Yom Kippur Caution

[Dant01]

.
To everyone who has Jewish friends: do NOT wish for them a pleasant holiday for
Yom Kippur because Lev 16:29-31, Lev 16:31, Lev 23:27, and Lev 23:32 doesn't
allow them to be cheerful and/or feel good about themselves on that day. It's
actually a day to despise one's self, i.e. regard one's self as loathsome and
despicable, viz: a day to afflict oneself; which Webster's defines as causing distress
so severely as to cause persistent suffering and/or anguish.

It is both illegal and curse-worthy for Jews to be joyous at any time on the day of
Yom Kippur.

• Lev 23:29 . . For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same
day, he shall be cut off from among his people

• Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by
carrying them out.

NOTE: Yom Kippur is an unusual holy day. It's primary purpose is not only to
remind the people that they are unsavory in God's sight, but also to remind them
that their sins are still on the books, pending justice; and hanging over their heads
like a sword of Damocles.
_

 

[Dant01]

.
FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's
forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of
Atonement?

A: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one thing: there's no
one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a Temple nor a fully
functioning Levitical priesthood on duty in Jerusalem at this time. In point of fact,
neither of those two essential elements of the Day of Atonement have been in
Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst of it.

There is a special goat involved in Yom Kippur commonly called a scapegoat, which
Webster's defines as a person who is unfairly blamed for something that others
have done; in other words: a fall guy. But that does not quite accurately define
Yom Kippur's special goat. It's actually an escaping goat; viz: a fugitive; here's
why.

It's a biblical axiom that the soul that sins, it shall die, i.e. the wages of sin is death
(Ezek 18:20, Rom 6:23). Well; the special goat is allowed to live rather than
executed, so justice for the worshippers' sins remain pending.

FAQ: What about the other animal? Doesn't its death satisfy justice for the people?

A: The second animal's purpose is strictly hygiene, viz: it sanitizes the people
sufficiently for worship purposes; but does nothing towards obtaining absolution for
them.

NOTE: Leaving a goat out in a wilderness place to fend for itself isn't a death
sentence. No; far from it. Goats are survivors. They can get by in environments
that quite a few other species would find quite disagreeable. And though the Jews
were in a wilderness place during their wanderings, there was vegetation enough to
nourish the herds. (Ex 34:3)
_

 

[Harel13]

.
To everyone who has Jewish friends: do NOT wish for them a pleasant holiday for
Yom Kippur because Lev 16:29-31, Lev 16:31, Lev 23:27, and Lev 23:32 doesn't
allow them to be cheerful and/or feel good about themselves on that day. It's
actually a day to despise one's self, i.e. regard one's self as loathsome and
despicable, viz: a day to afflict oneself; which Webster's defines as causing distress
so severely as to cause persistent suffering and/or anguish.

It is both illegal and curse-worthy for Jews to be joyous at any time on the day of
Yom Kippur.

• Lev 23:29 . . For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same
day, he shall be cut off from among his people

• Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by
carrying them out.

NOTE: Yom Kippur is an unusual holy day. It's primary purpose is not only to
remind the people that they are unsavory in God's sight, but also to remind them
that their sins are still on the books, pending justice; and hanging over their heads
like a sword of Damocles.
_

Wow, do you know nothing about Yom Kippur.

 

[Harel13]

Okay, to other people who may come across this thread. Here are the things a Jew may not do on Yom Kippur: Eat, drink, shower, use perfume/deodorant/similar aromatic chemicals (we do all of these before the holiday starts) and wear leather footwear. Plus almost everything we are not allowed to do on Shabbat. @Dant01 is displaying his ignorance of Judaism as usual.

What we do most of the day is pray. This prayer often includes singing, including cheerful singing. One famous song is Mar'eh Kohen which is about the grandeur of the High Priest when he exited the Holy of Holies safely at the end of Yom Kippur in the Temple.

It's not for nothing that this is the last day of what's known as The Days of Awe. We are in awe of God. On Yom Kippur we ask for forgiveness for our sins. We confess them and ask to be written in the book of good life in the coming year (Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is nine days before Yom Kippur). At the same time, through this purification process, we return to God. We become closer to Him after we have redeemed ourselves. For this reason, we are also happy on Yom Kippur.

Perhaps @Dant01 is thinking about the Fast of the 9th of Av, which is considered the saddest day of the year. That's when we fast in remembrance of the destruction of the Temple and the start of the exile. Yom Kippur does not hold the title of the saddest day of the year. It holds the title of the holiest day of the year.

 

[Dant01]

.

Dant01 is displaying his ignorance of Judaism as usual.

Judaism's habits, customs, and traditions are one thing; whereas the laws
of the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God are quite another.
_

 

[Harel13]

.


Judaism's habits, customs, and traditions are one thing; whereas the laws
of the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God are quite another.
_

Oh, I am truly humbled. Dant01 has actually replied to a post of mine. I am but a lowly worm in your presence (in case you may be wondering what this is supposed to mean, it's a dig at the fact that you ignore a lot of comments and questions on your own threads).

Now to your actual comment: Hahahahaha! Hilarious. You seem to have fallen into your own hole. Look, if Jews "choose" to celebrate Yom Kippur one way, then that means that your weird OP about how Jews "should" celebrate Yom Kippur is totally irrelevant either way, and you yourself admit it.
Or was your whole point that Jews are both heretical to Christianity and to the way you think the Bible should be interpreted? But that would be especially weird. How do you both rebuke someone for not keeping laws (as you interpret them) and for also keeping laws which you think they should not keep either way?

Side-note: I also find it hilarious that you interpret the Bible's laws with Webster's of all things.

 

[Harel13]

@Dant01 to put what I said in another way, I don't understand the logic of both saying: "You do not keep the Bible!" while at the same time also saying: "You do not keep the Bible!"

The difference is a bit subtle, but extremely important in trying to understand your logic.

 

[Harel13]

NOTE: Leaving a goat out in a wilderness place to fend for itself isn't a death
sentence.

Oh man, I missed this part. Hey, even according to your interpretation of Scripture, how do you conclude that the goat was left out in the wild? It says it was to be sent off to "azazel". In Judaism, that means to throw it off a cliff (it dies on the way down). What's the basis for your understanding? (and also, would Jesus, supposedly a religious Jew, have agreed with your interpretation?)

 

[Dant01]

.
The Hebrew word translated "scapegoat" in the 16th chapter of Leviticus is `aza'zel
(az-aw-zale') which is a compound word.

One part is derived from `ez (aze) which refers to a she-goat and/or goat's hair.

The remainder is derived from 'azal (aw-zal') which basically means to go away, i.e.
to disappear.

In other words an `aza'zel is the loosed goat itself rather than some sort of mystical
spirit being. That's a cute legend, but nevertheless, a fantasy.
_

 

[Harel13]

The remainder is derived from 'azal (aw-zal') which basically means to go away, i.e.
to disappear.

You do realize you just mixed up Hebrew with Judeo-Aramaic, right?

In other words an `aza'zel is the loosed goat itself rather than some sort of mystical
spirit being. That's a cute legend, but nevertheless, a fantasy.

No one on this thread brought up the view that Azazel is some sort of entity. That said, a mere etymological analysis is not evidence against. Consider my own name, Harel. It means mountain of God. In the Bible, it refers to the hearth of the altar in the Temple. Does me having that name mean that people think I'm a mountain of God or a walking, talking hearth? No, that would be foolish. I am a person. Etymology can tell us some things, but can't necessarily disprove other things.