The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-28
Y()N NPPUR TO
! Be Celebrated
BY JEWS SUNDAY
Great solemnlty will Mark OBJ.
servance Of Holy Day
Of Atonement.

Next Sunday evening inaugurates
with great solemnity the Day Of
Atonemeut, or Yom Kippur, the
hottest day Of the synagog. On that
evening and again on Monday, from
morning till evening, the Jewish
people wifi fofegather for worship
in their several synagogs in all
parts OF the world. Those re.
moved from their families will en-
deavor to be among the family cir,
Gle on this solemn occasion. Sol,
diers and sailors OF Jewish faith
are granted furloughs In order t.
observe appropriately this holiday.
Wherever the Jewish people hap,
pen to be, whether few or many,
they will cease from worldly con.
Germs and give themselves wholly
to thought OF repentance.
More than any other holiday Of
the synagog, Yom Kippur revives
the confidence Of the Jew in the I'll.
innate triumph Of Gods love and
Justice. However sadly he has
Jared, despite misfortune and un,
told affliction, he repairs to his
synagog on the Day OF Atonement
hopeful of Gods way and trusting
that in the later days none OF
earth's children shall hurt nor de,
stroy in all His Mountain, for the
earth shall be full Of knowledge OF
the Lord as the waters cover the
sea.
The outward form Of observance
praeticed by the Jewish people on
this day is abstention from food
and drink. The intent Of this Ger.
emony is to affllct the soul, in or.
der that the worshipper be better
disciplined to exercise self.control
and direct his actions for the up.
building and betterment Of human.
ity.
The Day of Atonement can be
traced back to ancient days and in
the long career Of the Jewish peo.
pie 1t has undergone many trans.
formations.
When It is first noted in the Mo.
caic Code it is a day when the
high priest in the temple explated
the sins Of the people. The mass Of
the people were to observe the day
from evening to evening as a Sab.
bath, and fast day to obtain par.
don for their sins. In leviticus is:
2.34 the elaborate priestly ritual
OF making atonement for the holy
place and because OF the unclean.
nesses Of the children OF Israel and
because Of their transgressions,
even all their sins" Is described.
The high priest was the central
figure Of the ritual. He sought for.
giveness for his own sins and those
OF his household and then for all
the people. A very primitive rite
which was revived for use ON the
Day Of Atonement OF this very an.
cient period was the selection Of
two goats, one Of which was to be
sent to Azazel, the demon OF the
wilderness. to bear away the sins
OF the people, while the other was
to be offered to the Lord as a sac.
rifice.
In contrast to the prlestly mon.
opoly Of service with its archaic
forms of expIation, the founders Of
the synagog invested the Day Of
Atonement with a more spiritual
meaning and one that was more in
accord with the prophets Of Israel
who associated with God the at
tributes Of love and mercy.
According to these teachers Of
Judaism repentance could not be
obtained through any other media.
ton than the personal effort Of the
sinner to purge himself Of his evil
thoughts and to mend his evil way
by his own personal effort and the
stout resolve to cleave unto God
and walk in His ways. Confessing
his sins before God with a contrite
heart combined with practical ef.
forts to harmonic his deeds with
those laws OF love and life pro-
claimed by God, constituted the
true repentance and lifted man up
from his low estate to sit among