Yom Kippur is the time of atonement. Most practicing Jews (and even many non observant Jews) do something in recognition of this holiday - though the what will vary some from group to group.
The Orthodox and Chassidics would follow the OT rituals the most precisely, followed by Conservatives. Then you have Reformed and Reconstructionists who view the rituals as symbolic and may stray from the traditions more.
As there are a diversity of beliefs/doctrines within Christianity, so it is the same in Judaism. What binds the Jewish people together is not the doctrine but the tradition. It is knowing that every Friday night, Jews all over the world are lighing the Sabbath candles, even if the prayers they recite and the foods they eat differ - the candles bind us.
Wayfer Not! - This is just off the top of my head. During the time of the gospels, there were a number of different forms of Judaism; Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots, etc. As Christianity originally developed, it was regarded as another branch of Judaism.
All of these factions revolved to one degree or another around worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. This was called the Second Temple, as opposed to Solomon's Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. The Temple had been partially restored in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, and then massively rebuilt by Herod.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, only two forms of Judaism survived; Christianity, which had the least dependence on the Temple, and the Pharisees.
Christianity, as it moved out into the Gentile world, distanced itself from its Jewish roots.
A number of Pharisee scholars got together in a council at Jamnia, and developed a way to maintain Jewishness without the Temple. That council was the beginning of what we call Rabbinical Judaism, or what we recognize as Judaism today.
I don't know all the technical differences between Second Temple Judaism and modern Judaism, but that's how many of the differences came about.
Yom Kippur is a very serious Holy day and the majority of the day is spent in fasting and lots of prayers. Then when the sun goes down - pig out!!!!!!!!!!! :)-->
Another tradition, which is usually done a few days before Yom Kippur is to take pieces of bread and throw them to the ducks - each piece of bread represents a sin you committed in the past year.
Also preceeding Yom Kippur you are to make apologies and amendments to those you've wronged in the past year.
But in a sense Yom Kippur starts with Rosh Hashannah - the Jewish New Year. Also in the mix is Succot, a time to remember how the Jews lived in the desert when they had no homes.
For Succot many people build a little shelter out of sticks and decorate it with special leaves. The more Orthodox will live in the Succot for a week - some will spend just one night in it, others will simply eat in it for a week or a night - depends on how observant one is.
It is after these events that Yom Kippur occurs. The New Year and Succot sort of build up to the process of atonement.
quote:For Succot many people build a little shelter out of sticks and decorate it with special leaves. The more Orthodox will live in the Succot for a week - some will spend just one night in it, others will simply eat in it for a week or a night - depends on how observant one is.
In our town, the shelter was contructed on an a empty lot right off of a busy street. A pretty good witness-by-example. It prompted me to get out the OT and read up on it.
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Abigail
Wafer Not,
Yom Kippur is the time of atonement. Most practicing Jews (and even many non observant Jews) do something in recognition of this holiday - though the what will vary some from group to group.
The Orthodox and Chassidics would follow the OT rituals the most precisely, followed by Conservatives. Then you have Reformed and Reconstructionists who view the rituals as symbolic and may stray from the traditions more.
As there are a diversity of beliefs/doctrines within Christianity, so it is the same in Judaism. What binds the Jewish people together is not the doctrine but the tradition. It is knowing that every Friday night, Jews all over the world are lighing the Sabbath candles, even if the prayers they recite and the foods they eat differ - the candles bind us.
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Steve Lortz
Wayfer Not! - This is just off the top of my head. During the time of the gospels, there were a number of different forms of Judaism; Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots, etc. As Christianity originally developed, it was regarded as another branch of Judaism.
All of these factions revolved to one degree or another around worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. This was called the Second Temple, as opposed to Solomon's Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. The Temple had been partially restored in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, and then massively rebuilt by Herod.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, only two forms of Judaism survived; Christianity, which had the least dependence on the Temple, and the Pharisees.
Christianity, as it moved out into the Gentile world, distanced itself from its Jewish roots.
A number of Pharisee scholars got together in a council at Jamnia, and developed a way to maintain Jewishness without the Temple. That council was the beginning of what we call Rabbinical Judaism, or what we recognize as Judaism today.
I don't know all the technical differences between Second Temple Judaism and modern Judaism, but that's how many of the differences came about.
Love,
Steve
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Nottawayfer
Thanks so much you guys! That answers a lot for me.
Abi, what is a "typical" practice for Yom Kippur?
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Abigail
Yom Kippur is a very serious Holy day and the majority of the day is spent in fasting and lots of prayers. Then when the sun goes down - pig out!!!!!!!!!!!
:)-->
Another tradition, which is usually done a few days before Yom Kippur is to take pieces of bread and throw them to the ducks - each piece of bread represents a sin you committed in the past year.
Also preceeding Yom Kippur you are to make apologies and amendments to those you've wronged in the past year.
But in a sense Yom Kippur starts with Rosh Hashannah - the Jewish New Year. Also in the mix is Succot, a time to remember how the Jews lived in the desert when they had no homes.
For Succot many people build a little shelter out of sticks and decorate it with special leaves. The more Orthodox will live in the Succot for a week - some will spend just one night in it, others will simply eat in it for a week or a night - depends on how observant one is.
It is after these events that Yom Kippur occurs. The New Year and Succot sort of build up to the process of atonement.
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Jim
In our town, the shelter was contructed on an a empty lot right off of a busy street. A pretty good witness-by-example. It prompted me to get out the OT and read up on it.
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