Yom Kippur Just a Day of Fasting?

What did Yah truly mean by His people afflicting their souls on Yom Kippur? Was He commanded us to engage in just a fast? 

Turns out that Abba requires more from us on Yom HaKippurim than just a full day of not eating and drinking.

Afflicting One’s Soul Means What Exactly?

Yah commands us to afflict our souls on Yom Kippur. And we find in the Tanach that our Ancient Jewish cousins were indeed faithful in doing the required fast on this set-apart day each year. However, Yah was clearly not satisfied with their obligatory fasts. Yah in fact required that their, and by extension us today, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement soul affliction transcend their obligatory fast.

Although Yah commanded that His people afflict their souls on this set-apart day, His required fast transcends the simple act of fasting. For to afflict one’s soul on Yom Kippur gets him or her to the very heart of this set-apart day. 

It in fact requires/demands that the Child of Yah step out of their comfort zone and into places that may not be familiar to them. Into Kingdom Living.

Yah requires His people to completely die to self, which when done properly and fully is afflicting to the soul. For when we truly afflict our souls by dying to self, it brings discomfort to our souls. And if we’re successful in truly afflicting our souls, we stand the greatest chance of being “at-one-ment” with the Creator of the Universe. 

Afflicting the Soul in the Book of Esther

What does true affliction of one’s soul look like on Yom Kippur?

Well, we find a brilliant example of what it looks like in the Book and story of Esther. For we find therein that our Jewish cousins were facing an existential threat from some of their disgruntled captors. This existential threat led the people, via the leadership of Esther, to afflict their souls for purposes of securing Yah’s salvation from the threat levied against them.

Their affliction involved displaying great anguish; sitting in sackcloth and ashes; crying out to Yah; mmourning; fasting; weeping, and lamenting.

These bore everything in a great appeal to Yah that He stay His wrath and judgment against them.

Afflicting the Soul in Isaiah 58

We find probably the most definitive example of what it means from Yah’s perspective for His people to afflict their souls. 

The Prophet Isaiah/Yeshayahu was sent to Judah to advise them that Abba was not the least bit happy with the substance of their fasts, no doubt the fast they were engaged in on Yom Kippur.  So, instead of punishing them outright, Yah in His grace and mercy provided the nation a pathway to the reason and purpose and heart for which the set-apart day stood for. 

The Prophet provided the people with a number of specific things that would constitute proper affliction of the people’s souls. But the most poignant of those things or elements involved the people dying to their old selves and living according to Yah’s way, and operating with a contrite heart and spirit before Yehovah. 

When is Yom HaKippurim/The Day of ATonement This Year?

If you keep the observational calendar, Yom Kippur will begin for you at sundown on T-ursday, 10/6/2022. If you by chance keep the calculated rabbinic calendar, Yom Kippur for you will begin at sundown on T-esday, 10/4/2022.

Previous Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement Teachings You Might Find to be a Blessing to You

May you have a meaningful and blessed fast beloved.

Shalom