Olive Tree Image

Olive Tree Image
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction,
upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

No Food on Yom Kippur?


Q. Where in Scripture does it say no food on Yom Kippur?

A.  It doesn't. It says "humble your souls" or humble yourselves". In Hebrew both phrases are "anah nephesh".  Anah can mean: to be bowed down, afflicted,  humble, etc. Nephesh can mean: soul, life, self, desire, appetite, emotion, passion, being, etc.   Rabbinic interpretation is "deny your appetite". I believe we are to humble or deny ourselves from our fleshly desires, including our appetite, passions, emotions, etc.  Isaiah 58:13 speaks to this.  Read all of Isaiah 58 and notice the words "fasted, humbled ourselves, fast, humble himself, bowing his head, etc.,  these words and phrases set the context as the Sabbath of Yom Kippur.  Verse 3 says "humbled ourselves", and verse 5 says "humble himself", which in Hebrew  is  "anah nephesh", the same wording used in Leviticus 16.   There are many ways to fast or humble ourselves. I interpret this as to say that we are to deny ourselves of our typical daily pleasures of life and devot ourselves fully to YAHWEH.  Hope this helps.  Maranatha, John

1 comment:

  1. Thank you John for this clarification! After my own studying, I can to understand this very thing. Thank you for being a great 'teacher' willing to break it down for us. Shalom!

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