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286 Atonement, Day of

lie

was

friends,

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

home and congratulated by his was wont to enterevening at a feast. Mirth was indulged people in general; the young men and

escorted

whom

tain in the in by the

in turn the priest

maidens enjoyed themselves by dancing in the vineyards (Ta'anit iv. 8).

The Day rificial

lief

of Atonement is the keystone of the sacsystem of post-exilic Judaism. In the be-

that the great national misfortunes of the past

were due to the people's sins, the Jews of post-exilic imes strove to bring on the Messianic period of redemption by strictly and minutely guarding against i

manner of sin. The land being denied by the sin of the people, the pollution must be removed lest the Divine Presence withdraw from among them. all

Hence the sacrificial system with its Place in sin- and guilt-offerings. While proPost-Exilic vision was made for the expiation of Judaism, the wrong-doings of individuals by private offerings, the public sacrifices

atoned for the sins of the community. Especially dangerous seemed the errors unwittingly committed (Ps. xix. 13). On the Day of Atonement such sins as may not have been covered by the various private and public expiatory sacrifices were to be disposed of by a general ceremony of expiation. In this

286

accused, and plead their cause before the august tribunal. The sounds of the " shofar " are intended to confuse Satan (R.

Ii. 16*). There is, indeed, in heaven a book wherein the deeds of every human being are minutely entered (Abot ii. 1, hi. 16; abook of record, " book of remembrance, " is alluded to, Mai. iii. 16). Three books are opened on the first day of the year, says the Talmud (R. H. 166); one for the thoroughly wicked, another for the thoroughly pious, and the third for the large intermediate class. The fate of the thoroughly wicked and the thoroughly pious is determined on the spot; the destiny of the intermediate class is suspended until the Day of Atonement, when the fate of every man is sealed (R. II. 16r/). In the liturgical piece "Unetanneh Tokef," ascribed to R. Amnon of Mayence

(Zunz, "Literaturgesch."p. 107), a is

weirder scene

still

unfolded

"God, seated on His throne to judge the world, at the same time Judge, Pleader, Expert, and Witness, openeth the Book of Records it is read, every man's signature being found therein. The great trumpet is sounded a still, small voice is heard ; the angels shudder, saying, this is the day of judgment for His very ministers are not pure before God. As a shepherd mustereth his flock, causing them to pass under his rod, so doth God cause every living soul to pass before Him to fix the limit of every creature's life and to foreordain its destiny. On New- Year's Day the decree is written on the Day of Atonement it is sealed







elaborate ceremonial, as described, the ordinary rites of the sin-offering are to be discerned in an intensified form. In every sacrifice there is the idea of substitution; the victim takes the place of the human sinner. The laying of hands upon the victim's head is

an ordinary

rite

by which the substitution and the

transfer of sins are effected



on the Day of Atone-

ment the animal laden with the people's

sins

was

sent abroad (compare the similar rite on the recovery of a leper, Lev. xiv. 7; see Azazei,). The sprinkling of the blood is essential to all sin-offerings. By

dipping his finger in the victim's blood and applying it to a sacred object like the altar, the priest reestablishes the union between the people that he represents and the Deity. In rabbinic Judaism the Day of Atonement completes the penitential period of ten days (iq< JTIB'J? CDICTI) that begins with New -Year's Place in. Day, the season of repentance and Rabbinic prayer; for though prayerful humiliaJudaism. tion be acceptable at all times, it is peculiarly potent at that time (R. H.ISk;

who

shall live and who are to die, etc. and charity may avert the evil decree."

But penitence, prayer,

All depends on whether a man's merits outweigh the demerits put to his account (Maimonides, " Yad, Teshubah, iii. 3). It is therefore desirable to multi-

ply good deeds before the final account on the Day Atonement (ib. iii. 4). Those that are found worthy are entered in the Book of Life (Ex. xxxii. 32 Isa. iv. 3 Ps. lxix. 29 [A. V. 28] Dan. xii. 1 see Charles, "Book of Enoch," pp. 131-133). Hence the prayer: "Enter us in the Book of Life" (1J3ri3, "inscribe us"; but IJOnn, "seal us," that is, "seal our fate " in the closing prayer on the Day of Atonement). Hence also the formula of salutation on New-Year's Eve: "May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] for a happy year." In letters written between New- Year and the Day of Atonement, the writer usually concludes by wishing the recipient that God may seal his fate for happiness (miD riDTin IDJ)- Thus, in late Judaism, features that were originally peculiar to New-Year's Day of







—

were transferred to the Day of Atonement. The bethat on the first day of the year the destiny of

Maimonides," Yad," Teshubah, ii. 6). It is customary to rise early (commencing a few days before NewYear); the morning service is preceded by litanies and

lief

petitions of forgiveness (DirivD, "selihot") which,

of the year (" rish shatti ") and decide the fate of one's life (Schrader, "K. B." iii., second div., 14 et

on the Day of Atonement, are woven into the liturgy (Shulhan 'Aruk, Orah Hayyim, 581; Zunz, "S. P." New- Year's and Atonement days are 76 et seq.). days of serious meditation (D'WO DW, "awful days," Zunz, "S. P." 83, note). The former is the annual day of judgment (pil DV), when all creatures pass in review before the searching eye of OmnisAccording to the Targum, the cience (R. H. i. 2). day of the heavenly session in Job i. 6 et seg. was no other than the first of the year (xnc W~, resh shatta see also Zohar Ex. 32b, ed. Wilna, 1882). Accordingly, the Divine Judge receives on that day the report of Satan, arch-fiend and accuser in heaven the other angels, it is presumed, are friendly to the

all

human beings was fixed was also that of the AsMarduk is said to come at the beginning

syrians.

seq.).

The Day of Atonement survived the cessation of " Though no sacthe sacrificial cult (in the year 70). rifices be offered, the day in itself ef-

Rabbinic fects atonement " (Sifra, Emor, xiv.). Aspects of Yet both Sifra and the Mishnah teach Atonethat the day avails nothing unless ment. repentance be coupled with it (Yoma viii. 8). Repentance was the indispensable condition for all the various means of atonement. Repentance must unquestionably accompany a guilt- or sin-offering (Lev. v. 5 Maimonides, " Yad, Teshubah, i. 1). Penitent confession was a requisite