The “Days of Awe” (or יָמִים נוֹרָאִים) is the holy ten-day period where we are prompted to reflect on ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
Rabbi Yusman says that God’s “Book of Life” and “Book of Death” are both opened on Rosh Hashana and closed on Yom Kippur. The Days of Awe, between these two High Holidays, is the period of time where we can decide who we want to be as people, as spiritual beings, and as a community. Yom Kippur marks the closing of this ten-day period; a solemn 25-hour-long day of fasting, prayer, and reconciliation where we recognize and reflect on our wrongdoings as individuals and as a community. For 25 hours, we do not eat, wash ourselves, or engage in physical activities; instead, we immerse ourselves in prayer.
Yom Kippur begins with the Se’udah Mafseket (סְעוּדָה מַפְסֶקֶת), the “last meal”, where we reflect on this meal’s culmination of the ten-day period. We start the first service, Kol Nidre (כָּל נִדְרֵי), with an annulment of our vows, and an invitation for all to pray together.
The next day, we continue with four services. These prayers are filled with themes of remembrance, regret, hope, forgiveness, and, of course, Torah Readings. What’s a holiday service without the Torah? The holiday services end with Neilah (נְעִילָה), culminating the holiday with an open ark and the final blowing of the shofar (my personal favorite, who can blow it for the longest?).
These services and practices cleanse us of the negative experiences from the previous year. The holiday reminds us of the aspects of our lives we regret and want to forgo, and reshape our hopes for the future. Yom Kippur is a time where we are forced to start over.
So gather your friends and family, have a wonderful Se’udah Mafseket (סְעוּדָה מַפְסֶקֶת); prepare for a day of services, fasting, and forgiveness, and have an easy and meaningful fast this year. All the wrongs we see in the world, in our communities, and in ourselves can be changed; and this holiday, though solemn, is the time for new beginnings.
