Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-05
YoM KIPPUR.
The Jewish Observance of the Day of
Atonement.

A
| Atonement.
I AT sundown last evening commenced
the fast of Yom Kippur, an event that i:
observed throughout the Jewish worlG
with the greatest solemnity. The name is
an abbreviated form of Yom ha Kippur
reem, signifyiDg the Day of Atonement
and it occurs On the 10Th day of Tishree
| the seventh month of the ecclesiastical
year and the first of the Hebrew civil
year. 1t is the last of the ten davs ot
peDltence, which began with Rosh Hash
| onah.
At the Synagogue last evening the con-
gregauon celebrated the occasion with i'm
presslve ceremonies. Rabbi Levy sd-
dressed the congregation in an eloquent
and fervid manner. The music was excel
lent, and the choir was composed of the
following members Sopranos, Mrs. w. II
klnross and Miss Ginsberg; altos, Mrs.
Albert Etkus and Miss Nettie Price TENOR.
Eugene Eikus, and basso, W. H. Kinross
Miss Adolhne Kaibel officiated at the or
gan.
Ycm Kippur is considered the most holy
dsy IN the year, and is set apart for
fasting prayer and repentance, in aCcoid-
ance with Leyiticus xiii, 27-26, where It
says And he tenth day Of the seventh
month is the Day of Atonement. 1t shall
De TO you 9 day of holy convocation, and
ye shall atfiict your souls By fasting. Ye
shall do no work on that day, for il is a
Day OF Atonement on which We shall be
psrdoned before the Eternal, your God. Ii
shall be 10 you complete day of rest, end
ye shall afftict your souls BY fasting. On
the evening Of the ninth day ye shall be-
gin and keep your resting day until The
next evening"
This day is called the Sabbath of Sab
baths" and is observed strictly By the re-
formers as well as the most Strict OF the
orthodox. Among the very strict followers
OF the law the observance of the day is car
req so far that they will Z OF wash or wear
shoes during the continuance of the fast
Ihey VIII not trim lamp or do anything
that might be deemed an infraction Of the
law.
Ia the olden time the ceremonies of the
day were peculiarly awe inspiring. The
Year OF Jubilee was proclaimed upon ii
With sound Of trnmpets. Il was the only
day of the year in which the Kauhein
the High Priest of the Temple
OF Jerusalem, was allowed 10 enter the
II Holy OF Holes, and il was the only day,
too, when the High Priest Gimself offered
the sacrifices, sprinkling the blood of
bullock and goat upon ihe horn of the
altaer, fulfilling the law as laid down in
Leviticus xvi, IS. This was the only oc-
caslon of the year upon which the High
Priest pronounced the mystic name of God,
As the syllables of the iHeffable name of
Jehovah fell from his lips i'll prayer, the
whole congregation n the temple fell pros
trate and cried "Bassed be the name of
His glorious kingdom forever and ever p
When the High Priest pronounced the
words Tit Ho Ru, "Ye are pure" there was
general rcj icing.
In the modern Jewish church there are
few survivals of this service The cabinet
in which the scroll of the PeutateuGh is
kept hardly answers the description of the
Holy of Holes. The RECOMMENDATION of
the mystic name of Jehovah has been lost.
but IN the Musaph service OF Yom Kippur
there Is a recollection of the ceremony
when the High Priests pronounced the
name, the rabbi and the congregation dur
ing the prayer prostrating themselves four
times.
The Yom Kippur services began last
night with the hol Nidra The specially
preDared prayer of supplication, as chanted
IN the old style, is very beautiful This
morning, IN the ShaChrith, is the reading
OF the law from the sixteenth chapter Of
LeVltlcus, the preaching of the sermon and
the chanting of the service, followed by
the ceremony of praying for the dead when
the names Of the dead are mentioned and
prayed for. In some synagogues the names
of the dead are read from book in which
they are kept. This service lasts until
about noon, aud is followed by the Musaph
service, which lasts about three hours, and
is followed by the Mincha service. The
last service of the day is the Eeelah. This
prayer is generally chanted by the rabbi
himself if he is physically able; otherwise,
by the cantor. Then there is a short
prayer, such as that dIsmissiDg the con-
gregation on an ordinary Sabbath, and the
assembled gathering disperses. During
these services the strict followers of the
law remain all day in the synagogue.
All Jews observe the present fast. and
their places Of business will remain closed
to dav,