Leviticus 23:26-32 Yom-Kippur has long been considered the most holy day on the Jewish biblical calendar. The name itself describes the history of this day; for it was on this day-once a year-that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the nation. In a word, Yom-Kippur illustrates regeneration for those who follow God’s way of atonement.
Leviticus 16 goes into great detail about the Yom-Kippur ceremony, which centered on the sacrifices of two goats. One goat, called Chatat, was to be slain as a blood sacrifice to symbolically cover the sins of Israel. The other goat, called ‘Az’azel, or scapegoat, would be brought before the priest. The priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat as he confessed the sins of the people. But instead of slaying this animal in the traditional fashion, the goat would be set free in the wilderness, symbolically taking the sins of the nation out from their midst.
What was begun on Rosh-Hashanah-namely, repentance and self-evaluation-was completed nine days later with atonement and regeneration. In Temple times, the observance of the day was more clearly defined and centered on the sacrifices. In 70 C.E., however, the Temple was destroyed, hence some perplexing questions arose: How can Yom-Kippur be observed without the proper sacrifice? The rabbis of the first century decided to make substitutions: prayer (Tefilah), repentance (T’shuva), and charity (Tzedakah) replaced sacrifices in the modern observance of Yom-Kippur.
There are Orthodox Jewish sects who still observe that Temple and animal sacrifices need to be revived in Israel. The sect of the Temple Mount Faithful is actively reproducing the holy vessels and priestly garments to prepare for the coming Temple. They have attempted to place the first cornerstone on the Temple Mount if Yerushalayim, strongly believing that such a structure will be rebuilt soon.
For more on “The Holy Days of Israel: Yom-Kippur,” see reading at Isaiah 58:5
Isaiah 58:5 (CJB)
5 “Is this the sort of fast I want, a day when a person mortifies himself? Is the object to hang your head like a reed and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself? Is this what you call a fast, a day that pleases Adonai?
Stern, D. H. (2016). The Complete Jewish Study Bible (1st ed., p. 162). Hendrickson Publishers Marketing LLC.