Yom Kippur Schedule

Friday, October 7 (Erev Yom Kippur)

  • 06:40 am – Selichot
  • 06:50 am – Shacharit
  • 02:30 pm – Mincha – Please make every effort to be at shul for the early Mincha.
  • 05:45 pm – 2nd Mincha – If there are not ten men at the second Mincha early enough to finish the service on time, the second Mincha minyan will be suspended, and anyone who has not yet davened mincha will have to do so individually.

Note: Kol Nidre will begin promptly at 6:00 pm!

  • 05:57 pm – Candle lighting – For those unable to light at home, candles will be available at the shul. We are not permitted to light candles after sunset, at 6:16 pm.
  • 06:00 pm – Kol Nidre
  • 06:16 pm – Yom Kippur Begins

Saturday, October 8 (Shabbat Yom Kippur)

  • 08:00 am – Shacharit
  • 11:30 am – Yizkor
  • 04:20 pm – Mincha
  • 05:50 pm – Ne’ilah
  • 07:05 pm – Ma’ariv
  • 07:05 pm – Fast Ends

Everyone should remain for the Ma’ariv service. Kiddush Levana will follow ma’ariv. Everyone is invited for a light break-fast following kiddush levana.

Schedule for the Week of October 9 – 12

Shacharit

  • 08:00 am – Sunday
  • 06:40 am – Monday
  • 06:50 am – Tuesday and Wednesday

Mincha

  • 05:50 pm – Sunday – Tuesday

Ma’ariv

  • 06:20 pm – Sunday – Tuesday

The schedule for Sukkot will be published next week.

To print this schedule, click here to go directly to the post, and then press ctrl-P (Windows) or cmd-P (Mac) to print it.

Weekly Words of Torah

Snow White

Insights into the Yom Kippur of an alumnus of Yeshiva Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

When the goat that was sent to the wilderness (Sa’ir La’Azazel) was thrown of the cliff a string in the Beit HaMikdash experienced an interesting phenomenon. The string was colored red-if the repentance (Teshuva) of the Jewish People was accepted, the string turned white; if G-d forbid not, it remained red. A verse from the Prophet Yeshayahu (1:18) is quoted to support this: “If your sins are as red as a scarlet string they will turn white as snow; if they are as red as a snail, they will appear as wool”.

The Talmud Yerushalmi (Masechet Shabbat 9:3)questions why two phrases are required to convey one point (red=sin; white=spiritual purity). It replies that the first phrase refers to the era of the First Beit HaMikdash; the latter phrase to the time of the Second Beit HaMikdash. Which begs the question- how is each phrase directly relevant to that time period?

Quoting the gemara in Masechet Yoma (9b), the Meshech Chochma illustrates the essential difference between the two Batei Mikdash. While the sins that led to the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash were quite severe (idolatry, sexual misconduct, bloodshed)-they were external problems. Deep down, we honored the Torah and loved fellow Jews (Ahavat Yisrael). Thus, King Achav refused to relinquish the Torah to the King of Ammon (despite being threatened- Sefer Melachim I 23:9), while the Jewish People in that era refrained from slander (Talmud Yerushalmi Masechet Peah 1:1) and protected the Prophet Eliahu from the state sponsored assassins of Jezebel (Melachim I 18:22). Thus in essence- our hearts were in the right place.

In the Second Beit HaMikdash the converse was the case. Externally we were engaged in Torah and fulfilled Mitzvoth. However, we were guilty of baseless hatred- sinat chinam. The core was rotten.

The first phrase refers to a white string that is colored red- inherently the string is pure. The red coloring occurred via an external action. Because it is inherently white, upon cleaning it is possible to become snow white. This accurately depicts the era of the First Beit HaMikdash which internally was pure. 70 years after the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and subsequent exile we returned to The Land and built the Second Beit HaMikdash. Correcting external problems is (relatively) easy.

A snail is red due to its blood- an inherent reality. The wool of sheep is white- but not remarkably so. In the Second Beit HaMikdash the internal status of Jewry was in an inferior state. To perform teshuva for a dismal internal state is quite difficult- at times a level of not-perfect purity is all what can be achieved.

May we strive for, and achieve, purifying our inner and external states. “Return us Hashem towards You, let us renew our days of old!”.