Short Article on Laws (Halachot) of Yom Kippur

[muman613]

Shalom... Tomorrow night is the beginning of the Yom Kippur holiday. It is odd that Yom Kippur falls on a Shabbat as normally we do not fast on Shabbat (pushing a fast day off till Sunday). But when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat the fast is still observed. This is because the nature of the Fast of Yom Kippur compared to the other fast days.

Another (although less concerning) thing to note is that this year our Holiday falls out on Friday the 13th. While the day Friday the 13th has no significance from a Jewish perspective (and since it is only the 13th in the sense of the Christian calendar) it is still interesting to note...



http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/13826#.UjIv-XVDsjg

Judaism: Laws for Yom Kippur that Occurs on Shabbat
Published: Thursday, September 12, 2013 11:16 PM
Rabbi Efrati takes us from the week of preparation for the fast through the fast itself, summarizing the halakhot.


Preparing for Yom Kippur:

It is a positive commandment from the Torah to do Teshuva (repent) before G-d via confession (vidui) of the things we have done wrong and to express regret.  We should also take upon ourselves never to commit those sins again (Deuteronomy 30, Rambam Laws of Repentance).

For transgressing commandments, mitzvot, that are between man and G-d, one must confess to Hashem and not  detail one's wrongdoings to other people (Tractate Yoma 86). For transgressing mitzvot that are between man and his fellow man, one must confess and apologize to the person wronged as well as confess and apologize to Hashem.

If you have hurt your friend and your friend is unaware of it, for example, if you spoke Lashon Hara, gossiped,  about him, if the friend will not be hurt any further by knowing of the sin, you should apologize to him.  If you think that your friend will be insulted and hurt by knowing what you have done, do not ask him for forgiveness (ממשמעות המג"א תר'ו, וכסברת ר' ישראל סלנט).

It is best to be stringent when it comes to Kashrut during the Ten Days of Repentance, Aseret Yemei Teshuva. For example, you should refrain from eating bread and milk from a gentile source. This also goes for those who are more lenient about this on all other days of the year (ראבי"ה בשם ירושלמי שבת פ"ג).

Erev Yom Kippur:

'Kapparot' – Many of the big poskim have decided that it is best not to engage in the practice of Kapparot as there might be some suggestion of idolatry (רמב"ן ורשב"א בשו"ת ח"א שצה, וכן בשו"ע תרה).  Nevertheless, it is our custom to do Kapparot on a chicken or on money. (It was Rashi's custom to do Kapparot on a vegetable but we should not do it any differently from what we have customarily done. רמ"א ומג"א תרה). One can use a credit card for Kapparot after making a donation with it, by circling it overhead as with money.

Immersing in the Mikve (רא"ש יומא פ"ח כד בשם רס"ג) - We do not say a bracha, blessing, on the immersion (רא"ש שם, שלא כרס"ג).

Eating before the fast:  It is a positive commandment from the Torah to eat as much as you can on this day, especially delicacies (יומא פא, רא"ש שם, שו"ע תרד ומשנ"ב סק"א, ולא כרמב"ם).  There are those who explain that the Torah is trying to make the fast easier for us with food (ב"ח תר"ד).  And there are those who say that Torah is trying to make this day a little harder (ערוה"ש תר"ד).

This year we say the Avinu Malkeinu prayer during the morning service, Shacharit, because the Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbat (רמ"א תר'ד). Mincha is davened early, before the meal called Seudat Mafseket.  During Mincha, Vidui is said during the Silent Prayer, Shmona Esrei, but not during its repetition, Chazarat HaShatz.

We light candles with a blessing  (…shel Shabbat VeYom HaKippurim) and we say Shehechiyanu, as it is written in the Machzor.  In addition, you should light a yahrtzeit candle, so that Havdala is recited on a candle that has been lit all day.

The father (and there are some whose custom is also the mother) bless the sons and daughters, as it is written in the Machzor.  The children are supposed to kiss the parents' hands following this (כתבי האר"י).

Men should wrap themselves in their Tallit before sundown with a Bracha. There is a prevailing custom to wear a kittel so that we appear as the angels do and to remind us of the seriousness of this day (יום המיתה) and encourage us to do Teshuva.

Tefillah Zaka, a long prayer said individually, is said before Kol Nidrei.

It is important to remember that it is Shabbat, and not forget to add the additions to the prayers that are said on Shabbat.

Laws of the Fast:

The fast starts at night (ויקרא כ"ג).

On Yom Kippur, refrain from 5 things: eating and drinking, washing, anointing, wearing leather and marital relations between husband and wife (גמ' יומא, פ"א ה"ד).  According to the Rosh, they are all Rabbinical prohibitions, aside from eating and drinking, but according to the Rambam, they are all prohibitions from the Torah.

You are prohibited from doing any creative work (Melacha) on Yom Kippur (ויקרא כג)

Women who have given birth, are pregnant, are weak or who have difficulty standing, are permitted to wash as they normally do – not for pleasure but for health and cleanliness reasons only (רמב"ם פ"ג ק"ב ערוה"ש תריג ס"ט).

For those who have a hard time fasting, you are permitted to chew flavorless gum on Yom Kippur ((ממשמעות מג"א תקס'ז, וכה"ח החמיר שם אפילו בבליעת רוק  .

Avoid bathing and washing for pleasure (שו"ע תריג) but washing for cleanliness purposes is permitted (ראשונים, מג"א שם סק"א).

Washing for cleanliness which is also pleasurable (for example, washing one's dirty face with warm water) is prohibited  (ממשמעות הרמ"א שם ס"ד).

It is best not to put on deodorant on Yom Kippur. But, if it will disturb you or others greatly if you do not put on deodorant, you can use spray, but not a solid or cream deodorant.

There are those who are stringent and say that it is best not to wear Crocs or Shoresh sandals because of their comfort level (ע"פ שער"ת תקנד סקי"א, ומשנ"ב שם סק"ה), however, according to the law, it is permissible and that is what the custom has become (ערוך השולחן שם ס"ה).

One should avoid touching one's spouse at night, but it is permissible during the daytime. (ט"ז תרטו סק"א, ערוה"ש תרטו ס"א, ושלא כמג"א ומשנ"ב שהחמירו).

If it is necessary, you can bathe your children on Yom Kippur, in tepid water. Take care not to use warm water. (ב"ח ומג"א תרטז סק"א ומשנ"ב שם).

Children who have not yet reached Bar or Bat Mitzvah age do not have to fast, but it is customary to have them fast a little for educational purposes (boys from the age of 12, and girls frome the age of 11 are fasting)  (ב"ח ומג"א ססק"ב).

Those who are exempt from fasting:

A woman who is pregnant, no matter what stage of pregnancy she is in, who experiences severe headaches, is permitted to drink water in 'shiurim', and if that is not enough for her, she may drink a lot.

A pregnant woman who experiences permanent contractions or whose water has broken, can drink without 'shiurim', even if she does not have a headache.

A woman who has given birth 3 days prior to Yom Kippur, is prohibited from fasting (שו"ע תריז ס"ד)

A woman who has given birth seven days prior to Yom Kippur, if she or her doctor feel she must eat, she is permitted to eat in 'Shiurim'. If that is not enough, she is permitted to eat as she chooses. (שבת קכט. ושו"ע תריז ס"ד)

A woman who is nursing and worried that she will not have enough milk because of the fast, is permitted to drink in 'Shiurim' (תורת היולדת בשפ חזו"א), There are poskim that say to be stringent the child is willing to drink formula (שו"ת אז נדברו ח"ט ט).

A sick person who is in danger (חולה בסכנה) can eat and drink immediately, as well as someone whose classification of sick and in danger is doubted. This person does not have to go around searching for a Rabbi to ask whether or not he is permitted to eat.  He should eat right away. (ויקרא יח, יומא פב, שו"ע תריח ס"ח)

A sick person who is not in danger but feels that because of the fast, he might become in danger, is permitted to eat in 'Shiurim'. (שו"ע תריח ס"א)

Whoever eats and drinks in "Shiurim" should eat the volume of a matchbox every seven minutes (ערוה"ש תריח סי"ד), and should drink the amount of less than one cheek –full   (שו"ע תריח ס"ז) on average a fifth of a disposable cup.

It is preferable to eat foods that are sweet and healthy. In a case where eating /drinking in Shiurim every 7 minutes is not enough (שעת הדחק) one can do so every 4 minutes. If there is a need to drink more (drink only) one can drink in Shiurim in 1minute intervals this is still belter than drinking as usual. כשיטת) הרמב"ם שביה"ע פ"ב, וב"י תרי'ב- כרביעית הלוג)

A sick person who is not in danger is permitted to take medication (pills) without water (אג"מ או"ח ח"ג צ"א).

A sick person who is not in danger must fast normally.  This includes people who experience regular headaches, general weakness, and other such symptoms.  If in doubt, ask one of the doctors in your neighborhood.

One who eats on Yom Kippur does not make Kiddush (even though it is also Shabbat), but he should add Retze and Yaale VeYavo during benching (שו"ע תריח ס"י).  One who eats on Yom Kippur is permitted to receive Aliyot LaTorah except for Maftir and Mincha (שו"ת רעק"א סכ"ד).

Yom Kippur

In the morning, wash up to the knuckles (תו'ס יומא עז).

Cohanim wash normally during Shacharit.  If they have stayed clean, they do not have to wash hands again for Mussaf (ע"פ ערוה"ש תריג ס"ד בשם רמב"ם)..  But, during Neila, Cohanim must wash their hands again as there was a break.

We have been promised by Hashem that Yom Kippur atones for all those who have done Teshuva and that is why it is important to gather your strength and do Teshuva on Yom Kippur, even if it is difficult.

One who feels that the fast is difficult for him and feels that he cannot continue to daven, should lie down and not break his fast, even if it means that he will not daven with a minyan or will not daven at all.

If a woman sees that the fast is extremely difficult for her, her husband is exempted from davening with a Minyan and must assist her so that she will lie down, fast, and not exert too much energy.  The same goes for men who find it difficult to fast.

Ending the Fast

During the evening prayer, Arvit, following the fast, say "Ata Chonantanu".

Havdala is done on a candle that has been lit the entire holiday and the regular Havdala that is said every Saturday night should be said.

Kiddush Levana should be said even though you haven't yet eaten, as we are joyous that we have been atoned of our sins. אחרונים

After the holiday is over, it is customary to do an action that is connected to constructing theSukka, even if it is only a symbolic gesture(ערוה"ש, גר"א) and to eat with joy. (רמ"א תרכד ס"ה)

Shacharit on the following day begins a few minutes earlier than usual. (משנ"ב תרכד סי"ד)

[edu]

Here is another article on the ABCs of Yom Kippur to supplement what was brought above
http://www.aish.com/h/hh/yom-kippur/guide/ABCs-of-Yom-Kippur.html
ABCs of Yom Kippur
Guidelines for the holiest day of the Jewish year – the Day of Atonement.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons         
Following the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people. Finally on Yom Kippur, atonement was achieved and Moses brought the second set of Tablets down from Mount Sinai.
From that day forward, every Yom Kippur carries with it a special power to cleanse our mistakes (both individually and collectively) and to wipe the slate clean.
This works on two conditions:
(1) We do a process called teshuva – literally "return." Teshuva involves four steps:
Regret – acknowledging that a mistake was made, and feeling regret at having squandered some of our potential.
Cessation – Talk is cheap, but stopping the harmful action shows a true commitment to change.
Confession – To make it more “real,” we admit our mistake verbally, and ask forgiveness from anyone we may have harmed.
Resolution – We make a firm commitment not to repeat the harmful action in the future.
(2) Though the combination of teshuva and Yom Kippur atones for transgressions against God, it does not automatically erase wrongs committed against other people. It is therefore the universal Jewish custom – some time before Yom Kippur – to apologize and seek forgiveness from any friend, relative, or acquaintance whom we may have harmed or insulted over the past year.
Angel for a Day
On Yom Kippur, every Jew becomes like an angel. In the Jewish understanding, angels are completely spiritual beings, whose sole focus is to serve their Creator. The Maharal of Prague explains:
All the mitzvot that God commanded us on [Yom Kippur] are designed to remove, as much as possible, a person's relationship to physicality, until he is completely like an angel.
Just as angels (so to speak) stand upright, so too we spend most of Yom Kippur standing in the synagogue. And just as angels (so to speak) wear white, so too we are accustomed to wear white on Yom Kippur. Just as angels do not eat or drink, so too we do not eat or drink.
This idea even has a practical application in Jewish law: typically, the second verse of the Shema, Baruch Shem, is recited quietly. But on Yom Kippur, it is proclaimed out loud – just like the angels do.
Five Aspects
There are five areas of physical involvement from which we refrain on Yom Kippur:
Eating and drinking
Washing
Applying oils or lotions to the skin
Marital relations
Wearing leather shoes
Throughout the year, many people spend their days focusing on food, work, material possessions (symbolized by shoes) and superficial pleasures (symbolized by anointing). On Yom Kippur, we restore our priorities to what really counts in life.
As Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writes:
On Yom Kippur, the power of the [physical] inclination is muted. Therefore, one's yearning for spiritual elevation reasserts itself, after having lain dormant as a result of sin's deadening effect on the soul. This rejuvenation of purpose entitles a person to special consideration and forgiveness.
Structure of the Day
On Rosh Hashana, the Books of Life and Death are open and God writes who will be granted another year of life. For many, this decision hangs in the balance for nine days until Yom Kippur, when the final decision is sealed. With this in mind, the prayers of Yom Kippur are designed to stir us to mend our ways:
The Yom Kippur prayers begin before sundown with the haunting melody of Kol Nidrei. The Torah scrolls are all removed from the Ark, and the chazzan (cantor) chants the Kol Nidrei prayer three times, each with greater intensity.
The special Yom Kippur Amidah (standing prayer) incorporates the Al-Chet confession of our various mistakes. With each mention of a mistake, we lightly beat our chest with the fist – as if to say that it is our impulses that got the best of us.
The Yizkor service – said in memory of loved ones – is recited following the morning Torah reading.
The lengthy Mussaf service features a recounting of the Yom Kippur rite in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. A highlight was the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies – the only person to do so, this one time a year. The Mussaf service also records how the High Priest would pronounce God's holy name, and in response the assembled Jews would prostrate on the ground. When reaching these passages, we too prostrate ourselves on the ground.
At the Mincha service, we read the Book of Jonah, the biblical story of a prophet who tried to “flee from God” and wound up swallowed into the belly of a huge fish.
While a regular weekday has three prayer services, and Shabbat and holidays have four, Yom Kippur is the only day of the year that has five. This final prayer is called Ne’ilah, literally the “closing of the gates,” which serves as the final chance to ensure that our decree for the year is “sealed” in the Book of Life. At the conclusion of Ne’ilah, the shofar is sounded – one long blast, signifying our confidence in having passed the High Holidays with a good judgment.
The Fast Itself
The Yom Kippur fast begins before sundown, and extends 25 hours until the following nightfall.
During the afternoon hours leading up to Yom Kippur, it is a special mitzvah to eat a festive meal.
For making your fast easier, hydration is the key. Avoid coffee or coke, because caffeine is a diuretic. Heavy coffee drinkers can also avoid the dreaded headache by slowly reducing the amount of consumption over the week leading up to Yom Kippur. (See Aish’s “Guide to an Easy Fast”)
At the festive meal, eat a moderate portion of food so as not to speed up the digestion process. After you complete the festive meal, leave some extra time before sundown to drink.
In Case of Illness
If someone is ill, and a doctor is of the opinion that fasting might pose a life-danger, then the patient should eat or drink small amounts.
The patient should try to eat only about 30 ml (one fluid ounce) and wait nine minutes before eating again. Once nine minutes have passed, one can eat this small amount again, and so on throughout the day.
With drinking, try to drink less than what the Talmud calls "melo lugmav" – the amount that would fill a person's puffed-out cheek. While this amount will vary from person to person, it is approximately 35 ml (just over one fluid ounce) and one should wait nine minutes before drinking again.
How does consuming small amounts make a difference? In Jewish law, an act of "eating" is defined as "consuming a certain quantity within a certain period of time." Otherwise, it's not eating, it's "nibbling" – which although is prohibited on Yom Kippur, there is room to be lenient when one's health is at stake.
The reason for all these technicalities is because eating on Yom Kippur is regarded as one of the most serious prohibitions in the Torah. So while there are leniencies in certain situations, we still try to minimize it.
Note that eating and drinking are treated as independent acts, meaning that the patient can eat and drink together during those nine minutes, and the amounts are not combined.
Click here to receive Aish.com's free weekly email.
Having said all this, if these small amounts prove insufficient to prevent the health danger, the patient may even eat and drink regularly. In such a case, a person does not say Kiddush before eating, but does recite "Grace After Meals," inserting the "ya'aleh veyavo" paragraph.
Now what about a case where the patient's opinion conflicts with that of the doctor? If the patient is certain he needs to eat to prevent a danger to health, then we rely on his word, even if the doctor disagrees. And in the opposite scenario – if the patient refuses to eat despite doctors' warnings – then we persuade the patient to eat, since it is possible that his judgment is impaired due to illness.
Wishing you a meaningful Yom Kippur!

[muman613]

Thanks Edu, as always you bring excellent information. That article reminds me I have to 'wean' myself of my coca-cola habit. I haven't had a problem in several years but sometimes I would get a headache in the middle of the day.