YOM KIPPUR — DAY OF ATONEMENT
7th Month • 10th Day | September 18th, 2026

📖 Wayiqra (Leviticus) 23:27

“Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a Yom Kippur: and it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls…”

Yom Kippur is one of Yahuah’s appointed times, and it is a Shabbath of rest — a complete and solemn rest before Yahuah. 🕊️

📖 Wayiqra (Leviticus)  23:31–32
“Ye shall do no manner of work… It shall be unto you a Shabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls…”

⚠️ IMPORTANT PREPARATION REMINDER

Yom Kippur begins at sundown Thursday, September 17th and continues until sundown Friday, September 18th.

But when Yom Kippur ends Friday evening, we do not return to our normal work.

The weekly 7th-day Shabbat begins immediately at sundown Friday and continues until sundown Saturday, September 19th.

That means we have TWO COMPLETE DAYS OF REST BACK-TO-BACK. 🙌🏾

🔥 PREPARE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH — BEFORE SUNDOWN.

Prepare everything your household will need ahead of time so that there will be:

• 🍽️ No cooking for two days
• 🛑 No work for two days
• 💰 No buying, selling, or ordinary business
• 🧺 No unnecessary preparation that should have been completed beforehand

From sundown Thursday until sundown Saturday, we are entering two consecutive days of rest before Yahuah.

Yom Kippur itself is a day to afflict our souls, humble ourselves, repent, seek Yahuah, and completely cease from our work. 🙏🏾 Then, immediately afterward, we enter into the weekly Shabbat.

So prepare your household before Yom Kippur begins. Whatever food or necessities you will need for the weekly Shabbat should already be prepared and ready before sundown Thursday.

Two days. No work. No cooking. Complete rest. 🕊️

📖 Wayiqra (Leviticus) 16:29–31
📖 Wayiqra (Leviticus) 23:27–32
📖 Bemidbar (Numbers) 29:7–11

“It shall be unto you a Shabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls.”

The History Of Yom Kippuriym

Yovheliym (Jubilees) 34 gives important history behind the 10th day of the 7th month. Yoceph’s brothers sold him, slaughtered a young goat, dipped his garment in the blood, and sent it to Ya’aqov. The news reached Ya’aqov on the 10th day of the 7th month, causing him to grieve deeply for his son.

Yovheliym (Jubilees) 34:18–19 explains that for this reason the children of Yashar’el were ordained to afflict themselves on the 10th day of the 7th month, to grieve over their sins, their transgressions, and their errors, and to seek cleansing before Yahuah once each year.

This is a day of humility, grief over sin, repentance, confession, and being brought low before Yahuah.

Wayiqra (Leviticus) 23 repeatedly commands the children of Yashar’el to “afflict” or “humble” their souls on Yom Kippuriym. The Hebrew word used is:

Strong’s H6031 — anah.

This is why the Brenton Septuagint translates Leviticus 23:27 as “ye shall humble your souls.”

When Scripture specifically speaks about fasting, it uses a different Hebrew word. Strong’s H6684 — tsum means “to fast” or “to abstain from food,” while H6685 — tsom means “a fast” or “fasting.” These are not the same words as H6031 — anah, which is used in the Yom Kippuriym command to afflict or humble the soul.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58:3 uses the Hebrew words for fasting and affliction separately in the same verse. “We have fasted” uses H6684 — tsum, “we have afflicted” uses H6031 — anah, and “your fast” uses H6685 — tsom. Scripture itself distinguishes fasting from afflicting or humbling the soul. They are related concepts, but they are not the same Hebrew words.

The command for Yom Kippuriym in Wayiqra (Leviticus) 23:27 is H6031 — anah: to afflict, humble, or bring low — NOT H6684 tsum, the Hebrew verb meaning “to fast.”

• Humble ourselves before Yahuah

• Grieve over our sins

• Confess our transgressions and errors to Yahuah and to our fellow brothers & sisters we may have offended or hurt throughout this past year

• Examine ourselves

• Humble ourselves and be brought low before Yahuah

• Seek cleansing and restoration

• Completely cease from work

“Yom Kippuriym is not merely about whether or not we abstain from food. It is about coming before Yahuah humbled, repentant, honest about our sins, and seeking cleansing and restoration.”