Idag (från kl. 18 till i morgon kl. 18) infaller Jom Kippur, den stora Försoningsdagen, den viktigaste dagen i det judiska året. Man kan läsa om den i 3 Mos. 16.
Jag citerar en judisk kommentator (på engelska) för att vi ska få ett äkta intryck av hur judar ser på sin stora dag:
An Overview of Yom Kippur’s Traditions and Customs
Yom Kippur commemorates the day that G‑d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing G‑d say at Mount Sinai: ”You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews committed the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading with G‑d for forgiveness, and on the tenth ofTishrei it was finally granted: ”I have pardoned, as you have requested.
Preparations
On the day before Yom Kippur, the primary mitzvah is to eat and drink in abundance. Two festive meals are eaten, one earlier in the day, and one just prior to the onset of Yom Kippur. Some of the day’s other observances include requesting and receiving honey cake, in acknowledgement that we are all recipients in G‑d’s world and in prayerful hope for a sweet year; begging forgiveness from anyone whom we may have wronged during the past year; giving extra charity; and the ceremonial blessing of the children.
Before sunset, women and girls light holiday candles, and everyone makes their way to the synagogue for the Kol Nidrei services.
On Yom Kippur
In the course of Yom Kippur we will hold five prayer services: 1)Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur; 2) Shacharit—the morning prayer; 3) Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service; 4) Minchah, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah.
Finally, in the waning hours of the day, we reach the climax of the day: the fifth prayer, the Neilah (”locking”) prayer. The gates of Heaven, which were open all day, will now be closed—with us on the inside. During this prayer we have the ability to access the most essential level of our soul. The Holy Ark remains open throughout. The closing Neilah service climaxes in the resounding cries of ”Hear O Israel… G‑d is one.” Then joy erupts in song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively ”Napoleon’s March”), followed by a single blast of theshofar, and the proclamation, ”Next year in Jerusalem.”
After the fast we partake of a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a Yom Tov (festival) in its own right. We immediately begin to look forward to the next holiday and its special mitzvah: the construction of the sukkah.
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/995354/jewish/How-is-Yom-Kippur-Observed.htm
Detta är för mig något oerhört. Man skriver gärna ”God” ofullständigt, av respekt för Guds heliga Namn: G-d. Det Heliga Namnet, det s.k. tetragrammet, är ju JHWH.
Men den som läser detta ser hur Messias lyser igenom. Hebréerbrevet utlägger detta hur Kristus (Messias) som Överstepräst gick,
”icke med bockars och kalvars blod, utan med sitt eget blod, en gång för alla in i det allraheligaste och vann en evig förlossning.” Hebr. 9:12
Ty det är omöjligt att tjurars och bockars blod skulle kunna utplåna synder. Hebr. 10:4.
Abraham svarade: ”Gud utser nog åt sig fåret till brännoffret, min son.” (1 Mos. 22:8).
Han svarade dem: ”Ett ont och trolöst släkte kräver ett tecken, men det skall inte få något annat tecken än profeten Jonas tecken. Ty liksom Jona var i den stora fiskens buk i tre dagar och tre nätter, så skall Människosonen vara i jordens inre i tre dagar och tre nätter.” Matt. 12:39,40.