25
votes
Accepted
Making a pikuach nefesh phone call on Yom Kippur - mitzva or something to be avoided?
מְפַקְּחִין פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לִטּל רְשׁוּת מִבֵּית דִּין. וְהַמַּקְדִּים לְהַצִּיל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.
[All] activities necessary to save a life should be ...
- 25.7k
15
votes
Accepted
What's an appropriate greeting for Motzei Yom Kippur?
While I'm accustomed to "gut voch" or "gut (gebentched) yar," I noticed that the "מחזור המפורש" (Gefen, Jerusalem 5772 [Ashkenaz, page 999]) indicates that a regular yom tov greeting (either "gut yom ...
- 18.9k
14
votes
Accepted
Do the Jews still send a scapegoat once a year to the wilderness?
Sefer HaChinukh 185:
The commandment of the service of Yom Kippur: That the high priest do all the procedure of Yom Kippur, with the order of the sacrifices, the confessions, the sending away of the ...
- 41.3k
13
votes
What's an appropriate greeting for Motzei Yom Kippur?
In addition to "good yom tov" and "good year" (or the Yiddish or Hebrew equivalents) mentioned in other answers, I've heard "a gutn kvitl" or the equivalent "piska tava", meaning "a good note", ...
- 73.9k
11
votes
Accepted
Germaphobes washing on Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur
Regarding washing on Yom Kippur, the Tur (OH 613) writes:
ביה"כ...ואם היו ידיו מלוכלכות בטיט וצואה מותר לרוחצן שלא אסרו אלא רחיצה של תענוג ...וכן בכל היום אחר שעשה צרכיו וקנח או הטיל מים ושפשף ...
- 35.4k
11
votes
Nocturnal emission on Yom Kippur
Yoma 88a:
תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן הרואה קרי ביוה"כ עונותיו מחולין לו ... תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל הרואה קרי ביוה"כ ידאג כל השנה כולה ואם עלתה לו שנה מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק תדע שכל ...
- 41.3k
10
votes
Why was the calendar not arranged so that Yom Kippur never falls on Shabbat?
The fixed calendar already prevents Yom Kippur from falling on a Friday or Sunday, to avoid two consecutive days where all melachot are forbidden. (See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 428:1 with e.g. Magen ...
- 41.3k
10
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of the goat for Azazel, as opposed to conventional offerings?
In Guide for the Perplexed 3:46 Rambam writes:
The goat [of the Day of Atonement] that was sent [into the wilderness] (Lev. xvi. 20, seq.) served as an atonement for all serious transgressions more ...
- 48.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Why don't we say "Ashrei" for Mincha of Yom Kippur?
Actually there is a debate in Orach Chayim 622:1 between the Sefardi and the Ashkenazi practice (as pointed out by DoubleAA in comment):
למנחה אומר אשרי ובא לציון ואין אומרים ואני תפלתי אפילו אם חל ...
- 7,424
8
votes
What's an appropriate greeting for Motzei Yom Kippur?
In addition to "gut yor", I believe I've heard "gmar tov" till Hoshana Rabba.
- 17.6k
8
votes
Accepted
selichot on yom hakkipurim
The Arukh haShulchan (OC 620:1) writes:
ומה שתמיהני: דהנה הרא"ש שלהי יומא, והטור בסימן זה הביאו בשם הגאונים לומר בשחרית חמש פעמים "ויעבור". ויש אומרים שלוש עשרה פעמים כנגד שלוש עשרה ...
- 96.9k
8
votes
Do you need a minyan for Kol Nidrei?
No, not according to the answer on this site:
Although it is preferable to join a minyan where this is possible, both Kol Nidrei and Yizkor can be recited in private. The reason for this is that ...
- 37.6k
8
votes
Who are the bene elim?
There are several opinions:
Rashi - They are to be understood as "שרים" - officers
Ibn Ezra - they are "כוכבים" - stars
The Targum draws the same conclusion as you that they ...
- 27.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Why is Masechta Yoma not entitled more clearly after Yom Kippur like other masechtos reflecting the relevant yom tov
According to the gemara in Rosh Hashanah 21a, Yom Kippur was known in Babylon as "Yoma Rabbah" - The Great Day:
"רַב נַחְמָן יְתֵיב בְּתַעֲנִיתָא כּוּלֵּיהּ יוֹמֵי דְּכִיפּוּרֵי ...
- 24.3k
7
votes
What is the purpose of the goat for Azazel, as opposed to conventional offerings?
The Sefer HaChinuch explains (§95) that the two goats of Yom Kippur are symbolic for the choice presented to a sinner – the goat for Hashem representing one who repents, and the goat for Azazel ...
- 34k
7
votes
6
votes
Is there any minhag for a Kohen to dress like the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur?
The Vilna Gaon taught that Yom Kippur is called Yom Kippurim - a day "like Purim" (See http://www.aish.com/h/pur/t/dt/48949286.html). Clearly Purim is at least as Holy of a day as Yom Kippur if not ...
- 178
6
votes
Accepted
Kol Nidre: Is it lawful to pray along with sinners?
The previous answer does touch on the point that this was a declaration to excuse those placed in cherem (excommunication). See this comprehensive article that discusses the topic as well as how some ...
- 69.9k
6
votes
Should you apologize before Yom Kippur for a wrongdoing that is more than a year old?
The Mishna in Yoma 8 (9) quoted in your link says
עברות שבין אדם למקום, יום הכפורים מכפר........ עברות שבין אדם לחברו ,
אין יום הכפורים מכפר, עד שירצה את חברו
Yom Kippur atones for sins between ...
- 46.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Should you ask someone for forgiveness before Yom Kippur if doing so might embarrass them?
The Chafeitz Chaim (Hilkhos LH 4:12) rules that you cannot do real teshuvah for speaking ill of someone without confessing to the person you spoke about. Even if they did not know of it before, so ...
- 9,298
6
votes
Should a child wash his hands before eating on Yom Kippur?
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 613:1) stresses that only bathing/washing for pleasure is prohibited on Yom Kippur. Elsewhere (Kesef Mishneh, Laws of Prayer 7:8) he quotes the Ran (R. Nissim) who states that ...
- 11.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Yom Kippur more lenient than Shabbos?
The Gemara in Megila 22b inform us:
נקוט האי כללא בידך כל דטפי ליה מילתא מחבריה טפי ליה גברא יתירא הלכך בר''ח ומועד דאיכא קרבן מוסף קורין ארבעה ביו''ט דאסור בעשיית מלאכה חמשה ביוה''כ דענוש כרת ששה ...
- 42.7k
6
votes
Accepted
What name did the Kohen Gadol Say?
According to the Rambam the Kohen Gadol pronounced the 4-letter name, see MT Avodat Yom haKippurim 2:6
Thus he mentions God's explicit name ten times on this day. On all
occasions, he recites the ...
- 45.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Are we supposed to know which transgressions are light or severe?
Bartenura in Yoma explains (based on the gemara to this mishnah) that ‘light’ commandments here means all positive mitzvot as well as negative mitzvot which are able to be subsequently ‘fixed’ (lav ...
- 41.3k
6
votes
What is the origin of the minhag of kapparot?
The origin is unknown outside of when it is first mentioned. The earliest mention of the practice comes from Rav Sheshna Gaon who lived in 660 C.E.
One of the reasons given for why a chicken is used ...
- 903
6
votes
Wine on Erev Yom Kippur
The Mishna Brura (OC 608:16) mentions not to drink fine wine.
OU Kosher writes
Wine and other intoxicating beverages should not be served.
- 45.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Should animals not be fed on Yom Kippur?
Does this mean that we, literally, should not feed animals (including Livestock and Pets, even Service Animals) on Yom Kippur or are animals not considered people (and are exempt from fasting) despite ...
- 73.9k
5
votes
Why Yom Kippur is on the 10th of the 7th month?
If you search through the Written Torah, you will see that nothing happened on this date.
Well, the written Torah explicitly mandates Yom Kippur being on the 10th day of the month (Leviticus 16:29, ...
- 18.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Mareh Kohen Origin
Ofir Minz-Manor in this article (Hebrew) writes on page 166 that, based on the nature of the poetry and particularly its lack of rhyme, the piyyut can be classified as having been written in the pre-...
- 41.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Why is the final Tefillah of Yom Kippur called Neilah?
While we call it Ne’ilah, its full name is Ne’ilas She’arim (locking of the gates; Mishnah, Taanis 26a). Rashi (ad. loc., DH “Ne’ilas She’arim”) references the Yerushalmi (Berachos, 4th Perek) that ...
- 34k
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