THE MEANING OF YOM KIPPUR
This festival’s name, Yom Kippur, is comprised of two Hebrew words: yom (יום) which means day and kippur (כיפור) which means atonement. It is described in the Bible as follows: כִּי-בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה תִּטְהָרוּ. "On this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. (Leviticus 16:30)
CAN WE ENTIRELY BANISH A SIN?
In English the word “atonement” is rather abstract concept, which refers to making amends or reparations after having committed a sin. But the Hebrew word kippur has a much more concrete meaning. In the Bible the root k-p-r (כפר) means to physically cover something up. For example in Genesis 32:21 Jacob tries to pacify his estranged brother Esau by sending him gifts, thinking to himself: “let me cover over (אֲכַפְּרָה) his face with a present”. What this means is that the act of atonement in the Bible is an act of “covering up” our sins. But of course this is a temporary measure. We can never hope to entirely banish sin. It is constantly present in our lives. This is precisely the reason that Yom Kippur comes once a year.
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