Yom Kippur Themes and Theology

Jewish texts portray Yom Kippur as a serious day of repentance and reflection — but not one of sadness.

For the ancient Israelites, the Yom Kippur rituals signified a world in which God brought moral order out of chaos.

The 10 Days of Repentance, are the window of opportunity for the human dynamic to influence the Divine decrees. On Yom Kippur we make our final plea to God.

Jewish thinking tries to strike a balance between responsibility and forgiveness.

We must be cleansed from the polluting effects of sin.

There are five factors in teshuvah (repentance), each of which can be a starting point for the entire process.

Yom Kippur culminates the process of repentance begun before Rosh Hashanah.