Day of Atonement
A commanded day of affliction, repentance, and cleansing.
The Day of Atonement is the most solemn appointed day: a national resetting through atonement rites and humble repentance. Biblically it is described as a day to “afflict” oneself, emphasising seriousness and reconciliation.
Scripture
26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
27 "However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
28 You shall do no kind of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahweh your God.
29 For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day; shall be cut off from his people.
30 Whoever it is who does any kind of work in that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
31 You shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath."
29 "It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, the native-born, or the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you:
30 for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before Yahweh.
31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls; it is a statute forever.
32 The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father's place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments.
33 Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34 "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.