kippur, so is it a religious
requirement to eat heartily the day before.
The Jewish population is busy all day. Immediately after the
morning services the ceremony for the release from vows is
observed. Any personal vow, affecting only the vower himself,
that he regrets, can be declared void by one ordained teacher or
by three laymen. Some have already attended to the release the
day before Rosh Hashonoh, but many wait for this day. The
ceremony is performed in groups, for, as said before, a court of
at least three must be present. The pleader stands and recites
the text relating to the release from vows, and the other three
sit and listen, answering him according to the text. When he is
through he sits down and becomes one of the court, another rising
and reciting from the text, and so on, till the entire group is
finished.
Some Jews perform the Kaporos ceremony on the morning of
this day. There are also some who make it an occasion for
visiting the cemetery. The pious go to the bath-house to bathe in
the ritual pool, some even making a confessional in the water.
The holiday feast is eaten about eleven or twelve o'clock; it
consists of soup, kreplech (a three-cornered pastry filled with
meat), and carrot-pudding. The meal is served early, to allow
time for the next meal, the final one before the fast.
The Afternoon
At about two in the afternoon people begin to go to the
synagogue for minchoh, afternoon services. Not all pray
together. When a group of ten assembles a service begins. This
occurs several times during the afternoon.
The older and more pious Jews of the town go through Malkus,
the symbolic ceremony of being flogged for sins committed. There
is one flogger for the entire town, a certain poor man who does
it regularly, year after year; he gets coins from each one he
flogs and this augments his yearly income. It is said that in
former days there were more pious people so that many Jews acted
as floggers on the day before Yom Kippur and barely had time to
finish their work.
The flogger appears in the synagogue at the beginning of the
afternoon services, a leather lash in his hand. He spreads some
hay on the floor near the door. The elders, wearing their
overcoats, stretch out on the hay face down and make a
confessional, while the flogger strikes the coat lightly with his
lash, reciting a prescribed sentence three times (Psalm LXXVIII,
38). The sentence consists of thirteen words which, repeated
three times, makes thirty-nine, the number of lashes inflicted
upon sentenced criminals in olden days. The flogger races through
his ritual so fast that the pious Jew receiving the lashes barely
has time to finish his confessional.
Long tables are set up in the corridor of the synagogue,
bearing alms-plates for the various institutions and charities of
the community. Each member of the community pays his
congregational dues after the afternoon services and distributes
coins in the various plates. At the door are many paupers,
townspeople, and strangers, and all who pass give them alms.
Yom Kippur Eve
The sun falls lower and lower in the heavens. It is time for
the evening meal, the last one before the fast, at which the
rooster of the Kaporos ceremony and soup made from it is eaten.
After the meal the blessing is repeated accompanied by tears and
sighs. Then wishes for the coming year are expressed, and all
rush off to the synagogue, the men in prayer-shawls and white
robes, the women in white dresses.
All is quiet and peaceful in the town. Not a living soul is
visible in the streets. All are in the synagogue. Only the older
girls and younger children have been left at home. The older
girls stand with prayer books in their hands and beat their
breasts in prayer, and watch the huge, twenty-four hour candle
burning on the table. Each family has at least two of them, one
for the dead, which is taken to the synagogue, and one for the
living, which burns at home.
The synagogue is crowded. Candles glow everywhere, wherever
there is room to put one. Lamps and pendant candelabra gleam
overhead, casting additional light on the crowded congregation,
which stands praying and shaking in white robes and white talesim
(prayer-shawls); the worshipers beat their breasts and weep,
shouting their prayers over the sobs and screams which come from
the women's section.
The most solemn and exalted moment of the Yom Kippur Eve
services comes when the cantor sings Kol Nidre. As soon as he
begins the well-known chant, an air of solemn and exalted
absorption falls on the congregation. A deep sadness pervades the
melody, but it imparts, at the same time, warmth and tenderness,
and arouses all the hidden religious feelings and longings of
man.
The Temple Service
A second tense moment in the Yom Kippur service comes in the
prayers of the next day when the order of the Temple Service is
recited and sung; through poetic descriptions and beautiful
melodies, sung by the cantor and congregation in unison, the
Temple Service is dramatically relived.
There is life and stir in the synagogue when the time comes
for this prayer. The cantor sings, but not alone; the worshipers
join him in a wordless, exalted melody. And when he mentions the
prostration in the court of the Temple, all throw themselves to
the ground and bury their faces, exactly as did their ancestors
in the Temple in Jerusalem when they heard the High Priest call
out the ineffable Name of God.
Afternoon and Evening
A third exalted moment comes at the N'iloh or concluding
prayers of Yom Kippur. The word means closing, and it originally
meant the closing of the gates of the Temple. But it was
interpreted to mean the closing of the gates of heaven, when one
has the final opportunity to do penance whole-heartedly and to
plead for a successful year.
It is an extraordinary moment. The sun is already setting,
and shadows begin to fall. The great Yom Kippur candles are
almost burned down. The congregation stands, weakened from the
long fast and arduous prayers. This is the end. In a moment, a
man's fate will be sealed.
Pale stars begin to appear in the sky. The shofar is blown,
one long, resounding t'kioh. And the trumpet call is answered
with the cry and hope that next year will find them all in
Jerusalem.
With lightened spirits they recite the evening prayers. Yom
Kippur is over. If it is a clear evening, the people do not rush
home to eat. First they recite the appropriate blessing for the
appearance of the New Moon.
Pious Jews partake of the barest amount of food necessary
and then begin preparations for the building of the Sukkoh,
the booth for the Sukkos holiday. Only after they have observed
this religious precept do they really sit down to the feast that
breaks their fast.
Worshipers arise earlier than usual on the morning after Yom
Kippur. They do this so that Satan will have no cause to argue
before God that, once Yom Kippur is over, Jews become lax and are
too lazy to get up for the morning services.
.......................
Well, there it is, or as it was, in some orthodox Jewish
communities, maybe still is somewhere. Tradition, tradition, and
more tradition, as the Jews themselves would say, the Jews in
"Fiddler on the Roof" said it anyway.
Sadly, all in vain, it scores no points with God as they have
rejected Christ. They are blinded (as Paul wrote about in Romans
9 through 11) and cannot see that they cannot see the light of
THE truth. One day they will have the blinding cover cast over
their minds, removed, and they will come to see the true light of
the world - Christ Jesus and the New Covenant.
Next the writer will take us on a journey of the customs and
ceremony of the Jewish Feast of Atonement, where much of it came
from. That's the next chapter.
Keith Hunt
"Days of Awe" - Custom and CeremonyThe False Pagan Adoptions! THE JEWISH FESTIVALS
From the book " The Jewish Festivals" by Hayyim Schauss,
published in 1938.
DAYS OF AWE
(The days between Trumpets and Atonement)
CUSTOM AND CEREMONY
New Year Greetings
One of the main observances of the Jewish New Year is the
expression of the wish that one's fate be inscribed and sealed in
heaven for a successful and happy year. This wish is expressed
both personally and through cards, which bear the inscription,
L'shonoh Tovoh Tikosevu V'sechosemu (may you be inscribed and
sealed for a good year). These cards are called, for short,
L'shonoh Tovohs. Since the Jewish New Year stretches from Rosh
Hashonoh till Hoshano Rabboh, the cards are sent throughout the
period.
The text of this Jewish greeting for the New Year comes from
the belief that God judges the entire world on Rosh Hashonoh and
decrees the fate of all. This belief is first recorded in the
literature of the Tannaim, a product of the second century. "All
are judged on Rosh Hashonoh and their fate is sealed on Yom
Kippur," are the words attributed to Rabbi Meir. This is
amplified as follows:
"Three books are opened on Rosh Hashonoh. One is for the
out-and-out wicked; a second for the truly righteous; and a third
for those in between. The righteous are at once inscribed and
sealed for life; the wicked for death; judgment on the middle
group is suspended till Yom Kippur. Should one of that group
attain merit during those days then he is inscribed for life;
otherwise for death."
***It must not be thought, however, that this belief was
created then, in the Tannaitic period. The Babylonians held such
a belief long before the very beginning of Jewish history. We
must accept the fact, then, that this belief came to the
Jews from the Babylonians in olden days, even before the
Babylonian Exile.*** It is also true, however, that it took a
long time before this belief was accepted by all Jews.
***The ancient Babylonians believed that the fate of the
world is decided anew in heaven every year. According to the
religion of the Babylonians it was done not by one god, but at a
meeting of all the gods, held yearly in a room in heaven called,
"The Room of Fate." According to this belief, Marduk, chief of
the gods, led this meeting and Nabu, god of wisdom and
literature, and the messenger of the gods, acted as secretary,
and recorded all things on tablets. It was he who carried with
him the tablets of fate, on which the judgment for all was
inscribed at the New Year.***
***We have here, in a Babylonian version, the Jewish idea of
Rosh Hashonoh as a day of judgment. Various other Jewish
observances were found amongst the Babylonians. For instance, in
the New Year services in the Temple of Marduk, the god was
declared king and creator of the world, and the High Priest of
the temple recited the account of the creation of the world in
front of an image of Marduk.***
(Ah yes, are you seeing where the teachings of the Jews during
these so-called "days of awe" were coming from? They were coming
from BABYLON!! - Keith Hunt)
But, despite the fact that in this or that detail Jews were
influenced by the Babylonians, Rosh Hashonoh has an entirely
different content from the Babylonian New Year. When we compare
the two New Years we first see clearly the unique and original
road traveled by the Jews in their spiritual life. To do this we
must first study the New Year festival of the Babylonians.
(Hummm, okay, the Jews put their own twist on things from Babylon
- Keith Hunt)
The Babylonians observed their New Year not in the fall, as
did the Jews, but in spring, in the first days of Nisan, and the
observance lasted about two weeks. This was the festival during
which they celebrated the resurrection of Marduk and his wedding
to the goddess, Sarpanitu. Marduk represented in himself the sun,
or rather the eternal forces of nature through which the world is
resurrected every spring after the slumber of the winter. Since
Marduk did not represent spirituality, as did the Jewish God, but
nature, which grows and multiplies, it is natural that the
Babylonians celebrated on the New Year his marriage to a goddess.
Not only Marduk, but the gods of all other peoples, with the
exception of the Jews, had goddesses by their side.
The Babylonians began their New Year ceremonies with a
dramatic presentation on earth of that which transpires in the
heavens. They brought the images of all their gods to one room in
Marduk's temple, a room which they designated as the "Room of
Fate." The most important ceremony of their New Year was the
religious procession in which they carried Marduk in his holy
chariot through a certain street, a street which was lately
uncovered in the excavations in Babylon.
We can see, then, that Rosh Hashonoh has very little
relationship to the Babylonian New Year. A much closer
relationship exists between the Babylonian New Year and the
Christian Easter, during which the resurrection of a demigod is
celebrated.
(Yes, maybe in the literal as to the WHEN; Easter is also taken
from the false Babylon and other false religions of the world.
Two wrongs do not make a one right - Keith Hunt)
Table Delicacies As Omens
It is an old Jewish custom to set sweets on the Rosh
Hashonoh table and to avoid eating sour. This presages the
sweetness of the coming year, and no Jewish table lacks a dish of
honey or syrup on Rosh Hashonoh, the day before Yom Kippur, and
Sukkos. The sweet is spread on the first slice of bread with
which the meal is started.
This custom is based on an ancient magical belief that every
activity calls forth its counterpart. For instance, if one brings
bread into a new dwelling, bread will never be lacking there; if
one pours water at the beginning of the year, especially on an
altar, there will be ample rain the coming year; and if one eats
sweet dishes at the beginning of the year, sweetness will abide
for the entire year. This is an old primitive belief, widespread
amongst all peoples. A similar custom, based on the same
principle, is to eat the head of some animal on Rosh Hashonoh,
for a head represents greatness and leadership.
(More adoptions from paganism in Jewish custom and ceremony -
Keith Hunt)
The Shofar
There is no ceremony so characteristic of the Rosh Hashonoh
festival as the blowing of the shofar. Even before the day was
known as Rosh Hashonoh it was called, Yom T'ruoh, the day of the
blowing of the shofar.
It has already been noted that not only on Rosh Hashonoh,
the first day of Tishri, but on the first of every month,
trumpets were blown. These trumpets were called "chatsotsros,"
and were evidently artists' instruments, made of silver. The
"shofar," however, is a natural wind instrument, one of the
oldest known to the world.
In the old days the "shofar" was used as a musical
instrument by Jews at various religious ceremonies, but, its most
important use was to intimidate the enemy, to declare war, and,
in general, to make proclamations to the people.
The origin of the custom of blowing the "shofar" on the
first of every month, and especially loudly and alarmingly on the
first day of the seventh month, is not entirely clear. We have to
take for granted that this custom once was connected with the New
Moon ceremonies and was bound up with various other ancient
conceptions and beliefs. Later new ideas and meanings were read
into it.
The oldest reason for blowing the "shofar" is presented in
the Pentateuch. There it is mentioned as a means of asking God to
remember man. This is a later interpretation of an
old custom, the ancient meaning of which had been forgotten. In
still later times further symbolic thoughts were read into the
custom of blowing the shofar. It had double importance for Philo,
the Greco-Jewish philosopher, from both the national and
universal viewpoints. In the first place, he said, the "shofar"
was a reminder of the giving of the Torah. Secondly, he pointed
out, the "shofar" was the signal given on the battlefield to
advance and retire. Blowing the "shofar" is, therefore, a call of
thanks to God, who halts the war between the nations and the
struggle among the elements of nature, thus bringing peace and
harmony to the world.
The Talmud states that the "shofar" is blown in order to
confuse Satan, so that he will not bring his charges against Jews
before God on the day of judgment. Hearing so much "shofar"
blowing, Satan believes that the Messiah has arrived and the end
of his power on earth has come.
Even later, in the Middle Ages, various interpretations and
meanings continued to be given regarding the "shofar." A historic
reason for the blowing of the "shofar" on the first day of Elul
was even figured out. It was declared that on the first day of
Elul, Moses ascended Mount Sinai for the second time, and he blew
the "shofar" as a reminder to Jews not to err a second time, and
not to make another golden calf. Originally, apparently, the
"shofar" was blown only on the first day of Elul, as a signal of
the approach of the month that precedes the days of penitence. It
was only later that the custom of blowing it during the entire
month of Elul was instituted.
(Certainly God did institute the blowing of the trumpet on the
new month days and the Feast of Trumpets. The Jews only to a
point could connect the "trumpet" blowing with the events in the
books of the prophets, for the very end of this age into the age
to come. And because they would not accept Christ as the Messiah
and the New Testament writings, they could never come to see the
trumpts of the book of Revelation- hence many various meanings
of their own mind did they come up with, as you have just read
about - Keith Hunt)
Tashlich
The custom of going to a body of water on the first day of
Rosh Hashonoh (or on the second day when the first day is
Saturday) is usually explained on the basis of casting the sins
into the depths of the water, expressed in the passage of Micah
read there. It is obvious that the custom did not grow out of the
citation, but the passage was quoted because of the custom. How
the custom originated was no longer known, nor was there any
desire to know the origin. So a new meaning was sought for it, a
meaning that would be in keeping with the Jewish spirit and
Jewish belief. Such a meaning was found in a certain passage in
Micah.
But this interpretation did not please all. It did not seem
sensible, to some Jews, to go to a stream on Rosh Hashonoh
because of a biblical phrase. They, therefore, evolved another
interpretation, one even less tenable. According to this second
interpretation, the reason for going to a stream on Rosh Hashonoh
was explained as a reminder of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of
Isaac.
In the Bible story of the sacrifice of Isaac there is no
mention of a stream. The stream enters the story in the tales of
the Midrash. The homiletical expounders of the Bible altered the
tale considerably, and made of it a form of drama, based on a
wager between God and Satan, such a wager as is found in the Book
of Job.
According to this tale Satan wagered that Abraham would not
stand the test made of him to offer his only son as a sacrifice;
he therefore tried to hinder Abraham in every way. When he saw
that Abraham was intent upon making the sacrifice he turned
himself into a deep stream, over which Abraham could not pass. On
seeing this, God reproved the stream and it dried up.
For this reason, said the Gaon of Vilna and, centuries
before him, the famous Rabbi Jacob ben Moses Halevi, known by his
abbreviated name, Maharil, Jews go to a stream on Rosh Hashonoh,
to remind God of the merits of Abraham and Isaac.
(Once more we see a tradition that became forgotten as to its
original origin [certainly not in the Bible] and then a new idea
given to it, to cloak it with some "godly religion" - much the
same as the Roman Catholic faith adopted false pagan customs and
sprinkled them with their "holy water" to say they were now
Christian - Keith Hunt)
The Maharil was the greatest German rabbi at the end of the
fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries. He died
at Worms in 1427. In the famous Book of Customs which carries his
name, Tashlich is mentioned and strict orders are given that no
crumbs of bread should be thrown to the fish when Jews go to the
stream on Rosh Hashonoh.
We learn two things from this. First, that in that time, in
the fourteenth century, it was already a German-Jewish custom to
go to Tashlich; second, we see that an important part of the
ceremony was the casting of crumbs into the water. Some Jews
shake their pockets into the stream to this day at Tashlich, but
it is not the customary usage. It is apparent, however, that in
olden days all did it, and the shaking of the crumbs out of one's
pocket was of paramount importance to the ceremony.
We see now that in the custom of Tashlich lies the ancient
and primitive conception of giving the devil a gift, so that he
will do no harm. It was the old belief that evil spirits dwell in
streams, in wells and springs, and the best way to placate them
is to offer them gifts.
That each stream is the home of a spirit who is lord of the
stream is an old superstition that is still widespread. It is
said of every stream that it demands a human victim each year,
not the stream actually, but the evil spirit that dwells in it.
Bread was, therefore, cast upon the water each year, in an effort
to placate the evil spirit.
(No wonder Jesus denounced the Pharisees for their tradtions that
made void the law or commandments of God. Alot of their
traditions were either made up from their own minds or borrowed
from the pagan nations around them; so it is with much of modern
Christianity - Keith Hunt)
In addition to this idea of casting bread to the evil
spirit, there is also the primitive idea behind Tashlich that a
certain object or living thing could carry off with it, to the
depths of the sea or to the furthest reaches of the wilderness,
all sins and woes that beset man. In the Tashlich ceremony it is
apparently the fish who are to accomplish this.
These two primitive conceptions were already inherent in the
"scapegoat" idea, the goat sent to the Azazel, and they both
appear in the Tashlich ceremony. Jews cast their bread on the
waters and also shook their sins into the stream. This latter
custom we learn from Rabbi Isaiah Hurwitz, who lived toward the
end of the sixteenth century. This famed Rabbi and Kabbalist
mentions in his book, "The Two Tablets of the Covenant," that
Jews practice the custom of shaking their pockets into the
stream, thinking that they can thus shake off their sins. He
protests violently against the custom, declaring that it is a
desecration. His own interpretation of the Tashlich ceremony is
that Jews go to a fish-bearing stream as a reminder that man
himself is like a fish, and just as likely to be ensnared and
trapped.
(Well, more ideas from more of making up your own religion to
worship God with - which the Lord denounces in Dueteronomy 12 -
Keith Hunt)
When the Tashlich custom originated amongst Jews is not
certain. It is first discussed in the fourteenth century in the
book of the aforementioned Maharil. But one is not to judge that
the custom therefore arose in the fourteenth century. It is more
likely that it was practiced earlier by certain Jews and that in
the fourteenth century, it was first adopted by the mass of Jews.
In fact, a form of Tashlich, which was combined with a form of
Kaporos, was practiced by the Babylonian Jews in the time of the
G'onim.
It was then the custom for Jews to weave baskets out of palm
leaves and fill them with soil and earth, and to plant beans or
peas in them fifteen or twenty-two days before Rosh Hashonoh. On
the day before Rosh Hashonoh the basket was waved about the head
seven times, the pronouncement being made that this was to serve
as a substitute for the man, and the basket was then thrown into
the river.
Similar customs and habits have been found among other
peoples. It is a custom in certain sections of India to cram
all sins into a pot and throw it into the river. In Borneo and
Siam it is the yearly custom to load everybody's sins and woes
into a boat and to send it far out into the sea.
In time, as was pointed out, Tashlich lost its ancient
significance for Jews. New ideas and thoughts were attached to
the custom and it became merely a symbolic ceremony.
Kaporos
Much older than the Tashlich ceremony is the ceremony of
Kaporos, practiced with a fowl before Yom Kippur. It was already
a widespread custom amongst the Jews of Babylonia in the tenth
century. In that period richer Jews performed the ceremony with a
ram, as a reminder of the ram of Isaac, but the rooster prevailed
over the ram and was generally used.
The Kaporos ceremony is to be found not only among Jews, but
among many peoples, for an old belief, a primitive conception
that was common to most peoples, forms the basis of the custom.
The belief is that it is possible to transfer illness, pain,
or sin to a living thing or to a lifeless object, as, for
instance, a stone or stick. The belief still persists among
primitive and semi-civilized people.
The primitive man does not differentiate between the
spiritual and the physical. The primitive man, therefore,
believes that just as it is possible to transfer a stone or a
piece of wood from one man's back to another's, so can sin and
pain be transferred. Prehistoric man understood nothing about the
world around him, and attributed everything to the spirits which
he believed resided everywhere. The stone and the tree, the
stream and the swamp were all living things to him. In each
resided a spirit, good or evil. He believed that by magical means
he could influence the spirit, triumph over the manifestations of
nature, and perform all kinds of miracles.
One of the magical procedures that primitive people used was
to disturb the evil spirit, to get him to move to another place,
no matter where, thus releasing the person to whom he had
attached himself. In addition the primitive man thought out an
endless number of rituals and enchantments to forestall ill
fortune, sin, and woe by transferring them to a proxy, who would
suffer in his stead.
The belief that inert objects can become the agent of man
and absorb woe and misfortune is found also among Jews. When a
costly dish breaks, people often comfort themselves by saying,
"It doesn't matter. May it be a Kaporoh for all of us." It is
believed that were some accident fated to happen to a member of
the household the dish becomes the proxy of man, takes over the
misfortune, and is thus broken.
Woe and misfortune and evil are much more easily transferred
to living creatures than to inert objects, especially fowls; and
of all fowls the rooster and the hen always played the greatest
role in the superstitious beliefs of people the world over. A hen
or rooster, when sacrificed, it was believed, would not only
placate the evil spirits, but would also frighten them. Evil
spirits shun the light, and it is the rooster who scares them
away when he crows in the morning and announces the first light
of day, according to popular belief. According to the ancient
Persians the rooster was created for the purpose of driving the
devils away.
There was another reason for ascribing a magical nature to
the rooster - his big, red comb. The color red, in the
superstition of many peoples, keeps the devils away. The devil,
by the way, in Jewish lore, had the feet of a rooster. And, as
the rooster had magical powers, some of the same power was
transferred to the hen.
The hen and the rooster to which man transfers his sins,
are therefore a sacrifice which is offered to the devil. They are
also, at the same time, a means of frightening and chasing away
the evil spirits. There are various conceptions regarding the
color of the Kaporos fowl. The devil, as all know, is black. Many
people believe that the magic used against the devil must be of
the same color as the devil, and many others believe just the
opposite. Jews, for instance, prefer to perform the ceremony with
a white fowl. They, of course, interpreted the use of a white
fowl, as a symbol of the release from sin. This is, however, a
later interpretation; originally the whiteness of the fowl was
obviously a means of frightening the black devil.
(Need I say any more? How man has invented his own religion to
worship God with is here clearly being shown to us - Keith Hunt)
The custom of swinging the fowl about the head is part of
this same primitive attempt to frighten the devil.
The Kaporos ceremony, it seems, arose first among the Jews
of Babylonia and from them it spread to the Jews of other lands.
Many great rabbis warned the people against the practice of the
custom. Rabbi Solomon ben Adrath, for instance, who lived in
Spain in the thirteenth century, absolutely forbade the practice
of the custom in his community, Barcelona. Nachmanides, too,
branded the custom as one of idol-worshipers. Rabbi Solomon ben
Adrath admitted, however, that, according to what he had heard,
all the rabbis of Germany practiced the custom. Rabbi Joseph
Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, the code of laws accepted by
Orthodox Jews, branded Kaporos as a stupid custom. On the other
hand, Rabbi Moses Iserles, in his "Remarks" to Joseph Caro's
book, approved of the custom, which was, by that time (the
sixteenth century), already strongly entrenched amongst the
German and Polish Jews.
It seems that, before the widespread acceptance of Tashlicb,
Kaporos was not confined solely to the day preceding Yom
Kippur; in some places it was also performed the day before Rosh
Hashonoh. Some pious Jews observed the ceremony twice, before
Rosh Hashonoh and Yom Kippur. It was only later that it was
decided that Tashlich was to be performed before Rosh Hashonoh,
and Kaporos before Yom Kippur. The Jews of Morocco, however,
observe Tashlich on Yom Kippur.
Jews sought to make every custom that they borrowed from
other peoples distinctively Jewish and, bit by bit, they made
Kaporos a distinctly Jewish custom. They sought to imbue it with
a Jewish spirit, with a spirit of social morality. Among the
heathen the Kaporoh fowl is always destined for the devil; among
Jews, however, it is not thrown into a stream or driven into the
wilderness but donated to the poor. Only a specified portion, the
entrails, are cast on the roof to be carried off into the woods
by the birds. Even into this custom, a moral interpretation was
introduced. The hen, it was said, is a robber, eating and pecking
at everybody's food. The fruits of this robbery, contained in the
entrails, is what the birds carry off.
Kol Nidre
The custom of having one's self flogged on the day before
Yom Kippur is an ancient one. It was already practiced in the
time of Rashi (died 1105). The custom of seeking remission of
vows on the day before Rosh Hashonoh or Yom Kippur is, on the
other hand, of later origin.
The reciting of Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur eve originated in
the time of the G'onim. It is not yet certain how it originated,
nor why the Yom Kippur service should begin not with prayer, but
with a plea for the remission of vows. We do know, however, the
following facts about Kol Nidre: Kol Nidre is first mentioned in
the ninth century. It was not recited in the Talmudic academies
of Babylonia, because the G'onim were against it, labeling it a
foolish custom. It was not whole-heartedly adopted in Spain
either. Originally it was available in two languages, Hebrew for
the learned, and Aramaic for the masses. At first the text called
for the remission of vows committed during the past year; and
only later was the text changed to read: "from this Yom Kippur to
the next one."
We do not know, with any certainty, in what time, in what
country, or under what conditions Kol Nidre first appeared. But
two things are certain: that it arose in oriental countries in
the time of the G'onim; and that it had nothing,to do,
originally, with the secret Jews, with Jews upon whom baptism was
forced, as was at one time presumed.
In actuality, Kol Nidre plays a very small role in the Yom
Kippur ceremonial. Not the words, but the melody of Kol Nidre is
important. This wonderful and stirring melody has made such an
imprint on the observance of Yom Kippur eve, that the evening is
often referred to as "The Eve of Kol Nidre." The tune of Kol
Nidre originated in a far different land and at a far later
period than did the words. The melody first appeared among the
Jews of southern Germany some time between the middle of the
fifteenth and the middle of the sixteenth centuries. The S'fardim
and the Jews of the Orient do not use the melody of the
Ashkenazic Jews, but recite it to the chant of S'lichos
(Supplications).
For a number of centuries Kol Nidre dominated the Yom Kippur
eve services. Only in the nineteenth century did the Reform Jews
of Western Europe and America revolt against it. In some Reform
communities a new prayer has been written to replace Kol Nidre,
and in others the Yom Kippur eve services are begun with the
reading of Psalm cxxx. This is not a new custom, however, but a
reversion to an old custom. For, before Kol Nidre appeared, the
Jews of Palestine used to start the Yom Kippur services with a
reading from Psalms ciii and cxxx.
...................
There it is in all its ugly glory! A lesson for all true people
of God. The religious Jews are as full of pagan customs and
ceremonies as are most of the Christians, especially the Roman
Catholic religion. While the Jews maintain the form of the
Festivals of the Lord, they have not understood them becuase they
will not accept Christ as the Messiah, and His New Testament;
then added to that they have allowed themselves to adopt and
adapt pagan rites and customs, adding to many of them their own
ideas and theology, hence making up their own religion and
worship towards God, as they moved through the centuries. The so-
called "days of awe" were derived from Babylon. The time in God's
calendar for the inward inspection of sin, is at the Feast of
Unleavened Bread not between Trumpets and Atonement. The ever
Eternal God does not need man to invent customs and ceremonies
and theology to worship Him with. He has already given us all the
theology and customs and practices we need to worship Him in
spirit and in truth. They are all found in His holy word - the
word of truth (John 17:17) - the Bible.
Keith Hunt
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