Yom Kippur Caution

[Webers_Home]

.
To everyone who has Jewish friends: do NOT wish for them a pleasant
holiday for Yom Kippur because Lev 16:29-31, Lev 16:31, Lev 23:27, and
Lev 23:32 doesn't allow them to be cheerful and/or feel good about
themselves on that day. It's actually a day to despise one's self, i.e. regard
one's self as loathsome and despicable, viz: a day to afflict oneself; which
Webster's defines as causing distress so severely as to cause persistent
suffering and/or anguish.

It is both illegal and curse-worthy for Jews to be joyous at any time on the
day of Yom Kippur.

• Lev 23:29 . . For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that
same day, he shall be cut off from among his people

• Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this
law by carrying them out.

NOTE: Yom Kippur is an unusual holy day. It's primary purpose is not only to
remind the people that they are unsavory in God's sight, but also to remind
them that their sins are still on the books, pending justice; and hanging over
their heads like a sword of Damocles.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's
forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of
Atonement?

A: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one thing:
there's no one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a Temple
nor a fully functioning Levitical priesthood on duty in Jerusalem at this time.
In point of fact, neither of those two essential elements of the Day of
Atonement have been in Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst of
it.

There is a special goat involved in Yom Kippur commonly called a scapegoat,
which Webster's defines as a person who is unfairly blamed for something
that others have done; in other words: a fall guy. But that does not quite
accurately define Yom Kippur's special goat. It's actually an escaping goat;
viz: a fugitive; here's why.

It's a biblical axiom that the soul that sins, it shall die, i.e. the wages of sin
is death (Ezek 18:20, Rom 6:23). Well; the special goat is allowed to live
rather than executed, so justice for the worshippers' sins remain pending.

FAQ: What about the other animal? Doesn't its death satisfy justice for the
people?

A: The second animal's purpose is strictly hygiene, viz: it sanitizes the
people sufficiently for worship purposes; but does nothing towards obtaining
absolution for them.

NOTE: Leaving a goat out in a wilderness place to fend for itself isn't a death
sentence. No; far from it. Goats are survivors. They can get by in
environments that quite a few other species would find quite disagreeable.
And though the Jews were in a wilderness place during their wanderings,
there was vegetation enough to nourish the herds. (Ex 34:3)
_