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Category: Appointed Times

Yom Kippur, Fasting with Intention

Tags:  fasting, Yom Kippur

By Toby Janicki

Yom Kippur (or "The Day of Atonement") is synonymous with fasting. For many people in both Jewish and Messianic communities, Yom Kippur is quite possibly the only day of the year on which they fast. Even secular Jews who have strayed from their faith will sometimes fast on Yom Kippur.

The connection of fasting on Yom Kippur for Jews and for those "grafted into" Israel can be likened to Americans eating turkey on Thanksgiving. The two go hand in hand. But, from where does the idea of fasting on Yom Kippur come? And, what exactly does it mean to fast? Or, is there a spiritual reason for fasting?

Yom Kippur in the Torah

The teachings about Yom Kippur are found in three different places in the Torah.1 The matter is stated succinctly in Leviticus 23:27:

On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord.

The commandment to observe Yom Kippur applies to everyone. Traditional interpretation, however, exempts children, pregnant and/or nursing mothers and the physically ill.

The Hebrew phrase for "you shall humble yourselves" in Leviticus 23:27 is 'innah nefesh, which literally means, "afflict your soul." So, how has it become understood that afflicting one's soul means abstaining from food and drink? Because it can be deduced from other texts in the Scriptures. For example in Psalm 35:13 David writes, "I humbled my soul with fasting." We see the same connection again in the book of Isaiah between humbling/afflicting and fasting:

"Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?" Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers. And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness ...

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© 2009 First Fruits of Zion. All rights reserved. We encourage you to share this material with your friends for further personal study. However, This material may not be republished, in print, electronically, or any other form without our prior permission. Adapted from Messiah Magazine #97 .

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