Yom Kippur Yom Kippur - Torah & Haftara Yom Kippur Morning The Torah's portion dealing with the Kohen Gadol and the Yom Kippur service in the Beit HaMikdash. It is "repeated" (sort of) in the repetition of the Musaf Amida. Mixed in with the Beit HaMikdash service are some aspects of "our" Yom Kippur — especially the aspect of ATONEMENT. Kohen - First Aliya 6 p'sukim - 16:1-6 The entire Yom Kippur service, with all of its details, constitutes one mitzva. Aharon is to take a bull as a sin- offering and a ram as a burnt-offering. He is to wear his special garments (the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur alternates between his full set of eight garments and a special set of four pure white garments which he wore when he entered the Holy of Holies and does other YK-specific Avoda). The Kohen Gadol washes his hands and feet ten times throughout the day and immerses in a mikveh five times. "From the People", Aharon takes two goats for sin-offerings and a ram as an Olah. The bull is an atonement for Aharon and the kohanim. Levi - Second Aliya 5 p'sukim - 16:7-11 SDT: There are two very different styles of sin - rejecting what G-d says and distancing oneself from the Divine, and violating His commands in an attempt to get closer to Him. Most sin is of the former type; that of Nadav and Avihu was of the latter kind. Corresponding to these two opposite motivations for sin, we have two special offerings on Yom Kippur - one that was offered inside the Beit HaMikdash, its blood actually being brought into the Kodshei Kodashim, and the other being sent completely away from the Beit HaMikdash. Ponder this: Both goats were identical. Shlishi - Third Aliya - 6 p'sukim - 16:12-17 This next portion continues to describe the complex service of Yom Kippur. Among the many tasks of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, is VIDUI on behalf of all the people of Israel. His confession of sin must be accompanied by that of each Jew, if complete atonement is to be achieved. Rambam says that there is "communal forgiveness" for "minor" offenses, but major sins require that the individual do his own T'shuva. (This should not be taken as implying that T'shuva is not necessary for minor offenses.) Even when there is "communal forgiveness", an individual still has to be part of the community in order to benefit from it. He who distances himself from the community does not receive the benefits of communal prayer, repentance, and atonement. (Oversimplified, to be sure, but there is a point here.) R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya 7 p'sukim - 16:18-24 Chamishi - Fifth Aliya 6 p'sukim - 16:25-30 For this day will atone for you, to purify yourself from all your sins - before G-d will you be purified. One commentary took the phrase LIFNEI HASHEM and defined it as it is defined in a different context (specifically with the Arba'a Minim of Sukkot, and other verses). The result is the following statement. If we use this day of Yom Kippur properly, and repent well the sins we have, then we will be purified, AND this will lead to being purified before G-d, meaning in the Beit HaMikdash that will be rebuilt when we "earn" it, so to speak, by proper T'shuva. Shishi - 6th Aliya 4 p'sukim - 16:31-34 There is a well-known correlation between the number of Aliyot and the sanctity of the day we read the Torah. Minimum number of people called to a Torah reading is three. So it is on Monday and Thursday, public fast days, Purim and Chanuka. True they are special days, but they are not elevated in sanctity by restrictions of Melacha. Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed are a rung up the Kedusha ladder, as demonstrated by calling four people to the Torah on those days. Yom Tov is higher in Kedusha and we call five people (plus a Maftir). Yom Kippur is higher still, and its regular number of Aliyot is six (plus Maftir). Shabbat has the highest Kedusha and seven are called to the Torah (in addition to the Maftir). Maftir (2nd Torah) 5 p'sukim Bamidbar 29:7-11 Haftara - 22 p'sukim Yeshayahu 57:14-58:14 Yom Kippur Mincha This last portion of Acharei Mot deals with the forbidden sexual relations and activities. Avoidance of these prohibitions is an essential part of that which is to make the Jew and the Jewish People holy. Thus, an appropriate reading for Yom Kippur. Kohen - 5 p'sukim - 18:1-5 Levi - 16 p'sukim - 18:6-21 (longest Aliya of the day) Shlishi - 9 p'sukim - 18:22-30 (a.k.a. Maftir) Haftara - 48 p'sukim The entire Book of Yonah The haftara teaches us the famous lesson that repentance is universal, not only Jewish. But the story of non- Jewish T'shuva of the people of Ninvei is meant to inspire us towards our own T'shuva in a meaningful way. We also get a a glimpse into the conflicts felt by the Navi Yonah in his desire to protect the Jewish people from G-d's anger. BARUCH SHEM K'VOD MALCHUTO L'OLAM VA'ED First of all, the sentence is the only part of Sh'ma that is not from the Torah. For that reason, it is generally said quietly, to distinguish it from the rest of the Biblical passages. There are two origins attributed to Baruch Sheim. One says that it was Yaakov Avinu's whispered response of thanks to G-d when his sons proclaimed their complete faith and loyalty to G-d with the words: Hear Yisrael, G-d, our G-d, G-d is One. The other source says that Moshe Rabbeinu "borrowed" it from the angels and taught us to say it. Because the sentence is not originally ours, we modestly whisper it throughout the year. On Yom Kippur, however, when the nature of the day and its prohibitions elevate us spiritually, we resemble angels and only then do we "dare" (so to speak) say Baruch Sheim aloud. This second origin for Baruch Sheim... seems to fit well with the Yom Kippur practice. There is, perhaps, another reason why we say Baruch Sheim aloud on Yom Kippur. In the Beit HaMikdash, the sentence Baruch Sheim... was used as the response to a bracha, rather than AMEN. (This is learned, by the way, from the pasuk in Haazinu - KI SHEIM HASHEM...) On YK, with its focus on the service in the Beit HaMikdash, we say the sentence aloud. In the repetition of Musaf, we find the description of the response of the people in the Azara (courtyard) to the Explicit Divine Name - they fell to the ground, prostrated themselves and said Baruch Sheim K'vod Mal'chuto L'Olam Va'ed. One should say Baruch Sheim with deepfelt Kavana, especially at Ne'ila. It is a very powerful six-word statement. The High & the Low The first is the beautiful and detailed description of the Yom Kippur service in the Beit HaMikdash by the Kohein Gadol. Elaborating upon that which was read in the Torah a bit earlier, the Chazan movingly describes the "order of the day", including the multitudes who packed into the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash to witness the events of the day. The blessing of the Kohen Gadol for a good year for all, the description of his counterance upon emerging from the Holy of Holies, the celebration that followed - all portray the most glorious period of Jewish History. Immediately thereafter, the text plunges us into a drastically different scene. We read of the Ten Martyrs who died sanctifying G-d's Name. The details are heart-breaking, especially when seen on the backdrop of the previous portion. Why are these two opposite pictures of Jewish History presented side by side? On Yom Kippur, says the Rambam, one should picture himself as precariously balanced, so that one mitzva will tip the scale to the good - for himself, his community, all the world. And one sin can, G-d forbid, tip the scale the other way. The repetition of the Musaf Amida gives us two glimpses into history, but also shows us the possible scenarios of the future. Do we remain faithful to G-d, do we do more mitzvot, do we do the mitzvot better, do we improve the interpersonal relations among Jews. Do we do T'shuva. If so, we will soon reap the benefits of a complete spiritual and physical Jewish Life in Eretz Yisrael. If we take the other path, tragedy and horror await us. The Choice is ours. SHUVU BANIM SHOVAVIM... (Yirmiyahu 3: 14,22) Kaparot (the hard copy of TT contains the full Hebrew text) KAPAROT is often misunderstood. It is NOT a shortcut to atonement. For real atonement, we must approach HaShem with sincere repentance, mitzvot and good deeds, prayer and fasting. KAPAROT is a sobering reminder of the frailty of life, an inspiration to T'shuva, AND a way of involving us in G'MILUT CHASADIM before Yom Kippur. Ideally, "do" Kaparot on Erev Yom Kippur in the morning. The text on this page is meant for those who use money rather than chickens. Those who use chickens (or fish) can find the standard text in a Machzor or Siddur. Hold the money in your right hand and say the passage 3 times: Candle lighting for Yom Kippur - SUN, October 1st, 4:49pm (J'lem) (the hard copy of TT contains the full Hebrew text) Candles are lit in the "usual" Shabbat candles manner: light them, cover your eyes, make the brachot, then open your eyes and "benefit" from the light. When a woman lights Yom Kippur candles, she accepts upon herself ALL the restrictions of Yom Kippur - both the Fast Day aspect as well as the Shabbat-work restrictions. If there is a compelling reason to do so, a woman may make a (mental/verbal) condition that she is not yet taking upon herself Yom Kippur with the lighting. In such a case, she should NOT say Shechhyanu with lighting (she does say L'HADLIK), but waits until shul to say it with the congregation, after Kol Nidrei and before Maariv. It is not required, although it is the common practice for women to say Shechhyanu at candle lighting (this statement applies to Yom Tov as well as Yom Kippur). A woman who does say Shechhyanu at candle lighting, does not repeat it in shul. She should, of course, answer AMEN when the Chazan and congregation says it. The full text of the blessings of the children before Yom Kippur can be found in the Hard Copy of TT or in the PDF files Havdala for Motza'ei Yom Kippur (full text in Hard copy of TT) - MON, October 2, '06 • 6:00pm (Jerusalem) We do not use B'SAMIM on Motza'ei Yom Kippur (unless YK is on Shabbat), nor do we say the introductory p'sukim to havdala (HINEI KEIL...) If the Havdala-maker drank a sufficient amount of wine for an "after bracha" (which is desirable), he says Al hamichya: Vidui (full text in the hard copy of TT or on the PDF) This presentation of VIDUI will hopefully be of help towards a more meaningful VIDUI. VIDUI is NOT just tapping the left side of your chest with your fist as you rattle off the ABCs of sin. It should be taken seriously - and slowly - as a verbalization of one's thoughts, feelings, and intentions of T'shuva. Sometimes, this verbalization follows the T'shuva process that has already taken place in one's heart and with one's improved actions. Sometimes, the VIDUI is the starting point - that which calls your attention to areas of behavior and thought that need improvement. Either way - BOTH ways, VIDUI is an essential part of the T'shuva process.Verbalization is often that which allows one to focus on personal shortcomings and embark on the road to repentance and/or to firm up one's resolve to repent. Remember, T'shuva is one of the greatest gifts from G-d to His people (us). It is the expression of His Divine Mercy and Love. If He did not want us to straighten ourselves out, He would simply punish us without giving us a second (and third and fourth and fifth...) chance to repent. Our motivations for T'shuva should befear AND love of G-d. The challenge is awesome, but it is always possible for one to change for the better. Step by step. Never be discouraged by what seems to be too formidable a task. Be encouraged by the fact that this is what G-d wants of us - not to punish us, but for us to return to Him in strengthened faith, inbetter performance of mitzvot - qualitatively and quantitatively, and to more carefully avoid the pitfalls of sin - against G-d and in our interaction and conduct with our fellow human beings and Jews - parents, children, spouses, family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. REMINDER: Interpersonal sins - intentional or inadvertent - require forgiveness from the injured party AND from G-d (usually in that order). The pasuk YIH-YU L'RATZON (YL) is T'hilim 19:15 and appears twice in siddurim and machzorim at the end of each Amida, once right after HAMEVARECH ET AM YISRAEL BASHALOM which is the end of the 19, 7, or 9 brachot that make up the Amida (weekday, Shabba & Yom Tov, RH Musaf respectively) and then again right before one takes three steps back to conclude the "full" Amida, with the addition of rumb 'hvkwt and, in our case of Yom Kippur davening, the whole VIDUI section. The situation is best understood by saying that the "original" Amida was "just" the set of brachot, 3 brachot of praise and description at the beginning, 3 brachot of thanks and acknowledgement at the end, and 13, 1, or 3 middle brachot. Then, our Sages appended other passages to the Amida, in essence extending the Amida until we close it with YL and then take our steps back. Some say YL in both places, in other words, before and after VIDUI. If this is your minhag, then continue to do so. There is a strong argument for the other opinion, namely to say it only at the end (right before taking the steps back), which makes VIDUI more a part of the Amida than an appendix to it. However, if one needs to "interrupt" VIDUI for K'DUSHA, Kaddish, or the like, then you should say YL wherever you are up to, join the congregation in K'DUSHA, saying the 3 main K'DUSHA p'sukim, or respond to Kaddish, etc. and then continue saying VIDUI. YL is then said again at the end. In other words, this second opinion is to say YL only once, unless necessary, as just explained. In this opening passage of VIDUI, we ask G-d that our prayers come before Him and that He not ignore them. We also say that we are not chutzpadik or stubborn enough to claim that we are free of sin, but the fact is that we (and our ancestors) have sinned. For each of the following 24 "terms of sin", one symbolically strikes the left side of his/her chest with the right fist. Before or after saying the word itself, sight-read (or say) the English text and allow your mind and heart to really become part of the VIDUI process by backing up your words. Don't hesitate to actually say more than the text - in any language - adding personal prayers, thoughts, and feelings. TALK TO G-D. This is a special time to do that. (Don't worry about being slower than others; just find a good place to stand where you will not inconvenience others.) The first part of the English text is based on the word itself. Then are SOME of the items included by Rabbi Moshe Sternbach in HaDerech L'T'shuva. Remember that the connection is based on the Alef-Bet - not obvious from the English. Also, keep in mind that we must repent once-in-a-while violations - not just whole behavior patterns. E.g. "We have eaten questionable foods." This is not just for a person who doesn't keep kosher; it is also for a person who is strictly kosher, but once in a rare while will say "this product is PROBABLY okay even without a Hashgacha", etc. Or - one is usually sensitive to the feelings of others, but thought something was SO funny, that he just had to share it with others. Etc. Etc. Etc. We have become guilty... of a whole variety of sins. What we have done was not necessarily to rebel against G-d, but we nonetheless are devastated by our behavior [We have eaten - forbidden foods, questionable foods, without brachot, without good manners and concern for others; there is something lacking in our faith in G-d (even just sometimes); we don't always say Amen properly, we have a cruel streak...] We have betrayed G-d by not doing His mitzvot properly and by sinning in a way that is disloyal to G-d; we have betrayed family & friends [We have wasted prayer and Torah study time; we were not careful with Milk & Meat; we relied on ourselves sometimes to the exclusion of trusting in G-d; we have said "sloppy" brachot; we have belittled parents, teachers, scholars, friends; we have wasted time...] We have stolen — things, time, other’s sleep, ideas; we have deceived... [We have been arrogant; wrongly took credit for something; harmed or annoyed others; not raised our children properly; have not been strict enough about sexual behavior; have not repaid kindnesses properly...] We have slandered G-d (by questioning His justice and kindness) and people. We have said one thing and meant something else. [We have gossiped, defamed, used vulgarities, spoken disrespectfully, shouted - misused the power of speech; not given people the benefit of the doubt...] We have caused perversion, corrupted others [We have entertained improper thoughts — during davening, Torah learning, or in general; we have davened without kavana; burdened others; encroached on another's "space"; looked at indecent pictures, literature, etc.] And we have caused wickedness; caused others to sin [we have neglected to be properly respectful of G-d; showed lack of concern for the possessions of others; said we're sorry without trying to mean it; fomented dissent; joined with others and wasted time on nonsense...] We have sinned intentionally, and then have rationalized our behavior (making T'shuva all the more difficult) [We have taken G-d's Name in vain; been careless about ritual washing of our hands; been disrespectful to our parents; we "ate like pigs"; threw food around, mingled immodestly...] We have extorted; we have taken advantage of those weaker than us; we have pressured others to give in to us [we have caused Chilul HaShem; we have falsely flattered others; thought bad thoughts; unjustly suspected others of wrongdoing; desecrated the Shabbat; not paid our debts; desired (in an unhealthy manner) the possessions of others...] We have "attached" ourselves to falsehood; lying has become a part of our lives; we have accused others falsely; compounded lies by lying more; hung out with the wrong crowd [we have given erroneous opinions and advice; defiled ourselves and others; handled Muktza on Shabbat or Yom Tov; belittled Good and chosen Bad...] We have given evil counsel; we have abused the trust of others; advised others in ways that are not in their best interest [we have secluded ourselves improperly with members of the opposite sex; joined others in time-wasting activities; knowingly sinned; lacked proper reverence & awe for G-d...] We have been deceitful; made intentionally misleading statements; false promises; have not tried hard enough to keep our promises [we have made HaShem angry at us; been ungrateful; intended to harm others (even if we didn't); wasted time; delayed paying wages; called others derogatory nicknames...] We have clowned around about matters that we should have treated seriously; we have ridiculed good people; we've joked about things, which prevents us from proper T'shuva because we don't take things seriously enough [we have not learned Torah properly; worn Shaatnez; not been kind & charitable; not been meticulous about mitzvot & halacha; not been scrupulous in our dealings with others...] We have rebelled; defied G-d's will; sinned because of incomplete faith [we have held others back from doing mitzvot; not behaved properly in business...] We have angered G-d by disregarding His mitzvot, etc. [we violated promises and vows; took revenge and bore grudges; benefited from this world without brachot; were lazy in Torah learning and service of HaShem...] We have turned away, ignored our responsibilities to G-d (and fellows) [we have turned from Jewish customs; contradicted our parents or Torah authorities; dealt with contraband; forgiven others in word, but not in our hearts...] We have been perverse and have sinned because of perverted reasoning; we have deliberately sinned to gratify our desires [we have been falsely modest; a burden to our spouse; we were insensitive to orphans & widows; we have violated (minor) prohibitions...] We have acted wantonly; denied the validity of (some) mitzvot; we basically believe in G-d & Torah, but have disregarded a specific mitzva [we have rejected the Yoke of Heaven; we were afraid to reproach someone; we turned our hearts to idleness; we opened someone else's mail; we lacked fear of sin...] We have persecuted others; caused suffering; been callous to others [we have distressed our family members; we put our needs before G-d's...] We have been stubborn; we have refused to see G-d's Hand in life; we have ignored or denied that what happens in this world is not chance, but G-d's Will [we have been jealous of others; been stingy with Tzedaka; read improper books; listened to and accepted Lashon HaRa; not been careful with Kriyat Sh'ma...] We have been wicked; done sins that are particularly identified with wickedness, such as hitting others, stealing, planning to sin We have corrupted our character; been arrogant; extremely angry; vulgar - sins which affect one's character [we have lied; forgotten G-d and our commitment to Him; were silent when we should have objected; gloated over another's misfortune; hated others; squandered physical & spiritual energies...] We have been abominable; have become loathsome to G-d; immorality; idolatry; haughtiness; anger [we have desired sinful things; belittled the Torah; we did not take the opportunity to repent; were not careful with our T'filin; were sloppy with davening...] We have strayed; drifted further away from G-d rather than getting closer to Him You have let us go astray (we lost the merit to have Your help); we have misused freedom of choice for ourselves and others In summary... What can we say to You, G-d; You know everything; nothing is hidden before You... Therefore, may it be Your will that You forgive, pardon, and atone our many sins... After summarizing, we once again use an alphabetical format (this time it’s a double alphabetical arrangement) to enumerate a multitude of sins. And once again, the custom is to strike the heart (left side of the chest) for each AL CHEIT... For the sin that we have sinned before You... through hardness of the heart - refusing to admit that we might be wrong often results in sin. We have to be more humble.. through ignorance - lack of Torah learning results in doing the wrong thing. Rather than plead ignorance, we must strive for greater knowledge with words - many sins, especially related to misuse of the power of speech, such as flippant oaths, cursing, gossip. We must be more careful of what emerges from our lips... in public or in private - sins in public are potential Chilul HaShem; sins in private often indicate fear of what others will think, but a disregard for what G-d thinks. Both are bad. through immorality - this includes a wide variety of sins and includes the sins themselves as well as that which a person does that causes lust and leads to the more serious sins... with harsh speech - generally, this refers to misuse of the power of speech in all forms; specifically, it refers to speaking harshly to someone and unjustly hurting his feelings. with knowledge and deceit - refers to using our knowledge in order to deceive and take advantage of others. Also includes deceiving ourselves. through thoughts - this includes fantasizing about sin; such thoughts are the root of sin and also interfere with Torah learning and davening. One cannot say that he was only THINKING but not doing wrong. through wronging a fellow - deceiving, taking advantage of a friend, etc.; also refers to unfair treatment in business by insincere confession - T'shuva must be "in your mouth and in your heart, to do..." Let our words motivate us to sincere repentance and let our sincere repentance be accompanied by proper VIDUI in immoral gatherings - being part of a group whose conversations are improper can easily lead one astray. "But everyone else was there!" willfully and carelessly - even when we did not mean to sin, we have what to repent - we should have been more careful, etc. by exercising power - it is wrong to use one's power to intimidate others; one must not arrogantly act superior over others. through desecration of G-d's Name - this includes major Chilul HaShem as well as relatively minor acts which cause a lowering of one's respect for G-d or Torah. through foolish speech - "why do we say stupid things sometimes?" One has to repent this too, since speech is such a precious and powerful feature of human beings. Foolish speech often leads to more sin. through impure lips - this is one of several references to improper speech; in this case, the subject is vulgar language and cursing. with the Evil Inclination - we sometimes fail to fight our Yeitzer HaRa, and rather flirt with it, then give in to it and follow it. knowingly and unknowingly - we want to repent even sins that we are unaware of having committed. Also, sins against others who know or don't even know what we've said about or done to them. PLEASE NOTE: G-d's name is pronounced e-LO-ahh (Ashkenazi) or For all of these sins, G-d of Forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, atone for us. (These are different levels of forgiveness - commentators disagree on the terminology. Basically, we ask G-d to forgive what we've done, not to punish us for it, not to even hold a sin against us, and to completely erase it, as if we never did it. Some beat fist over heart for S'LACH, M'CHAL, and KAPEIR) by yielding to bribery - monetary bribery as well as flattery with ulterior motives are insidious to honest dealings among people. Bribery and flattery can blind one and cause a multitude of sins in its wake. through denial and false promises - we have not been honest, neither with G-d nor with our fellow human beings. Remember: this need not be a chronic condition, we must repent even the minor instances of dishonestly. with Lashon HaRa - another misuse of the power of speech. A particularly serious sin because it often results in permanent damage to one's reputation, even when groundless. "But it's true" is not an acceptable excuse for Lashon HaRa. Neither is "I was only joking". through fooling around - not taking someone's reproach of us seriously, laughing it off, will impede T'shuva. Ridiculing others, joking at someone else's expense are serious offenses. in business - the laws of business ethics and proper behavior in the market place are just as much a part of Halacha as is fasting on Yom Kippur. Since it often causes a Chilul HaShem and because it is often disregarded by many, it is to be treated very seriously. with food & drink - one should not pat himself on the back for keeping kosher; one needs to carefully answer the question: "Am I as careful and as strict as I ought to be?" "Do I cut corners?" Included in this category of sin is not making brachot properly, sloppy benching, careless washing for meals, poor table manners,gluttony, stinginess with guests... through interest and extortion - taking or paying interest on personal loans is forbidden. Besides the sin, it causes one to become hard-hearted. through haughtiness - arrogance is a particularly reprehensible character trait. We must repent sins that result from it as well as work on ridding ourselves of this negative characteristic. with prying eyes - this includes looking at forbidden things, invasion of privacy of others, expressing disapproval of others with a raised eyebrow with idle chatter - yet another expression of the misuse of speech. Here it can refer to davening and benching without kavana, as well as pointless and time-wasting conversation. with haughty eyes - looking down at others. This is parallel to the earlier reference to haughtiness, a particularly negative trait. with brazenness - acting without shame and a bit of natural embarrassment is a contributory factor to a host of other sins in judgment - refers to sins of unfair judgment, in the formal courtroom as well as in everyday life. It even refers to judging G-d. through a begrudging eye - being jealous and stingy. Finding excuses for not giving Tzedaka or being generous with others. Not helping others. through lightheadedness - we are often frivolous. This is especially inappropriate in shul and when learning Torah or davening. with stubbornness - refusing to recognize that we might be wrong. Not learning from experience. Not taking constructive criticism. This is a major obstacle to T'shuva, and we must repent this in order to repent otherwise. enthusiastically - One must examine his wrongdoings and see if there is the added sin of doing them with a smile or with "licking one's lips". by gossiping - The prohibition includes Lashon HaRa and character assassination, but also includes telling tales "just like this" with no intention to hurt anyone. It is all too frequent that people get hurt from plain gossip. through vain oaths - swearing falsely or frivolously can damage the underpinnings of interpersonal relationships as well as being a serious lack of respect to G-d. One has to be extremely careful in this regard. through baseless hatred - do you hate a person when you should really be hating the wrong things that he does?. This distinction is crucial for the proper growth and development of Klal Yisrael. in matters of "giving a hand" - we have been callous towards the needs of others. Also, we have sometimes joined with others in evil. through confusion - this refers to a diminished faith in G-d caused by not seeing G-d's hand in everything and by doubting the validity of the Torah and the authority of halacha. After enumerating different kinds of sins, we ask for forgiveness of sins according to punishment and style: For sins which would require a sacrifice in the Beit HaMikdash, then for those which one gets corporal or capital punishment from Beit Din or penalties from Heaven. Then we mention sins of commission and omission, sins we know about and those of which we - but not G-d - are unaware G-d, before I was born, I was nothing. Now that I have been born, it's as if I wasn't... (This is not just saying humble things, it is a realization - perhaps that comes from the exhaustive list of sins and our realization of what we are guilty of - that we truly don't have the right to ask for G-d's forgivemness, but we must ask, otherwise we are totally lost.) May it be Your will... that I shall not sin anymore, and what I have sinned before You, please, in Your abundant mercy, wipe off my slate, but NOT with difficulties and hardships... (This is a lot to ask for, but it is being asked of the One with the infinite capacity to forgive... and of the One Who has and wants - so to speak - a special, unique relationship with Bnei Yisrael...) The Amida of Yom Kippur concludes with the same passages as every Amida throughout the year does. But just because we say these words all the time, does not mean that we should not invest in them a special KAVANA for Yom Kippur, which will hopefully have a positive affect on these same words when we continue to say them beyond Yom Kippur. In addition to the pasuk for your name (if that is your custom), use this point, right before you conclude the Amida to talk some more to G-d. Vidui for Ne’ila [The Parshat Ha'azinu Homepage]
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