Tefillah – prayer and kapparah – atonement

The word “tefillah” is commonly translated as “prayer”. As we fast on Yom Kippur that also has the similar status to Shabbat we do little else; it is the only day in the year when we have five prayer services. Even with this year’s late end to Ne’ilah, due to daylight saving time, we will spend most of the daytime in prayer. 

Yet the word tefillah is not derived from a Hebrew root with connotations of speech (i.e. talking to God) but from p’l’l’, a word for judgement (“venatan bif’lilim – and he shall pay according to the judges”, Shemot 21:22). Prayer is a form of self-judgement and reflection as much as it is a verbal expression of the relationship between a person and God. In that context there is much to reflect upon during the long hours of the Yom Kippur services.

One of the most striking elements of the Yom Kippur service is the emphasis on vidui – confession. Confession in Jewish tradition is very different from its connotation in the world around us. Perhaps under the influence of the well-known Catholic practice, the plain meaning of “confession” is an individual and personalised process associated with an individual telling another what sin or crime s/he has committed. Compare that to our process on Yom Kippur. Everyone knows “ashamnu” and “al chet” – we recite in unison a lengthy list of sins (arranged according to the aleph bet) that we ourselves hopefully have not committed. 

Why? Because although on Yom Kippur there is certainly a place for the individual to reflect on his/her deeds during the year, the emphasis as we come together is on the individual as part of a nation. 

What we may have done as individuals impacts on others; all Israel is responsible for one another. We confess each other’s sins – and each of us has a joint responsibility to our fellow human being.