Yom Kippur, the great and holy day, is uniquely a day of forgiveness and atonement for the sins of the Jewish people. Our Sages therefore said (Ta'anit 26b, 30b): “There were no happier days for Israel... than Yom Kippur," because it is a day “of forgiveness and atonement."
Yet the words of Rabbi Akiva reveal another dimension to the joy of the day: “Fortunate are you, Israel. Before Whom do you purify yourselves, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven" (Yoma 85b).
The joy of the day is not only over the forgiveness of sins, but over the privilege of returning to stand before our Father in Heaven, and knowing that He Himself purifies us.
The meaning is that the relationship between Israel and the Almighty is not an ordinary relationship, but that of a father and his children - a powerful bond that cannot be severed. This gives us a deeper understanding of sin: Sin is not merely a transgression of God's will, but a wound to the relationship between a child and his father and a distancing from him. Hurting a stranger is not the same as hurting one's father; the deeper the relationship, the greater the pain caused by harming it. Therefore, repentance on Yom Kippur is not merely regret over the sin itself, but recognition of the pain of being distant from our Father in Heaven and a desire to return to Him.
Yet this is precisely where the deepest hope lies. A father's nature is such that even when his child sins and becomes distant, he never stops waiting for the child to return. So too, the Almighty, “who desires repentance," awaits the return of His beloved children. This is the essence of repentance: returning to the Father and turning one's heart back to Him. This is the great gift of Yom Kippur - that God opens the way for us to return, purifies us and lovingly welcomes His children who come back to Him.
This is the depth of Rabbi Akiva's words: “Fortunate are you, Israel" - fortunate are we to have been given a day on which our Father in Heaven purifies us and welcomes us with love, revealing anew the great affection He has for the Jewish people.
Important medical disclaimer: The medical information in this section is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. Fasting on Yom Kippur can pose serious health risks for some people, including those with diabetes, chronic medical conditions, those taking regular medications, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone whose health may be affected by fasting or dehydration. Anyone with a medical condition or concern about fasting should consult their treating physician or another qualified healthcare professional before Yom Kippur, and should follow individualized medical advice. Halachic questions about whether and how to eat or drink on Yom Kippur should be discussed with a qualified rabbi, ideally in coordination with the person's healthcare provider. In an urgent or life-threatening medical situation, seek immediate medical care and do not delay treatment in order to obtain rabbinic guidance.
Practical halachic guidelines for Yom Kippur, with an emphasis on fasting, the sick and children, and the day's prayers:
Eating and drinking on Yom Kippur: A person who eats an amount equivalent to a large date, or drinks a cheekful, is liable under Torah law. The amount of a large date is approximately 30 ml, while the amount constituting a cheekful varies from person to person according to body size. Approximately 40 ml of liquid is less than the required amount for an average person. For an unusually small or large person, however, the appropriate amount should be calculated according to body size.
Even eating or drinking less than the required amount violates the Torah prohibition against consuming a half-measure. If less than the amount of time known as kdei achilat pras passes between the beginning of the first eating or drinking and the end of the last, the amounts are combined. For Yom Kippur, it is preferable to calculate kdei achilat pras as approximately nine minutes.
The laws concerning a sick person on Yom Kippur: A person whose life may be endangered is exempt from fasting. A patient who needs only to drink should not eat, but should drink as necessary. Similarly, a patient who has been medically assessed as needing to eat in measured amounts should not eat normally, but should eat in small quantities.
Therefore, anyone who must eat or drink on Yom Kippur because of a medical condition, in accordance with rabbinic guidance, should, when possible, consume less than the required amount and drink less than a cheekful at a time, waiting nine minutes from the end of one eating or drinking episode until beginning the next.
If the patient's medical condition does not allow for a nine-minute wait, the interval should be extended as much as medically possible, in accordance with the person's condition and rabbinic guidance. When necessary, the interval may be shortened to four minutes, and in cases of greater need, to two minutes. With regard to drinking, when there is a medical need to drink more frequently, the required amount should be consumed in several small sips rather than one large swallow.
A man or woman who finds it difficult to fast and walk to synagogue: It is preferable to fast and remain in bed, and there is no permission to eat or drink, even in small measured amounts, merely to enable one to attend synagogue. Even someone who must drink less than the required amount should, if they can avoid even one drink by remaining at home, stay home, refrain from drinking and pray individually.
A sick person who needs to eat or drink on Yom Kippur: It is forbidden for such a person to be stringent with themselves and refrain from doing so. The Torah says: “But surely your blood of your lives I will require." Such a person does not need atonement for eating, because a person who is forced by circumstances is exempt.
In this regard, Rabbi Yissachar Dov of Belz testified about his father, Rabbi Shalom of Belz, that when he was ill, the family feared that he might refuse to eat on Yom Kippur. Instead, immediately after Kol Nidrei, he instructed them to give him the food he needed, saying: “I am ready and prepared to fulfill the commandment of my Creator, as our Sages said." He ate with extraordinary joy, and his family said they had rarely seen such joy except when he ate matzah or took the lulav.
A person with diabetes, anyone who regularly takes medication or psychiatric medication, as well as a pregnant woman, woman who has recently given birth or nursing mother - whenever there is a relevant concern - should consult their doctor in advance and ask a rabbi how to proceed on Yom Kippur.
Eating, blessings and being called to the Torah for a sick person on Yom Kippur: A sick person who needs to eat on Yom Kippur does not recite Kiddush, either over wine or bread, and is not required to have two loaves of bread. He washes his hands for the meal as he would throughout the year and recites the blessing over washing; however, if he eats less than the required amount, he does not recite the blessing over washing. After the meal, he washes his hands for mayim acharonim.
In Birkat Hamazon, he adds Ya'aleh Veyavo - “Remember us for good on this Yom Kippur." If he forgets and realizes after completing the blessing of Boneh Yerushalayim, he does not repeat the blessing. When reciting the abbreviated Me'ein Shalosh blessing, he adds, “Remember us for good on this Yom Kippur."
A person who ate on Yom Kippur because of illness may be called to the Torah during Shacharit, but not during Mincha. However, if he ate less than the required amount each time, he may be called to the Torah even during Mincha.
Ne'ilah prayer: Ne'ilah marks the sealing of the judgment written on Rosh Hashanah for each person, for good or otherwise. One should therefore make every effort to strengthen oneself during this prayer. The ultimate purpose of the Ten Days of Repentance is Yom Kippur, and the culmination of Yom Kippur is Ne'ilah, because everything follows the final sealing.
Even if a person is weak from fasting, they should summon their strength to pray with clear and focused thoughts and make sincere commitments to repentance. “One who comes to purify himself is assisted," and may be sealed in the Book of Good Life.
Rabbi Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, in Meshech Chochmah (Haftarah of Shabbat Shuva), writes that during Ne'ilah, God, as it were, judges each person individually. It is therefore a uniquely auspicious time for repentance and atonement, even for the sin of desecrating God's name, for which Yom Kippur does not atone by itself, since God can forgo the honor due to Him.
It is therefore fitting to use every moment of Ne'ilah for prayer, tears and heartfelt remorse, and to ask God to accept our repentance and seal us in the Book of Good Life.
Priestly blessing during Ne'ilah: The Kohanim recite the Priestly Blessing during Ne'ilah. The custom among Ashkenazim outside Israel is not to recite the blessing at this time, while in Israel the custom is to do so.
Care should be taken to perform the Priestly Blessing while it is still daytime. Once night has fallen, the Kohanim do not recite the blessing. Therefore, if time is short, the piyutim should be recited after the prayer service so that the Priestly Blessing can take place during the day.
If the time of bein hashmashot has arrived, some authorities question whether the Priestly Blessing may still be recited. After the fact, one may rely on opinions that consider it to still be daytime until 13 and a half minutes after sunset.
Ideally, if time is short, it is preferable to omit some of the piyutim recited during the repetition of the Amidah in order to complete the Priestly Blessing before sunset. Some, however, follow the custom of not rushing the prayer service for the sake of the Priestly Blessing.
Educating children about Yom Kippur
Eating and drinking: Children are permitted to eat and drink on Yom Kippur, and it is even permissible to feed them by hand.
Regarding a partial fast, healthy boys and girls from the age of nine, and children who are frail from the age of 10, should be gradually trained to delay their eating for an hour or more, according to their ability.
Children younger than nine should not be made to fast at all. Even if they wish to be stringent with themselves, they should be discouraged from doing so.
From age 11 until bar or bat mitzvah, the prevailing custom today is not to train children to complete the fast, due to the increased physical weakness of our generation, unless they are known to be healthy and strong and capable of fasting.
A girl who is 12 years and one day old and a boy who is 13 years and one day old are obligated to complete the fast.
Washing and applying creams: Babies are permitted to be washed and have creams or oils applied to their skin. However, nowadays one should not be lenient about washing or applying such substances without a need, even if it is done by a non-Jew.
If a child becomes particularly dirty, it is permissible to wash the child for the purpose of cleaning him or her, even if the adult's hands are washed incidentally in the process.
A child who has reached the age at which they are being trained to observe a partial fast should also be trained to refrain from washing and applying creams or oils.
Wearing leather shoes: A child may not wear leather shoes, as going without them does not constitute suffering for a child.