Search results for: ""Yom Kippur""

Amida Errors: HaEl HaKadosh
What: Ha'el ha'kadosh
Where: Amida 3rd paragraph
Error:   Said ha'el ha'kadosh instead of ha'melech ha'kadosh on days between/including Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Situation Already Finished Paragraph
What to Do You must stop saying the amida and start the amida from the beginning.
Shacharit: Tachanun: When Not To Say
Tachanun is related to judgment. Tachanun is NOT said at times of din/judgment:
  • At night,
  • On Tish'a B'Av,
  • In a house of mourning, and
  • Yom Kippur.
Tachanun is also NOT said at times of simcha/happiness:
At mincha before (and certainly not on):
  • Shabbat,
  • Jewish festivals,
  • Rosh Hashana, and
  • Rosh Chodesh.
At any prayer service on:
  • Isru chag (the day after each of the Jewish festivals),
  • Entire month of Nisan.
           Reason   Nisan has more than 15 days that we omit tachanun, and once we omit it for most of the month, we don't say it at all.
  • All of Chanuka, Purim, Shushan Purim, Tu B'Shvat, Rosh Chodesh, and from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until the day after Shavuot.
  • Tishrei from shacharit before Yom Kippur until after Simchat Torah (Shmini Atzeret in Eretz Yisrael). Resume saying tachanun:
    • Second day of Cheshvan, or
    • Day after isru chag of Simchat Torah (this is the more prevalent custom among Ashkenazim). Each person should follow his or her family or community custom.
Any time these people are present in your minyan (or in any other minyan in the building) either before a circumcision or while still involved in the brit or meal:
  • Mohel,
  • Sandak, or
  • Father of a boy having his circumcision.
       Note This even applies to mincha if the brit will take place after mincha.
 
Any time a groom is present during the first week after marriage.
Waist-Bowing and Knee-Bowing
There are two main types of bowing during the prayer services: 
  • Bowing just from the waist (with and without taking steps), and
  • Bowing with the knees, plus two variations on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (hands and knees on floor).
I. Waist-Bowing (Two Forms)
    A.  Waist-Bowing/No Steps, for:
  • Modim;
  • Modim in reader's repetition of amida;
  • Bar'chu;
  • Lecha Dodi; and
  • Alenu.
          To bow this way, keep your legs straight and bend forward from your waist.
    B.  Waist-Bowing/Take Steps, for:
Oseh shalom at the end of:
  • Amida, and
  • Kaddish.
To bow this way:
  • Bow down from waist with your legs straight.
  • Take three steps backward (left foot, right foot, left foot),
  • Then:
    • Bow from your waist to the left and say, oseh shalom bi'mromav,
    • Bow from your waist to the right and say, hu ya'aseh shalom alenu, and
    • Bow from your waist to the front and say, ve'al kol yisrael v'imru amen.
II.    Knee-Bowing (Three Times during Amida)
  • Beginning of amida's first blessing,
  • End of amida's first blessing, and
  • Next-to-last amida blessing: ha'tov shimcha.
To bow this way:                                                                      
  • Bend knees (at baruch),
  • Bow forward (at ata), and
  • Straighten up (before God's name).
III.  Knee-Bowing to Floor (Two Forms)
       A.  Knee-Bowing to Floor--Hands and Knees Only
  (Rosh Hashana musaf: alenu in reader's repetition of amida)
  To bow this way:
  • Kneel (with your back straight up) (at “hayu kor'im”), and
  • Bow down with hands and knees on floor (at “u'mishtachavim u'modim”), but
  • You are not required to touch your forehead to ground.
    Note You should still bow from your waist (but not to the floor) on Rosh Hashana--even if you are praying alone and even if there is no Torah present.
       B.  Knee-Bowing to Floor--Hands, Knees, Forehead
  (Yom Kippur musaf: alenu reader's repetition of amida describing how the people
  bowed down on Yom Kippur.)
   To bow this way:
  • Kneel (with your back straight up) (at “hayu kor'im),
  • Bow down with hands and knees on floor (atu'mishtachavim u'modim”),
  • Touch forehead to floor (at v'noflim al pneihem).
 
NOTE You may not bow down (modim for Yom Kippur) on a bare stone floor (this also includes concrete, terrazzo and other stone-like materials). You must put a cloth, paper, or some other separation on the floor where you will place your forehead and your knees. A talit may be used for this purpose. If you have only one paper towel, put it under your forehead.
NOTE It is customary today to cover any floor, not only if it is bare stone.

Situation You are bowing down (modim for Yom Kippur; also for Rosh Hashana if you bow down this far) on a bare stone floor (concrete, terrazzo, and other stone-like materials).

What To Do You may not touch your forehead or knees (if covered by pants legs or skirt) to the floor. You may cover the floor with some separation such as cloth, paper, or even a talit at the place where your forehead (or knees) will touch.

Reason You might wipe off any dirt from the floor on your pant knees or skirt, which is prohibited on Yom Kippur. There is no need to use a paper towel or other separation for knees if they are bare (for example, due to wearing shorts or a short skirt). 

Note There is no problem with brushing dirt off your hands, so you can touch the bare stone floor with your bare hands during the bowing.


Minimum Amount of Hand Coverage

When washing to remove tum'a, the ideal is to pour water over your hand up to your wrist; the minimum is to pour up to the knuckles adjacent to the palms of your hands.

Exceptions On Yom Kippur and Tish'a B'Av, wash only up to your knuckles (but if you accidentally pour water further up on your hand, it is not a problem).

When To Hit Your Chest during Prayers
Hit your chest near your heart with your fist at:
  • Chatanu... and ... fashanu... in slach lanu,
  • First line of Avinu malkeinu (except on Rosh Hashana),
  • Ve'al cheit and ve'al chataim in the al cheit for Yom Kippur, and
  • Ashamnu on
    • Rosh Hashana,
    • 10 Days of Repentance,
    • Fast days, and
    • Selichot.
 
Jewish Festivals: Candles: Lighting after Sunset
Men and women may light candles after sunset on Jewish festivals, with these conditions:
  • You may light only from an already-burning flame.
  • You may not light Jewish festival candles after sunset on Friday nor on the evening before Yom Kippur begins.
Talit Gadol: Amida
A talit is required only when saying the amida prayer, but the universal custom (for men who wear talitot!) is to wear the talit during the entire shacharit service.
Note A talit is worn for shacharit, musaf, and all day and night on Yom Kippur; it is not commonly worn for mincha or ma'ariv (except on Yom Kippur).
Women: Time-Based Positive Commandments/Mitzvot: Obligations
In addition to prayer obligations (see Women: Minimal Prayer), women and girls 12 years old and up are required to keep these time-dependent positive commandments, among others:
  • Candle-lighting for Chanuka (see Chanuka: Candles: Who Should Light )
  • Candle-lighting for Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
  • Havdala (say or hear) after Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
  • Kiddush (say or hear) on the first night (or first two nights outside Eretz Yisrael) of every Jewish festival, and also the next morning.
  • Passover (all commandments, including eating matza at the Passover seder).
    Note Because she must eat matza, she must therefore say birkat ha'mazon afterward (so if a woman omits ya'ale v'yavo in birkat ha'mazon at the seder, she must repeat birkat ha'mazon!).
  • Megila on Purim.
  • Shabbat (For why women must keep time-dependent, positive commandments on Shabbat, see Introduction to Shabbat )
  • Shofar on Rosh Hashana.
    Note Jewish women universally accepted upon themselves to hear shofar on Rosh Hashana, but they only need to hear 30 blasts.
  • Hearing the reading of Parashat Zachor.
Greetings for the New Year
For greetings for the New Year, say:
  • Ketiva V'Chatima Tova
              From: Rosh Chodesh Elul
              Until:  Eve of (erev) Rosh Hashana (when the holiday begins).
  • L'Shana Tova Tikateiv V'Tichateim
            From:  First night of Rosh Hashana (when the holiday begins)
            Until:   Musaf of the first day of Rosh Hashana.
  • Gmar Chatima Tova
               FromMusaf Rosh Hashana
               Until:   End of Yom Kippur.
  • Gmar Tov
               From: Yom Kippur
               Until:  Musaf Hoshana Rabba.
 
Introduction: Amida: Errors: Amida Additions
If you forgot to say, or incorrectly said, a phrase in the amida, you must correct your errors in:
  • Mashiv ha'ruach
  • Ha'el ha'kadosh
  • Tein bracha/Tein tal u'matar l'vracha
  • Ya'ale v'yavo (except Rosh Chodesh night).
Do not correct errors in other additions/changes if you have already said the blessing for that paragraph, such as:
  • Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Ten Days of Repentance changes (except ha'melech ha'kadosh)
  • Al ha'nisim
  • Aneinu
  • Ya'ale v'yavo (if Rosh Chodesh night).
Note You may correct any prayer error within 2.5 seconds of making it.
Note If you omitted part of the amida that would normally require you to repeat the amida, you do not need to repeat the amida if you intend (have kavana/concentrate from the beginning of the reader's repetition until the end of the repetition) to have your amida covered by the reader's repetition.
Introduction to Holidays/Jewish Festivals/Chagim/Yom Tov
Jewish Festivals are listed in the Torah and are of two types: 
  1. Three pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim):
  • Passover,
  • Shavuot, and
  • Sukkot (including Shimini Atzeret).
These festivals were celebrated in ancient times by "appearing before God"--by bringing offerings to the Tabernacle or Temple.
  1. High Holidays
  • The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana—“Yom Teru'ain the Torah), and the
  • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
 
Duration
Jewish holidays that were originally one day are now observed as follows:
  • Rosh Hashana--2 days.
  • Yom Kippur--1 day.
  • Shavuot--1 day in Eretz Yisrael or 2 days elsewhere.
  • Passover has festival days at the beginning and end of the holiday and intermediary days of lesser holiness, which are called chol ha'moed. In Eretz Yisrael, Passover lasts for 7 days in total and the first and last days are festival days. Outside of Eretz Yisrael, Passover lasts 8 days and has two festival days at the beginning and two at the end.
  • Sukkot has festival days at the beginning and at the end and intermediary days of lesser holiness, which are called chol ha'moed. In Eretz Yisrael, Sukkot lasts for 8 days and the first and last days are festival days (the last day is Shimini Atzeret). Outside of Eretz Yisrael, Sukkot lasts for 9 days and the first two days and last days are festival days (the 8th day is Shimini Atzeret and the 9th day is Simchat Torah).

Character
Each holiday contributes its own character to Jewish life (Passover--the theme of freedom; Yom Kippur brings atonement, etc.). 

Celebrating
How to celebrate these holidays is detailed in our Oral Law and halacha books. Jewish festivals as practiced today are similar in holiness to Shabbat. As with Shabbat, the Jewish festival has candle lighting, kiddush at two meals, and havdala.   We eat our best food and wear our best clothing on Jewish festivals (we eat our next-best food and wear our next-best clothing on Shabbat!).
The main idea behind eating meals on Jewish festivals is joy (simcha), so you should drink wine and eat meat (only if you enjoy wine and meat).  There is no third meal on Jewish festivals since people used to eat two meals each day (adding a third meal on Shabbat was for enjoyment/oneg).
 
Melachot
Any activities or actions permitted on Shabbat are also permitted on the Jewish festivals. Actions that are forbidden on Shabbat are generally also forbidden on Jewish festivals, but there are some leniencies (only if the actions are needed for that festival day).
Examples
  • Lighting from an existing flame,
  • Cooking and baking for the Jewish festival day, and
  • Carrying outside the eruv (hotza'a--transferring objects between domains).
 
Grama
Grama (indirectly causing an action) is permitted on Jewish festivals (but not on Shabbat). For example, you may advance or delay a timer that will make a light go on or off in the future (the timer must already be plugged in and operating from before sunset of the festival day).
Note For an action to be considered indirect based on time, there must be at least 2.5 seconds after the first action is done before the resulting action begins to happen.

Psik Reisha Dla Neicha Lei
Psik reisha dla neicha lei is forbidden on Jewish festivals, just as it is on Shabbat.

D'oraita Restrictions
D'oraita restrictions apply world-wide to:
  • First and seventh days of Passover,
  • First and eighth days of Sukkot,
  • First day of Shavuot,
  • Yom Kippur,
  • First day of Rosh Hashana.
Note The same restrictions apply to all other Jewish festival days but are rabbinical.
 
Women
In general, women are not required to perform the positive, time-dependent commandments. Women and girls are not required to eat any Jewish festival meals except the Passover seder meal (but they are not allowed to fast on those days).
Saving a Life (Pikuach Nefesh)
Human life is valued in Judaism, unlike in some other religions. The Talmud says that if someone saves one human life (pikuach nefesh), it is as if he or she saved an entire universe. Almost all halachot may be overridden in order to save a life; the main exceptions are for Adultery, Murder, and Idol Worship—see Adultery, Murder, Idol Worship .
ExampleYou may drive a car on Shabbat or even Yom Kippur in order to take a seriously injured or ill person to the hospital. This includes pregnant women who are about to give birth.
Jewish Festivals: Biting or Stinging Insects
If insects such as bees or non-diseased mosquitoes don't carry diseases but they bite or sting you, you may kill them on Jewish festivals, as well as trapping them or chasing them away with bug spray. Unlike on Shabbat, on a Jewish festival you may kill insects that are a nuisance, such as gnats or flies. These halachalot apply to all Jewish festivals unless they fall on Shabbat (or are Yom Kippur).
Tearing (Kri'a) on Seeing Temple Ruins
You must tear four vertical inches at the neck of your shirt (and jacket, too, if you wear one) when seeing the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem for the first time in more than 30 days. You do not need to be close by; do kri'a even if you see the mosques that are on top of the Temple mount.
Note A woman should not tear her garment if it would result in her being immodestly exposed in public. Don't tear your garment on Shabbat, Jewish festivals, chol ha'moed, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur. Do tear even on the afternoons before Shabbat and Jewish festivals.
Talit Gadol: What the Blessing Covers
Saying the blessing on a talit gadol, while intending to cover all other talitot (whether talit katan or talit gadol), will cover:
  • All talitot that you already put on.
  • All talitot that you will put on later that day.
  • If you go out of whichever building you are in when you say the blessing on your talit, you must say a new blessing if you put on a talit (even the same talit) in a different building.
Exception You may intend for the blessing NOT to cover other talitot.
Example You say the blessing over your talit gadol on the morning preceding Yom Kippur.  You may intend for your blessing not to cover the talit gadol that you will put on just before Kol Nidrei.

Note If you don't have a talit gadol, say al mitzvat tzitzit over your talit katan.

Note If you remove your talit gadol, go to a different building, and put the talit gadol on again, you DO say a new blessing.