Yom Kippur in Temple Days

The Great Day...During the latter part of the second Temple, Yom Kippur was already the holiest day of the year for all Jews. It was called "The Great Day," or more simply, "The Day." Jews in all lands fasted on that day and spent it entirely in the synagogue, earnestly praying. Even those Jews who were comparatively unobservant the rest of the year became very pious on that day, according to Philo, the Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria a generation before the destruction of the second Temple (after Masada fell and the Grail left the Holy Land and went to France).

But, while praying in their synagogues, Jews everywhere turned their eyes and their hearts to one spot, to the Temple, where the High Priest conducted the sacred and mystic ceremonies of the day. For that was the only day of the year on which the High Priest entered the Holy of the Holies. Not in the golden ceremonial robes of the High Priest did he present himself before God, but in the linen robes of an ordinary priest.

The High Priest did not ordinarily perform the rites of the Temple. He showed himself to the people, dressed in his gold robes, only on Sabbaths, festivals, and New Moons. On Yom Kippur, however, he became the priest of the sanctuary, and he, himself, conducted the entire service and confessed to God for his own sins of the other priests, and for the sins of the entire people of Israel.

Seven days before Yom Kippur the High Priest moved from his home to his chamber in the Temple. During this week he alone conducted the service, offered the daily sacrifices, sprinkled the blood, burned the incense, and tended the lighting of the Menorah. He did this for seven successive days in order to become well versed in the details, so that he would make no mistake on Yom Kippur. In addition, he had to study to read the Torah before the public; he had to read two portions from the Pentateuch (the Five Books of Moses) from the Torah-scroll on Yom Kippur, and recite one portion by heart. In the last century before the destruction of the Temple the High Priest was more often a noted politician than a learned man. Therefore, learned members of the Sanhedrin (the high Jewish council who put Jesus on the cross) would tutor him during the week before Yom Kippur, teaching him what was necessary.

But before continuing with the proceedings of the Yom Kippur service, let us spend some time on a tour of the Temple.

A Tour of the Temple...A new, a third Temple, was constructed during the time of which we speak. The second temple, the one that was erected under the leadership of Zerubbabel in the beginning of the Persian world dominion, was small and poorly constructed of ordinary wood and stone. It stood for about five hundred years, until Herod demolished it and erected a larger and grander structure on the site. Due to the fact that no enemy destroyed Zerubbabel's Temple, that it was removed only to make way for a much more beautiful building , the new Temple was also referred to as the second Temple.

Decades after Herod's Temple was finished, the work of beautifying it went on . More than eighty years passed before it was entirely completed, with all its adornments, a comparatively few years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. The completed Temple, therefore, stood only a little while before it was burned down by the Roman army under Titus. This Temple of Herod is the one we are to observe.

The Temple glistens in the distance and makes a clear impression, for it is built of the finest white marble, snow-like in its purity. It is covered with thick golden plates. When the sun shines on these, a fiery glow comes forth, and the Temple looks like a mountain of snow from which issue golden flames.

We approach the Mount of the Temple now. This holy mount rises on a series of broad terraces, flat mounds that rise regularly above one another. On the topmost terrace stands the altar, and above it rises the House of God. Only priests are allowed in the front room of the House of God, and then only in the performances of services; beyond is the rear room, the "Holy of the Holies," where only the High Priest may enter, and only one day of the year, Yom Kippur.

The entire structure is encircled by a very broad wall and is quite similar to a fortress. The wall is studded with high points and staunch towers. On all four sides of the wall there are gates leading into the Temple. We enter one of these gates and approach a colonnade, four rows of marble pillars, surmounted with cedar. There are many colonnades in the Temple but the one under which we now stand is the largest and the loveliest. It is called the Regal Colonnade and has one hundred and sixty two marble pillars.

We enter a second colonnade and see souvenirs of victories: swords, armor and flags that Jewish armies once brought back from battlefields as mementos of victories. We lift our eyes, however, and are deterred from all thoughts of war and victory; over the main gate hangs a golden Roman eagle as a symbol of sovereignty of Rome of Jerusalem. No matter where we look, the eagle shines from the white marble of the walls and from the polished stones of the floor. Amongst these colonnades are rooms for the Levites and room for the sages, where those with great knowledge of God's Torah sit and study with their pupils.

From the covered colonnades we step into the great, open outer court, plastered with vari-colored stones. All may enter this court, even non-Jews. It is immense in size, larger than any of the other courts.

We pass through the outer court and come to a stone fence. This is the boundary line beyond which non-Jews may not pass. Stone tables surmount this fence, telling us, in Latin and in Greek, that no outsider may go further, under penalty of death.

Beyond this fence we climb 14 stairs and come to a flat terrace, about ten yards wide. We then mount more steps and come to the gate leading to the inner court. There are so many gates to this inner court on the north and south, but we enter through the great double gate in the east. The other gates are covered with gold plates, but the great eastern gate has no covering, for it is made of costly bronze that shines even brighter than gold. It is called Nicanor's Gate after a rich Egyptian Jew who presented it to the Temple as a gift. The golden plates on the other gates are also a gift, from a rich Alexandrian Jew.

Nicanor's Gate is so large than when it is shut every evening, twenty men are needed to push together the heavy doors and to shove the bolt and bars into the stone threshold. In all, two hundred men are employed in the daily opening and shutting of the gates of the Temple. We pass through Nicanor's Gate into the inner court, the Court of the Women, which is a square area of over two hundred feet square. Men may enter the Court of the Women, but women may not enter the Court of the Men, which is further on in the Temple. High balconies, however, are provided for the women, and from these they can observe the ceremonies in the inner courts. There are four rooms in the corners in the Court of Women, open to the skies. One is for the use of the Nazarites, men under oath not to touch wine nor cut their hair. The second room is a storehouse for wood. Here sit those priests who are disqualified, because of physical defects, from service at the altar of the Temple. But they may do other work, and they sit examining the pieces of wood designed for the altar, discarding those with even the tiniest worm-hole, for only perfect wood may be used in the fire of the altar. The third room is reserved for lepers who have come to the Temple to be cleansed. In the fourth room, wine and oil are stored.

We pass through the Court of Women and come to a flight of 15 steps, built in the form of an ampitheater. Above these stairs is the wall that separates the women from the Court of the Men. We go through another gate and enter the Court of the Men, which encircles the Temple on three sides. The greatest and loveliest sight that a Jew can behold now appears before us: the great altar of uncut stones and behind it the House of God itself. The altar is quite large, and has four points that are like horns. An eternal fire burns there, a fire that must never be extinguished. Only half of the Court of Men is available for the use of laymen. A low fence runs through the center of the court and only the priests may venture beyond it.

On both sides of the Court of Priests are the treasuries of the Temple. To the right of the altar is the slaughter area with 24 rings to tether the sacrificial animals. Behind are eight small posts, with three rows of hooks on each one, to hang the slain animals, and eight marble tables on which the inners of the sacrifices are washed. In addition there are tables for the altar utensils and for the dismembered bodies of the animals. There is also a bronze wash-basin in which the priests bathe their hands and feet. Along the walls of the Court of the Priests are several halls: the hall in which the Sanhedrin meets; the halls in which the High Priest lives the week before Yom Kippur; the rooms in which the priests dress and bathe, and various other halls and rooms.

Through a very high opening, without doors, the priests go from their court to the Ulam, the porch of the House of God. Another door leads from the porch, which is beautifully decorated in gold, into the front room of the House of God. The door is open, but a heavy colored curtain hangs over it. Over this door hangs a gigantic golden gravevine. It is supported by cedar balconies and spreads its branches under the cornices of the porch. Rich Jews coming from distant lands make contributions to this vine, a gold grape or a gold leaf or such, till it seems as if the vine will break beneath the mass of golden fruit hanging from it.

Twice a day priests pass through the porch and into the sanctuary for daily services. They pass into a long room, the walls of which are decked in god, but it is dark and window-less. The only light comes from the golden Menorah, in which seven oil wicks burn. Opposite the Menorah, stands the golden table bearing the twelve loaves of showbread. Between these two objects stands the golden altar on which incense is burned twice a day.

Beyond the Anteroom is the Holy of the Holies, the greatest sanctuary of all, separated from the rest of the Temple by two drapes. Only once a year, on Yom Kippur, are these hangings removed for the entry of the High Priest. It is a pitch-black, empty room. The only object in the room is a stone, three fingers high, which is called the "Foundation-stone."

The entrance of the High Priest into the Holy of the Holies was the main event in the ceremonies and ritual of "The Great Day."

The High Priests... During the first 350 years of the second Temple, the high priesthood belonged to one family and descended by succession. This family based its superiority on the fact that it descended from Zadok, the first priest in the Temple of Jerusalem when it was built by Solomon. The line extended thus until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.

When the Hasomoneans won over the Greek forces they became rulers of the Jewish country. But it was not possible, in those days to just set one's self up as ruler over the Jews. Rulership was vested in the High Priest. But since the Hasmoneans were of the priestly caste, they had no trouble on that score. They founded a new dynasty of High Priests and set on their own heads a double crown, that of the High Priest and that of the King. (AUTHOR�S NOTE: This section is written rather tongue-in-cheek and we will explore later who these people were and why they were anointed by God to do this work.)

After the fall of the Hasmonean kingdom, when Palestine became a province of Rome, the high priesthood became more of a political than a religion position. The Romans refused to permit the descent of the high priesthood from father to son, for they were unwilling to set up a dynasty of High Priests (the priesthood�s birthright was taken away from them. For this reason a new High Priest was appointed at intervals (A PUPPET HIGH PRIEST). Not every priest could attain to this high position. There were, in Jerusalem, a few aristocratic priestly families, and members of these families were the regular candidates, securing the position through political influences or through bribery. It obviously was worthwhile to become High Priest, for it was a position that brought power and riches. The High Priest of those days was officially the religious head of the Jewish people, the master of the Temple, and the leader of the Sanhedrin. As such he as the ruler of Jerusalem and of all Palestine, insofar as the Jews had autonomy under Roman rule.

But despite the fact that the High Priests of theose days were not spiritually great and the real spiritual leaders of the people were the scribes, the heads of the Pharisees, the observance of the service in the Temple were not weakened. On the contrary, the services were never carried more precisely or done with greater grandeur and impressiveness than the period before the destruction of the Temple. And of all the services of the year there was none as richly mystical and impressive as the Yom Kippur service.

The Day Before Yom Kippur....The High Priest stands at the EASTERN GATE of the Temple in the morning. The various animals that he will offer are led before him for final examination before the service of sacrifice.

Jews prepare themselves for the Great Day. They beg forgiveness of each other and remind themselves of sins they had committed in the course of the year; they are regretful and penitent. But one, the High Priest, makes greater preparations than all others. Religious awe fills his heart as he thinks of entering the Holy of the Holies. He also fears that through some accident he may be disqualified. Should that happen, his understudy would have to conduct the services of "The Great Day." The understudy is therefore also prepared and ready for the occasion.

Yom Kippur Eve....The sun is about to set. The daily Temple service is finished. A sanctified peace rests over the Mount of the Temple. Jews feast hugely in preparation for the coming fast. The High Priest, however, is not allowed much food, lest it make him sleepy. On this night he must not sleep. The learned sages of the Sanhedrin, who have been tutoring him all week in the order of the service, make him vow not to depart from it in any detail. They turn him over to the elders of the priesthood and leave. These priests lead him to the room of the incense-makers, where he practices gathering incense into his palms, so that they be full, and yet not overflow.

Yom Kippur Night...Various means are used to keep the High Priest from falling asleep. Portions of the latter books of the Bible are read to him, or if he can, he reads and gives interpretations. These books of the Bible are less known to others and are therefore are calculated to arouse more interest and drive away the desire for sleep. Should the High Priest still drowse, a group of young priests stand about him, snapping their fingers, and he is made to stand with his bare feet on the cold stone. They also sing Psalms to him. In one way or another he is kept awake. The respectable and pious Jews of Jerusalem also stay awake that night, as do many in the provinces outside of Jerusalem.

Ordinarily, preparations for the Temple service begin at dawn, but for this occasion, the preparations are started in the middle of the night. Long before the cock has crowed, the court of the Temple is filled with people. In the meantime priests, stationed on the roof of the Temple, look for the first light of dawn. When the light is sufficient for them to see Hebron between the hills to the southeast they call our, "The light of morning has reached Hebron." And the service begins.

Attiring the High Priest...First the High Priest is conducted to the bath house. The High Priest bathes himself five times on this day; in addition, he washes his hands and feet ten times. These bathings and washings are performed in a special room in the Temple, near the Court of the Priests. The first bath, however, the one in the morning, takes place outside the innermost court, beyond the water tower.

Each time he bathes a curtain of byssys (costly linen) is spread between him and the people. He doffs his ordinary raiment, bathes, dons the golden vestments, washes his hands and feet in a golden basin, and starts the daily sacrifice. He performs it in his golden robes, and the congregation stands enthralled at the sight. From their point of observation, the High Priest is a glowing spectacle, with his golden diadem (crown), the precious gems on his breast, and the golden bells which hang on the hem of his purple robe and which tinkle with every movement that he makes.

He then goes into the anteroom in order to burn the incense on the golden altar, and to put the lamps of the Menorah in order. This ends the regular daily service; now comes the special Yom Kippur service, for which the High Priest dons garments of white linen.

He is led to the bathrhouse near the Court of the Priests. He washes his hands and feet, divests himself of his ceremonial golden robes, puts on the garments of white linen, and again washes his hands and feet.

The Temple Service...And now, when the High Priest enters the court in simple white, he makes an even stronger impression on the assemblage than when he appeared in gold. The young bull that is destined for the sacrifice stands ready between the porch and the altar. The High Priests lays his hands on the bull's head and recites the first confessional:

"I beseech Thee, O Lord! I have sinned, I have been iniquitous, I have transgressed against Thee, I and my household. I beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the sins, iniquities, and transgressions which I have committed against Thee, I and my household, as it is said: 'On this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the Lord.'"

Three times in this prayer does the High Priest expressly pronounce the mystic and ineffable name of God "YHWH" (Jehovah). In all, he pronounces God's explicit name ten times during the Yom Kippur service. And as the ineffable name of God is pronounced by the High Priest, the assembled priests and worshipers prostrate themselves and call out, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever."

The Sacrificial Goats...East of the altar two goats stand ready, with their heads toward the sanctuary. Both are of equal size, the same appearance, and cost an equal sum of MONEY. In an urn next to them are two golden tablets, identifical in every detail, except that one is inscribed, "FOR YHWH" and the other is inscribed "FOR AZAZEL."

The white-robed High Priest proceeds to the eastern side of the altar escorted by two priests. The priest who acts as his understudy walks to his right and on his left is the representative of the subdivision of priests appointed for the service on this day. The High Priest suffles the tablets in the urn, withdraws them, and places one of the head of each goat. He calls out, "A sin offering for YHWH," and the congregation answers, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever."

It is a good OMEN if the tablet marked "For God" comes up in the High Priest's right hand. But in this period, year after year, the tablet marked "For Azazel" has come up in the right hand. Fear grips the heart of the people. And when the Jews learn of it they pray to the Almighty to help the Temple and the holy city.

When the lot is decided, the High Priest ties a red sash on the horns of the Azazel goat, the scapegoat for the people. The other goat will be sacrificed to God. The scapegoat faces the assembled congregation who stare at him and await the ritual by which the sins of the people will be loaded upon him and he will be driven out, deep into the wilderness.

This ends the second part of the Yom Kippur service and now begins the third and most awesome service of the day, when the High Priest enters the Holy of the Holies.

In the Holy of the Holies...The High Priest goes back to the area between the porch and the altar, where the young bull is tethered, places his hands on the animal and once more confesses, reciting the same prayer as before. But now he also confesses the sins of the priests, and when he says, "I and my household," he adds, "and the sons of Aaron, thy holy tribe." Again the assembly prostrates itself and calls out, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever."

After this second confessional the High Priest slaughters the bull, gathering the blood in a basin which he hands to a waiting priest. It is the duty of this priest to keep stirring the blood, so that it does not coagulate.

The High Priest walks up the ramp leading to the altar and fills a golden fire-pan with burning coals; he then pours handfuls of incense into his right hand and the ladle in the left, he proceeds slowly into the Holy of the Holies. He enters between the two drapes and apart from everybody, he stands in the somber dimness of the Holy of the Holies, barely illuminated by the burning coals in the fire-pan.

Filled with pious awe and fear, the High Priest places the fire-pan on the "Foundation-stone" and pours the incense upon it. The Holy of the Holies is filled with smoke. The High Priest retires into the anteroom and there offers prayers for the coming year. The people in the court pray at the same time, quietly, but with great fervor.

Finally, the High Priest emerges from the House of God and enters the court. Great relief is felt by all present, for it is a fearful thing, all believe, to be so near to God, in His holy dwelling.

There is no rest for the High Priest. He takes the basin of blood from the priest who is still stirring it, goes back into the Holy of the Holies, and sprinkles the blood upon the drape, once above and seven times below, counting as he sprinkles: "One, one and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five, one and six, one and seven." He counts the sprinkling he made above with every one he makes below. He then returns to the anteroom and places the basin on a golden stand.

The goat destined as a sacrifice to God is now brought to him. He slaughters it, gathers the blood in a basin, enters the Holy of Holies for the third time, sprinkles the blood and goes back into the anteroom, where he places the basin on another golden stand. He then sprinkles the drap from the outside, first with the blood of the bull, and then with that of the blood of the goat. He then mixes the blood of the two animals and sprinkles it on the golden incense-altar in the anteroom; what is left he pours on the cornerstone of the great altar outside.

The Scapegoat...The ceremonial for forgiveness of sins committed against the sanctuary is thus completed, and the symbolic ceremony of transferring the sins of the entire people to the Azazel is now begun. This ceremony is not as awesome as the preceding ritual. There is, in fact, an undercurrent of joy, and the congregation is alive with interest.

The scapegoat has been standing all this time in the same place, and one would think he himself was waiting for the burden of sin to be placed upon him. The High Priest now approaches the goat and lays his hands upon him. As the representative of the Jewish people, he now makes the third confessional, similar to the other two. But this time, instead of pronouncing, "I and my household and the sons of Aaron, Thy holy tribe," he says, "Thy people, the House of Israel." The High Priest faces the sanctuary throughout the three confessionals. But, as he pronounces the concluding words, "before the Lord ye shall be clean," he turns and faces the people as he recites, "Ye shall be clean."

Again the worshippers prostrate themselves and call out, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom forever and ever." Now comes a lively and interesting scene. Priests lead the scapegoat through a gate of the Temple and hand him over to a priest or Levite who had previously been selected. A great crowd forms about them shouting, "Hurry and go, hurry and go."

The goat is led to a specified spot about ten miles beyond the city, where a precipitous cliff overhangs a ravine. Prior to Yom Kippur, ten booths were erected as stations along the way. Food and drink is available in each booth for the escorter of the scapegoat, for he may break his fast if the journey weakens him. But he never does break his fast. A group of Jews escort him from the Temple to the first booth, and in each booth there is somebody to meet him and escort him to the next booth. He is not escorted, however, all the way to the cliff, his escort stopping and watching from afar.

When man and goat come to the cliff, the red sash is removed from the goat's horns and divided in two. One part is attached to the cliff and the other half tied to the horns of the goat, which is then pushed over the cliff, life passing out of him as he falls into the ravine.

The news that the scapegoat is in the wilderness is quickly brought to the High Priest. Meanwhile, he has sacrificed the young bull and the second goat on the altar; he now begins the reading of the Torah.

The Torah Reading...The Yom Kippur service is almost, but not quite, completed. There are various items the High Priest must still attend to. First he chants with great pomp those portions of the Pentateuch that deal with Yom Kippur. This takes place in the synagogue which is in the Temple.

The sexton of the synagogue presents the Torah-scroll to the head of the synagogue; he presents it to the High Priest's understudy who, in turn, presents it to the High Priest. The High Priest reads two portions of Leviticus from the scroll. He reads and the congregation listens attentively, reflecting on how fine the words sound as they are chanted by the High Priest.

He rolls the scroll together and, holding it to his heart, he says to the congregation, "Much more than this, that I have read to you, is inscribed here." He then recites the portion of the Book of Numbers that he learned by heart, says eight benedictions, and the ceremony of the reading of the Torah is complete.

The Service Ends...The High Priest then washes his hands and feet, doffs the white linen garments, bathes himself, dons the golden robes, again washes his hands and feet, and offers the Musaf (the additional) sacrifice for Yom Kippur. Again he washes his hands and feet, removes his golden robes, bathes himself, puts on the white robes, washes his hands and feet again, and enters the Holy of the Holies for the last time to remove the fire-pan and ladle.

This concludes the special Yom Kippur service. But the High Priest has further duties. He now performs the regular service which is performed daily in the Temple, toward sunset. For this he again goes through the washing and bathing process, changing back to the gold robes, washes his hands and feet again and enters the anteroom, where he burns the incense on the golden altar and lights the lamps of the Menorah.

Now the High Priest's work is really ended for the day. For the last time he washes, changes his golden robes for everyday clothing, and sets out for his home. But not alone. A crowd of people escort him, pushing and shoving for the honor of walking close to him.

Towards Evening...All is lively and joyous on the streets of Jerusalem. People go about, light of heart after the fast, and prepare themselves for the joyous holiday of Sukkos.Every household is festive. But the greatest festivity takes place at the home of the High Priest. A group of priests of the higher caste and the aristocrats of the city have come to greet him. The house is full, and all partake of a luxurious feast, and frolic till late in the night.

After the Destruction...The destruction of the second Temple brought an end to the Yom Kippur service as practiced in the Temple, with its symbolic rituals of forgiveness. But Yom Kippur did not lose its importance in Jewish life. Even before the Temple was destroyed, Yom Kippur no longer depended entirely on the High Priest and the special service he had conducted in the sanctuary.

Had Yom Kippur remained a holiday on which the High Priest alone begged forgiveness for the sins of the people, it would never have survived the destruction of the Temple. But Yom Kippur had already gone through a long period of evolution; the people continually took an ever greater part in the observance of the day. Thus its importance grew outside of the Temple.

It has already been stated that while the Temple still stood, in the last period before its destruction, Yom Kippur had become the Great Day for Jews of the entire world, a day of fasting and prayer in the synagogues. The day continued this character after the destruction of the Temple. There was no longer the special Temple service nor a High Priest to act as intermediary between man and God. But Jews continued to observe the day, without any intermediary, addressing themselves directly to God through prayers and confessions.

Characteristic of the attitude of the Jews in Palestine to Yom Kippur after the destruction of the Temple is the following tale from the Talmud:

Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai, together with his pupil, Rabbi Joshua, once stood gazing at the ruins of the Temple. And Rabbi Joshua said, "Woe to us, that the place where Jews were forgiven for their sins is destroyed." To which Rabban Jochanan answered, "My son, regret it not. We have another medium, just as good, for the forgiveness of sin. It is: Do good to mankind. For it is written: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice."

In this way Jews at the time of the second destruction of Jerusalem were prepared, through their religious ideals, and with the religious ceremonies they had evolved for their homes and the synagogue, to carry on without the Temple service.

But Jews did not forget the Yom Kippur ritual of the Temple and the remembrance of it forms the most interesting part of the Yom Kippur services. The order of the Temple ceremonial is recited, and made dramatic and vivid in rendition by the cantor and the congregation. The three confessionals of the High Priest are recited, the sprinkling of the blood is counted, the congregation prostrates itself, and in its thoughts, relives the ceremonial of Yom Kippur in the Temple.

The religious content of the day became so profound, and the synagogue ritual became so rich, that Yom Kippur remained till this very day the greatest day in the Jewish year.