During the course of the holiday, a major component of the liturgy is the repeated communal confession of sins, the Viddui. On Yom Kippur, Yizkor, the memorial service, is recited, as is the Avodah, a symbolic reenactment of the ancient priestly ritual for Yom Kippur. In addition to the three daily services of Maariv (evening service), Shachrit (morning services), and Mincha (afternoon service), the Yom Kippur liturgy adds a special Musaf (additional) service. Yom Kippur is ushered in while it is still light out with a powerful and ancient prayer called Kol Nidrei (All Vows), in which the congregation asks that all vows made under duress during the coming year may be considered null and void before God. There are more and longer services on this day than any other in the Jewish calendar. It is traditional to wear a tallit, or prayer shawl, at all times in the synagogue on Yom Kippur this is the only time during the year when the tallit is worn in the evening. The liturgy of Yom Kippur is completely centered in the synagogue. Because of this and the desire to avoid leather, many Jews wear sneakers, or white athletic shoes, on Yom Kippur. It is traditional to dress in white on this day, symbolizing personal purity. Other examples include: refraining from washing, sexual relations, and the wearing of leather (a sign of luxury in earlier times). Fasting is the most widespread manifestation of this devotion. Yom Kippur is the day on which we are instructed to divorce ourselves as completely as humanly possible from the mundane world in which we live, in order to devote ourselves with all our hearts and minds to our relationship with the Divine. When is Yom Kippur 2023? Click here to find out.
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