Erev Yom Kippur

These Halachos of Erev Yom Kippur are based on the rulings of the Mishna Berura (MB) reflecting Ashkenazi practice.

The Mitzvah to Eat on Erev Yom Kippur

• There is a mitzva from the Torah to eat on Erev Yom Kippur and to eat more than one normally would; some Rishonim explain that this is in order to help us prepare for the fast the following day.
• Consequently, it is forbidden to fast on Erev Yom Kippur. (SA 604:1, MB 1, Dirshu 1, SH 1)
• There is a dispute amongst the poskim whether this mitzva applies only during the daytime of Erev Yom Kippur or even the nighttime at the start of the day (Dirshu 604:10, PT 1).
• Types of food one should eat: Over the course of the day one should only eat foods which are easily digested, so that one doesn’t enter Yom Kippur feeling overly full which can lead to a sense of complacency and haughtiness. (SA 608:4, MB 18)
  • Some have the practice to eat poultry on Erev Yom Kippur morning and there is also a custom to eat fish in the morning (MB 608:16, Dirshu 28, PT 4)
  • Foods with lasting sweet taste: In the run up to the fast one should not eat sweet foods that leave a lasting sweet taste in one’s mouth, such as liquorice,  so one does not come to swallow this sweet taste with one’s saliva on the fast (MB 90:45).

Changes to Davening

• Selichos: We say a shortened selichos, and only say viduy once (not three times as on other days of Selichos).
• Mizmor lesoda is omitted from pesukei dezimra, as this corresponds to the Korban Todah which could not be brought on Erev Yom Kippur (as this would limit the time it could be eaten given one cannot eat it that night). Similarly, one who is accustomed to do so does not recite the parshiyos of private Korbanos (eg parshas Chatas etc), which were also not brought on Erev Yom Kippur.
• Avinu malkeinu is omitted, unless Yom Kippur is on Shabbos, in which case Avinu Malkeinu is said on Erev Yom Kippur morning, but not at mincha.
• Tachanun is omitted on Erev Yom Kippur, as we treat this day somewhat like a Yom Tov (though it is said at the Mincha before Erev Yom Kippur).
• ‘Lamenatzeiach…’ before Uva Letzion is similarly omitted as it talks of ‘yom tzara’, a day of distress (SA 604:2, MB 3-5, SHT 12, SH 9, R 602:1).
• Viduy is said at Mincha in the private Amidah but not chazaras haShatz, as we will iyH outline (SA 607:1, MB 3).

Going to Mikvah – Tevilah

• Tevilah: the custom is to go mikva on Erev Yom Kippur. One may go to mikva at any point in the day, though it is optimal to do so before Mincha, as at Mincha when one will say the first viduy. Some, however, have the practice to go after the Seudah Hamafsekes (SA 606:4, MB .17-18, 21)
• Who goes: The custom originally was for both single and married men and women to go to mikva on Erev Yom Kippur. Nowadays, single women generally do not do so (MB 606:17, PT 8). It also seems that many married women similarly do not.
• Purpose: Two reasons are offered for this tevilah – to purify one from Tumas Keri (impurity that derives from a seminal emission), like the tevilah done on Erev Rosh Hashana, or as an act of teshuva. Even according to the first reason, one should still do tevilah on Erev Yom Kippur even if one did so on Erev Rosh Hashana and had no emission of semen since then.
  • Those acting based on the latter reason dip in the mikva 3 times rather than once. Some also say viduy, though it is better to wait to do so until Mincha as it is forbidden to mention Hashem’s name when one’s head is uncovered and one is unclothed (as is the case in the mikvah) and we are concerned people will say the standard text of viduy which includes Hashem’s name (R 606:4, MB 21, SHT 22).
• Mourners: a mourner sitting Shiva before Yom Kippur has the Shiva cancelled by Yom Kippur. They may therefore wash themselves off and then dip in the mikva an hour or two before Yom Kippur. A mourner in the Shloshim period may similarly do so , even though the custom is not to wash during this period, as this is being done for mitzva purposes (R 606:4, MB 26).
• If a man is unable to go to mikvah, there is a procedure known as ‘Pouring 9 Kav’ that he can do instead – see our treatment of this in relation to the Halachos of Erev Rosh Hashana here.

Seudah Hamafsekes – the Meal before Yom Kippur

• Seudah Hamafsekes: The final meal eaten before Yom Kippur is known as the Seudah Hamafsekes.
  • The practice is to avoid eating certain foods out of concern they may lead to a male becoming a ‘ba’al keri,’ (due to a nocturnal seminal emission, as tevila [which we do before Yom Kippur so that one is not a ba’al keri] is forbidden on Yom Kippur) including spicy foods, fine wine, garlic, eggs and milky products which have milk as the primary ingredients (these aren’t eaten all afternoon, even not at the seudah hamafsekes; whereas eg having a coffee with some milk may be acceptable).
• Poultry: The custom is to eat poultry at the seudah hamafsekes rather than meat as it is easier to digest. (MB 608:18, Dirshu 27)
• Bread: The widespread custom is to eat bread at the Seudah Hamafsekes and some even take Lechem Mishna (ie they make hamotzi over two loaves) (PT 604:2).

---

Enjoying these Halachos? Explore our Halachos in other areas such as Hilchos Shabbos, for example the Halachos of Care of One’s Body

---

Kaparos (Kaparot) on Erev Yom Kippur

• Kapparos: some have the custom to do Kapparos on Erev Yom Kippur, or in the day or two preceding this (if using chickens, which the poskim advised to avoid the risk of the shochtim being rushed on Erev Yom Kippur which may lead to the shechita being performed improperly, rendering the slaughtered animal a ‘neveila’ which may not be) (R 605:1, MB 2).
• Symbolism: The symbolism of the kapparos, which the one should have in mind when performing them, is ‘what is being done to this chicken was due to befall me, but through my teshuva Hashem should remove the decree from me and so-to-speak it should befall this chicken instead.’ (MB 2)
• The custom is as follows:
  • What to take: A rooster is taken for each male and a hen for each female in the family; for a pregnant woman a hen and rooster is taken to cover her and her foetus (if male, it is covered by the rooster, and if female it is covered by the mother’s hen, though some take two hens and a rooster to cover them separately). (R 605:1, MB 3)
    • Only if easily available, white chickens are used (to reflect the passuk ‘אם יהיו חטאיכם כשני כשלג ילבינו’’ ‘if your sins are as crimson they should be white like snow’), though one shouldn’t go to effort to specifically find white ones (R 606:1, MB 4)
    • If chickens aren’t available, other kosher animals such as geese should be used, though one may not use animals that could be used as Korbanos (to not appear as if one is making Korbanos outside the Beis Hamikdash). Some even say one can use fish (MB 4).
    • Some use money rather than birds for this purpose (MB 2)
  • Swinging over the head: The selected item (bird, money etc as above) is swung around the head of each person, whilst they say ‘zeh chalifasi, temurasi, kaparasi’ – ‘this is my exchange, my substitute and my atonement’ (MB 3)
  • Slaughtering: If a bird was used it is then immediately slaughtered. Some place their hands on the chicken before it is slaughtered, as would be done by a korban (others do not do so precisely for this reason, so it doesn’t look like one is making a korban).
  • Tzedaka: The custom is to give the meat, or preferably its value (so the recipient doesn’t feel he is so-to-speak being given the donor’s sins), to a poor person, reflecting the Passuk in Daniel (4:25) ‘וחטאך בצדקה פרק’ – ‘redeem your sin with charity’. If its value is being given, this shouldn’t be given from Maaser (Tzedaka) money.
    • If money was used for the kapparos, this is given directly to tzedakah.
  • The innards: the innards of the chicken are customarily thrown for the birds to eat. There are two possible symbolisms within this:
    • Chickens (particularly when they used to be kept domestically) were known to eat from food which didn’t belong to their owners; throwing away their innards thus symbolizes and emphasizes the importance of distancing oneself from gezel, theft.
    • It displays compassion by feeding the birds, which acts as a merit that Hashem should show compassion to us. (SA 605:1, MB 2-6, 8-9, Dirshu 18).

Lashes – Malkos

• Malkos: After mincha on Erev Yom Kippur, some have the practice to be given 39 lashes (malkos). This is done gently and with a thin strap made from cow leather. These lashes are not meant to act as the biblical punishment of malkos as Batei Din nowadays do not have authority to administer these; rather this is done to arouse one to do teshuva.(SA 607:6, MB 17-18, 20, PT 5)
  • The one receiving lashes stands bent, facing north. The Taz explains this reflects the passuk in Iyov 37:22,  מצפון זהב יאתה – from the north comes gold, and as people primarily sin due to money, by facing north one acknowledges that this is the source of one’s sins. (R 607:6, MB21).
• Viduy: the one receiving lashes says viduy (ashamti, bagadti etc) three times whilst being whipped, whist the one administering the lashes says the verse from Tehillim (78:38)  ‘והוא רחום יכפר עוון…’ ‘and He is merciful and will atone for sin…’ three times, which totals 39 words, corresponding to the 39 lashes (R 607:6, MB 19).