{"id":37759,"date":"2015-09-03T15:02:16","date_gmt":"2015-09-03T15:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/?p=37759"},"modified":"2025-09-29T22:16:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T22:16:08","slug":"halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur\/","title":{"rendered":"Halacha L&#8217;Maaseh: Yom Kippur"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Asking Forgiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If you know you have offended or otherwise injured someone, ask for forgiveness before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/category\/yom-kippur\/\"><em>Yom Kippur<\/em><\/a> (if doing so will bring up bad feelings from the past, you may not do so&#8211;but you might not be forgiven for that injury).<\/li>\n<li>If you may have offended, ask for forgiveness.<\/li>\n<li>If you are certain that you did not, don&#8217;t ask for forgiveness.<\/li>\n<li>If you did not ask someone for forgiveness (whom you should have asked) before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, you should do so afterward.<\/li>\n<li>If a person wrongs you intentionally, you do not need to forgive him or her unless the person repairs the wrong and is genuinely regretful for having done the evil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Nullifying Vows (Hatarat Nedarim)<\/h3>\n<p><em>Hatarat nedarim<\/em> (nullification of vows) should be done before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/category\/rosh-hashanah\/\"><em>Rosh Hashana<\/em><\/a> (but it may be done any time of the year) in front of three adult male <em>shomer-Shabbat<\/em> Jews. You may make a condition that you never want to make a vow of any type, but this might not be effective or valid.\u00a0 The formula may be said in English or any other spoken language.<\/p>\n<h3>Kaparot<\/h3>\n<p><em>Kaparot<\/em> with a chicken or money should be done before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em><em>,<\/em> but you may do it before then or any other time. This is a universal Jewish custom.<\/p>\n<h3>Meaning of pre-Yom Kippur Meal (Seudah HaMafseket)<\/h3>\n<p>We eat a festive meal for the final meal before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> to celebrate that we will be forgiven for our previous sins on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3>Mezuman\/Minyan at pre-Yom Kippur Meal (Seudah HaMafseket)<\/h3>\n<p>A <em>mezuman<\/em> or <em>minyan<\/em> is permitted at the pre-<em>Yom Kippur<\/em> meal <em>(<\/em><em>seudah\u00a0<\/em><em>hamafseket)<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Reason: It is a festive meal.<\/p>\n<h3>Challah Dipped in Honey for pre-Yom Kippur Meal (Seudah HaMafseket)<\/h3>\n<p>Eating\u00a0<i>challah<\/i>\u00a0dipped in honey is a non-binding custom for the pre-<em>Yom Kippur<\/em> festive meal <em>(seudah\u00a0hamafseket).<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Pre-Yom Kippur Meal: Shir HaMa&#8217;alot<\/h3>\n<p><em>Shir ha&#8217;ma&#8217;alot<\/em> should be said before <em>birkat\u00a0<\/em><i>hamazon<\/i>\u00a0at the final meal (<em>seudah\u00a0hamafseket)<\/em> before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> (and also at a meal after <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> ends).<\/p>\n<h3>Wishing Easy Fast<\/h3>\n<p>You may wish \u201can easy fast\u201d for <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> since, although <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> is supposed to be a day of afflicting our souls, there are degrees of affliction!<\/p>\n<h3>Pre-Yom Kippur: Yahrzeit Candle<\/h3>\n<p>On <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, it is a universal custom to light one candle if one or both parents are deceased. Every married couple also lights one candle for themselves and their children (if any).<\/p>\n<h3>Starting Fast<\/h3>\n<p><em>Yom Kippur<\/em> fasting starts with candle lighting for women and at least 7 minutes before sunset for men.<\/p>\n<h3>Delaying Start Past Candle Lighting<\/h3>\n<p>Lighting the candles starts the holiday of <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>.\u00a0 If you want to start the holiday later, you must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make a condition when lighting candles that you are not yet starting the holiday (by saying \u201cI am lighting <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> candles but not starting <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> until 7 minutes before sunset\u201d-this may only be done in urgent situations) and<\/li>\n<li>Omit the\u00a0<i>shehecheyanu<\/i>\u00a0blessing at candle lighting.\u00a0 Men say\u00a0<i>shehecheyanu<\/i>\u00a0later (in <em>kol nidre<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note: Women then say\u00a0<i>shehecheyanu<\/i>\u00a0at least 7 minutes before\u00a0sunset! (One may not make a condition for\u00a0<i>shehecheyanu<\/i>!)<\/p>\n<p>Note: If a woman lit candles for <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> more than 7 minutes before sunset (as is normally done at 18 or even 40 minutes before sunset), but made a condition (<em>tenai<\/em>) that she would still eat or do <em>melacha<\/em> until somewhat later, she must still stop eating and doing <em>melacha\u00a0<\/em>by no later than 7 minutes\u00a0before sunset.<\/p>\n<h3>Leather Shoes<\/h3>\n<p>You may\u00a0not wear leather shoes on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3>Kittel for Men<\/h3>\n<p>All married men should wear a <em>kittel<\/em> on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> during all prayer services (this is a universal custom). Some men do not wear a <em>kittel<\/em> during the first year of marriage<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>No Kiddush If You Must Eat<\/h3>\n<p>If you must eat on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> (for health reasons),<strong> do not<\/strong> make <em>kiddush<\/em> and do not use two loaves of bread, even if <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> coincides with <em>Shabbat<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3>Birkat HaMazon If You Must Eat Bread<\/h3>\n<p>If you must eat a meal including at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1\/6 cup) of bread on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, say <em>birkat ha&#8217;mazon<\/em> afterward. Add <em>ya&#8217;aleh v&#8217;yavo<\/em> (and if <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> coincides with <em>Shabbat<\/em>, also add <em>retzei<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h3>Washing To Remove Tum&#8217;a<\/h3>\n<p>On <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> (as on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/what-is-tisha-bav\/\"><em>Tish&#8217;a b&#8217;Av<\/em><\/a>), if you must wash your hands to remove:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Tum&#8217;a<\/em>: You may wash your hands only up to the knuckle that connects your fingers to the rest of your hand (thumb: second knuckle; fingers: third knuckle).<\/li>\n<li>Dirt from your hand: You may wash wherever the dirt is on your hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Torah Reading: Forbidden Relationships<\/h3>\n<p>On <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, at <em>mincha<\/em>, we read in the <em>Torah<\/em> about forbidden relationships to remind ourselves that even on the holiest day of the year, we may be subject to temptations and sins.<\/p>\n<h3>Bowing for Musaf Alenu<\/h3>\n<p>For how to bow at Yom Kippur Musaf Alenu, see <a href=\"https:\/\/outorah.org\/p\/26378\">Waist-Bowing and Knee-Bowing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Ending: Havdala<\/h3>\n<p>After <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, say the full <em>havdala<\/em><em>.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Note: You must light a candle from a flame that was burning since before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> began. If you do not have one, skip the blessing on the flame.<br \/>\nIf <em>Shabbat<\/em> coincides with <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>, you should light the candle from a flame that was burning from before <em>Shabbat<\/em> began. If you do not have one, you may light a new flame after <em>Shabbat<\/em> and <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> are over. Don&#8217;t say the blessing on spices.<\/p>\n<h3>Post-Yom Kippur Meal: Shir HaMa&#8217;alot<\/h3>\n<p><em>Shir ha&#8217;ma&#8217;alot<\/em> should be said after eating a meal that you began\u00a0after <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> ended.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L\u2019Maaseh appears courtesy of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.practicalhalacha.com\/\">www.practicalhalacha.com<\/a><\/strong> <\/em><em>Visit their web site for more information.<br \/>\n<\/em><em>This material is provided for informational purposes only \u2013 not a substitute for the consultation of a competent rabbi.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Asking Forgiveness If you know you have offended or otherwise injured someone, ask for forgiveness before Yom Kippur (if doing so will bring up bad feelings from the past, you may not do so&#8211;but you might not be forgiven for that injury). If you may have offended, ask for forgiveness. If you are certain that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132976,"featured_media":43097,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yom-kippur"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Halacha L&#039;Maaseh: Yom Kippur - Jewish Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A review of the laws of Yom Kippur including kaparot, asking for forgiveness, the pre-fast meal, and what to do if one must eat on Yom Kippur.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Halacha L&#039;Maaseh: Yom Kippur - Jewish Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A review of the laws of Yom Kippur including kaparot, asking for forgiveness, the pre-fast meal, and what to do if one must eat on Yom Kippur.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/halacha-lmaaseh-yom-kippur\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jewish Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OrthodoxUnion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-03T15:02:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-29T22:16:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/iStock_11363794_SMALL.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Richard B. 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