The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-06
DAY OF A%TONEMENT.
THE FAST OF RON KIPPUR BEGAN
YESTERDAY EVENING,

Hebrews win Abstain from Food ana Drink
TIL NiEhtrnIi NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Must he
Asked Of Enemies aud Atonement Made for
sins ana UnruIniled Vows or tho Year.
Business and all forms of labor and enter
tainment were suspended In tho Ghetto when
the first star made its appearance In the
heavens last evening and tho observance OF
Yom Kippur, or tho great white fast, was
begun. o all religious occasions, Hebrew,
Christian, pagan or .Mohammcdan, there are
few that can compare In univcrsality OF OBJ
scrvanco with this Day OF Atoncmcnt by tho
Jews. They abstain vigorously from food or
drink Of any kind for twcnty.four hours. Not
even SO much as q drink of water Is allowed to
pass their lips during the fast.
"L'shonoh tordh tikossdvou," meaning literal
ly. ITO n good year may you BIO written" Is tho
salutation exchanged at tho beginning Of Yom
Kippur and until toward the end Of the fast,
when the salutation is changed to "L'Shonoh
tordh tdychossdvmu" t"To a good year may you
have q good scal'D. Every jew believes that
his life is inscribed in tho holy book and that
his observance of Yon Kippur has much to do
with 1t. Those who have made enemies must
seek them and greet them with "!Seu mir mo
chel," or II ask your forgiveness"
Around Yom Kippur are clustered many Of
the traditions of tho jewish race, and in teh
old country the idea prevails that he who
leaves the temple with bowed head at the end
OF the observance Of tho fast Is doomed to mis-.
fortune OF death within the coming year. The
fast is observed more vigorously by the ortho-
dox on the other side than hero, and the head of
the family usually enters the temple at the be-
ginning of the service and remains standing
clothed in the kittel. or white gown, and tdiith,
or praying shawl, chanting his prayers and re-
p,enting his sins for the twenty.,four hours that
the fast covers. The forms Of repentance of
the orthodox require the devout Jew thus OBJ
serving the fast TO inflict penance on himself by
standing barefooted on peas during the whole
OF the service, and when 1t is concluded he
prostrates himself on the floor and receives
rabbi praying n,a is' With li him wR His'd dealing st them. Inc
Before the fast tho Kapporyth supper is
eaten. This consists OF fowl which Is Killed as
usually takes a live chicken, and swinging #
around his head says n prayer while Offering
IT as a sacrifice. 1t is then sent to a rabbi to
be slain according to the Jewish rite. After
the supper a solemn air pervades the household,
and in an impressive manner the father takes
his sons to the synagogue TO pray and atone for
their sins, while the daughters usually remain
at homo with the mother: The service at
the synagogue begins with the chanting Of the
kol Nidre IAN Vows which is a service to
atone for unfulflled vows made during the
year. This chant is one of weirdest sort,
and the air has been carried by the Jews for
centuries.
The worshippers remove their shoes and
spend most of the night in the synagogue. which
Is kept open throughout the fast. There is
usually a long table at the entrance to the syn
agogue with collection plates marked with the
names OF charities for which the donations are
intended; The worshippers contribute coins
to the plates in numbers OF eighteen to signify
brew word hat, meaning life. The services in
the synagogue are concluded with the IMinchd,
of the stars tonight the Day Of AtoneInent will
end.