Evening journal., 1918-09-16
THIS IS THE STORY
OF YOM K|PPUR
How Day of Atonement
~ Originated and How it
is Observed
GREAT PENITENTIAL
DAY IN SYNAGOGUES
Thls 5 the laIe Of Yom KIppur.

And We shall purge your souls snC
confess your sins before the King OF
Kings, Jehovah r.
Thees few words. pregnant with 0
concentration Of hope and fear TO the
believer, contain the quntessence OF
the meaning OF the Day OF Atonement
To the orthodox jew IL is the day OF
days. the" day, for during these q
hours which he spends in prayers, eX-
hortations, lamentations and confes-
sions. Jehovah dictates his fate Tor the
year TO come.
It was anything but an easy task
for Moses and Aaron, his brother TO
educate the barbarian horde they had
liberated from the Egyptian yoke up
10 an understanding Of the value Of the
inner life, Of a soul. Of religion, in
short, Of anything like civilization.
There was nothing left for Moses but
10 let the elder generation OF the liber-
ated slaves die out in the hope 20 find
more congenial SPIRITS, o more fruitful
soil and willing listeners among the
growing generation. Hence the 40 years
Of probation, hence the long wandering
in a desert which they might have
comfortably traversed in a few days.
From such beginnings u was lOnS
road 10 lead his people mentally UP to
the elimination point, the preparation
for an after life. But he kept on un-
daunted, never swerving from the goal
he had set himself, to transform his
people into a law-ablding. God-fearing.
civilized nation Thus, from the Ten
Commandments period 10 the climaX-
the Rosh Hashana and the Iom Kip
pur-we can trace step by step the
moral, the elevating the laborious
work OF this indefatigable clyilizator,
trying to have his doctrines take a firm
root: that man created I'm the image OF
God has a soul which is responsible 10
Jehovah for all deeds Of omission aud
commission during this life.
And this led TO the establishment Of
the Day OF Atonement (Nom Kippur).
knowing the class OF men ne had
TO deal with, Moses could not help TAX
ing the most vigorous. awe-inspiring
and fear-cresting measures. Would
they else have minded his advice? In
deed not. Hence the terrible injunction
in almost every law that an unforgiv-
ing Jehovah would deal out instant
death 10 those who disobeted his COM
mands
Mental fear Of that unseen Entity
and Of its supernatural doings which
a primitive mind could not grasp were
Moses most powerful allies for the OBJ
servance OF that most awe-inspiring OF
all days Of contrition, the Nom Kip
pur.
But he had to give them something
tangible whereby they could s,e the
.-.....-f - ff,rfr confessions and IA AZ
their sins were lifted from their shoul-
ders and loaded upon some cursed oh
iect. so he chose an animal sacrifice
20 Jehovah; in this instance kid
which, after being burdened Win its
terrible load. was by the priests
cursed and turned loose into the desert
aud to perdition.
Though very primitive. this purging
Of sons is a purport and principle the
same as the confession OF sons or To-
day. the forerunner and origin OF
which 10 was. Long ages and their
civilizing influence have merely
wrought change more appropriate TO
civilized. mentally more elevated,
thoughtful minds.
Denuded from its antiquated cere-
monials and customs, the Observance
Of the day is almost like IL was thou
sands OF years ago. or course, there
is no holy temple, no altar OF sacrifice
with its frankincense and myrrh, no
holy OF holles with its gorgeously
robed high priest and his assistants.
But it is picturesque none the less;
pleasing TO the eye here. awful there
and the impression the service creates
e so different from what our daily rou-
tine and customs would suggest that
unon entering an orthodox synagogue
one thinks himself transpianted to
some mythical sphere Of the long ago
nd begin with. the orthodox Jew
spends the entire 2i hours from sun
set until sunset at prayer in inc mouse
OF worship. and the ultra-orthodoX not
only remain there all night and al
day. but they remain standing on their
feet ihe entire time. The footgcar Is
discarded. and the shrouds ana prayer
mantle lTachriiim aud Tallith. both
present 10 the orthodox bridegroom
from his bride on their wedding day
arc donned. For on this day above an
others the true believer has ever IN ms
mind the moments mori''-from dust
TO dust.
You may we'll be surprised and awe
struck when, coming in upon the con-
gregation. YOU behold the hundreds OF
wbite-robed. whiie-capped men, listen
ing breathlessly to the words OF the
cantor. and many a fearful face is up-
lifted in supplication 90 Jehovah
when TO the almost laundering tunes
OF organ and choir the kol Nidreh
rings through the house or the ter
rible reminder reaches their cars from
fhe Almerer "On Rosh Hashana thy
fate is recorded and on Nom kippur
il is sealed. whether il be life to thee
or death. whether a natural death or
one bv fire. water. famine or war. or
when the organ peals forth and all
present-only once throughout the year,
mind you-thrOw themselves on their
knees until their faces touch the iloor
and until, like a promise OF forgiven
ness and iubilant. the "Lifneh Meh
lech" bids them rise, prayer ana re-
morse having gained the victory once
more.
such is the tale OF Gom kippur.
which is being observed in Wilmington
today.
10 has long been an open question
with the more reformed element among
the Jews whether the COMMAND 70
purge thy soul" means also TO do with
out food and drink for 2i hours. There
arc those nowadays who call it an an
tiquated ceremonial TO do without food.
vet by long odds the majority does not
allow anything to pass their lips and
spend the day in prayer and contrition
At the Temple of Truth last night
service started with the famous He
brew melody "kolnidre.' which was