Religion

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

The Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur which is observed today, is a time of "purging and repentance" said a Tyler rabbi. The worldwide observance is the "Day of Days, the Sabbath of Sabbaths" for millions of Jews, he said.

"Know Before Whom You Stand" are the words worshippers at Synagogue Ahavath Achim see as they enter the sanctuary of Tyler's Conservative Jewish congregation. That sentiment is the key to Yom Kippur, said Rabbi Alan Learner of Ahavath Achim.

"Yom Kippur is about atonement for sin against God," he said, "even more than sin towards your fellow man. God already knows what you did to man. This is atonement for what you did against God, both intentional and unintentional. It's a way for Jews to keep their perspective of reality and know they are accountable."

More than any other Jewish observance or holiday, Yom Kippur brings Jews back to the observance of their faith, he said.

"It's when Jews are most motivated to be attentive to their religion," Learner said. "Yom Kippur is the day of days, the Sabbath of Sabbaths."

It is also a day of "rest and reflection," and time of separation from "worldly pleasures."

"Yom Kippur is a day or purging and repentance, of prayer and introspection, seeking forgiveness and recommitting to God," Learner said. "One sets aside those things that bring worldly pleasures. There is a command to 'afflict the soul.'"

The timing of the observance is significant, he said.

"The Jewish New Year started at Rosh Hashanah a few days ago and then right off the bat there is Yom Kippur," he said "This is a way to see and acknowledge what was wrong in the past and start the new year off right."

Yom Kippur officially began at sundown on Wednesday and continues all day today. The hope for the Jewish faithful is that God will seal their names in the Book of Life, Learner said.

"There is a teaching that God sits in judgment at this time of year. Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of the birth of the world. Then there is a period of 10 days of judgment, judged by the Supreme King," he said. "What you hope is that you are sealed in the Book of Life when it is over."

Yom Kippur is observed in different fashion throughout the world, he said.

"The most motivated Jews spend the entire day in the synagogue," he said. "Most Jews recognize it as a day to divest yourself of the usual traits of arrogance and selfishness -- traits we were born with. A baby, it is said, comes into the world with fists clenched, as if to say, 'I want, I want.' When someone dies, their hands are open as if to say 'all the things I grabbed for in life, I now release.' Yom Kippur is designed to help purge yourself now and start out the new year with a clean slate."

HOLY DAY: Rabbi Alan Learner stands before the stained glass window that represents Yom Kippur, in the sanctuary of Tyler’s Ahavath Achim Synagogue.
(Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.)