Yom Kippur checklist

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  • Starting a few days BEFORE the fast, DRINK! Get as fully hydrated as possible.
  • Spiritual preparation: ask forgiveness from those you have wronged, forgiving those who have wronged you, doing teshuva, and giving extra tzedaka
  • Clean/prepare white or light clothing for each family member, including kittel if it’s dh’s tradition to wear it,  white kippot, and tallit
  • Set aside your gold jewelry (we don’t need to remember the golden calf now!), a common tradition
  • Set up any babysitting you will need, or register for that at your shul
  • Find or buy machzorim for everyone who needs them, and tehillim or other reading material
  • Ask about shiurim or any other shailot you have
  • Yahrzeit candle (if needed)
  • Set up non leather shoes or slippers for each member of the family
  • Set up for kapparot if you do it, whether with chickens, money, or something else
  • If you/dh has the tradition of mikveh erev Yom Kippur, find out times or set up an appointment
  • Prepare three EASY, not spicy, not salty meals: two for pre-fast and one for post-fast (more ideas here)
  • Ask for honey cake (lekach) if it is your tradition to do so
  • Prepare food for kids on Yom Kippur in advance, preferably things they can get themselves or manage with little help from you. (I pack lunches for my kiddos.)
  • Set up your own candles
  • Bless your kids: Regular plus priestly blessing and the wish to be sealed in book of life

May you be signed and sealed in the Book of LIFE!

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2011/10/02/yom-kippur-checklist/

3 comments

    • Miriam on October 2, 2011 at 9:19 am

    Interesting minhag to set aside the golden jewelry, we have the minhag to set the table very elegant for Kippur (ofcourse without food ) for Eliayhu hanavi.

      • Amital on October 2, 2011 at 11:08 am
        Author

      Setting the table is an interesting minhag! Of course, my 2 year old gravitates toward set tables with destruction exploration in mind, so that might be dangerous for me this year…I wonder why Eliyahu haNavi ? He seems to be in lots of places: brit milah, Passover, and now Yom Kippur?

      I didn’t know why the gold got put aside (except it might serve as a reminder of the golden calf), but here is a quote from Chabad.com:

      Yom Kippur commemorates the day that G‑d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing G‑d say at Mount Sinai: “You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews committed the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading with G‑d for forgiveness, and on the tenth of Tishrei it was finally granted: “I have pardoned, as you have requested.”

      You got me curious enough to look it up. Thanks!

    • Miriam on October 6, 2011 at 7:41 am

    Thanks for the quote, i don’t why Eliyahu hanavi on Yom Kippur, I am going to ask it and i’ll let you know, bli neder.

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