Erev Yom Kippur

Erev Yom Kippur Questions to think about and discuss:

1. What is the custom of Kaporos and why do it on Erev Yom Kippur?
2. Erev Yom Kippur is the ninth of the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Why does it have the shortest selichos in the morning?
3. What lies behind the custom of blessing children on Erev Yom Kippur?
4. The Gemora Rosh Hashana says that whoever eats on Erev Yom Kippur it is like fasting on the ninth and tenth of Tishrei. Why?
5. Why daven mincha with Vidui on Erev Yom Kippur even before the day of Yom Kippur has commenced?
6. The Mishna in Nedorim brings that if a person vows not to eat meat except on Yom Tuv then he can eat meat on Erev Yom Kippur. Why?
7. The Gemora in Pesochim 109a brings that R’ Akiva would tell people to stop learning twice a year: on Erev Pesach and on Erev Yom Kippur. On Erev Yom Kippur so that they could make sure their children ate. Why was this so important?
8. We have many fasts during the year. Why is eating on Erev Yom Kippur the only day before a fast when it is considered a mitzva to eat?
9. On Erev Yom Kippur there is the idea of asking forgiveness from other Jews. Why specifically then?
10. There is a special need to go to the mikva on Erev Yom Kippur. Why?
11. What is the seuda hamafsekes, the last meal eaten on Erev Yom Kippur?
12. When is the most dangerous time on Erev Yom Kippur?

Ideas for answers on Erev Yom Kippur:

3. Perhaps the idea is like seen in halacha that before a person goes on a journey they should visit tzadikim and get brochos to safely return. So too before Yom Kippur when our fate for the next year will be decided we look for brochos from older people to help us with a good new year.
4. By eating before the fast it demonstrates a person’s happiness for the coming of the day of Yom Kippur when his sins are forgiven. Another reason is that usually on Yom Tuv we have a festive meal. Since we do not want to lose it the meal of Yom Kippur that we cannot do due to fasting, therefore we have the meal on Erev Yom Kippur. Another idea is that the food is to provide us with strength for the fast and doing teshuva and therefore it’s assistance is considered as part of the fast. (Rabbeinu Yona in Shaarei Teshuva 4:8-10)
5. This is only as a precaution to make sure a person has at least one Vidui in case chas visholom anything happens afterwards.
7. We see from here the importance of the fasting of Yom Kippur. It is the only fast that does not have the leniencies of the other fasts where weaker people are exempt but rather they can eat in small quantities if they must. To show this, they stressed the need to eat on Erev Yom Kippur to prevent the need to break the fast on Yom Kippur.
8. R’ Moshe Sternbuch brings that usually all fasts come as affliction and therefore any eating is to give strength to assist this for the person’s own benefit. However, the fasting of Yom Kippur is to cease eating. This is only possible if a person eats before the fast. Therefore only on Erev Yom Kippur before the fast is it a mitzva to eat.
9. Yom Kippur only forgives for sins done between man and Hashem. However, the sins between man and his fellow need to be rectified by the people. Since we want a wholesome purity in all areas, the custom is to gain this forgiveness on Erev Yom Kippur so that on Yom Kippur the sins between man and Hashem will also be forgiven making people totally forgiven in all areas.
10. There are two main reasons given to go to the mikva. Either for removing tuma of keri. Or for purifying oneself as part of the teshuva process. The difference between these reasons is how many times to immerse in the water. For keri once is enough while for teshuva then it should be done three times and all the stringencies applied to a woman before the mikva would also apply to the men.
11. The last meal eaten on Erev Yom Kippur is called the separating meal. It separates between the day of eating and the coming day of fasting on Yom Kippur.
12. Ever seen a candle just before it goes out? It suddenly gets much stronger and then goes out. We are told that the Soton’s powers are stopped on Yom Kippur (Gemora Yuma 20a). Just before his powers are taken away by the last moments of Erev Yom Kippur this is when he strengthens himself to cause the most damage! (see Elef Hamogen (619:19)). Therefore, the Rivash says that at this time, the last moments of Erev Yom Kipper, the person must arouse himself to cry and repent. This explains why during this time, people recite the Tefillas Zake which does just this – it causes us to repent and cry!