Why Fast on Yom Kippur?


Why Fast on Yom Kippur?
By
James Scott Trimm


On Yom Kippur the Torah commands us to "afflict our souls ('INuI NeFeSH)" as we read:

“And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourns among you... It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever."
(Lev 16:29.31)

"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH... For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people... It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."
(Lev 23:27,29.32)

"And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:"
(Num. 29:7)

The expression "to afflict your souls" in Hebrew is a wphemism meaning "to fast" (Tzom). The Hebrew phrase 'INuI NeFeSH is translated as "afflicting the soul". It also appears in a number of Scriptural passages, in which it is clear that this expression refers to fasting:

"...I afflicted (KJV: "humbled") my soul with fasting;
and my prayer returned into mine own bosom."
(Psalms 35:13)

"...I wept, and afflicted (KJV: "chastened") my soul with fasting,
that was to my reproach."
(Psalms 69:11)

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and you see not?
wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and you take no notice?..."
(Isaiah 58:3; see also vv.5 & 10)

This is because the word "Soul" Means "appetite"

It should be pointed out that one of the meanings of the word "NeFeSH", commonly translated as "soul", is in fact "appetite". For example:

"And put a knife to your throat,
if you be a man given to appetite (NeFeSH)."
(Proverbs 23:2-3)

" For he satisfies the longing soul (NeFeSH),
and fills the hungry soul (NeFeSH) with goodness."
(Psalms 107:9)

"The full soul (NeFeSH) loathes a honeycomb;
but to the hungry soul (NeFeSH) every bitter thing is sweet."
(Proverbs 27:7)

“Yea, they are greedy dogs
which can never satisfy their souls (NeFeSH) (KJV: "have enough")"
(Isaiah 56,11)

This is why Acts refers to Yom Kippur as “The Day of the Fast”:

9 And we were there a long time, until even the day of the Jewish fast was past. And
it was dangerous for a man to travel by sea, and Paul counseled them,
(Acts 27:9)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Sirens” in the Book of Enoch?

“Sirens” in the Book of Enoch? By James Scott Trimm In the Book of Enoch we read: “And the women also of the angels who went astray shall become sirens .” (1Enoch 19:2). Although the Ethiopic text has “ salamaweyan ” (“peaceful”) which is widely regarded as a corruption with the original reading being that found in the Greek εις σειρηνας “into sirens.”  This is certainly a passage which we would like to see in the Aramaic, much less the lost original Hebrew, but unfortunately the Aramaic for this passage has not survived. In Greek mythology, the Sirens were beautiful yet dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.  So why would the Book of Enoch refer to “sirens”.  Why would an ancient Hebrew text refer to “sirens” and what was the original Hebrew word(s) behind “sirens”? “Sirens” in the LXX In the Greek Septuagint the Greek word σειρηνας (sirens) does...
Read more

Secrets of the Oath that Binds the Fallen Angels

Image
Secrets of the Oath That Binds the Fallen Angels By James Scott Trimm We read in the Torah: 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men, that they were fair. And they took them wives, whomsoever they chose. 3 And YHWH said: My Spirit shall not abide in man forever. For that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years. 4 The N’filim were on the earth in those days and also after that, when the sons of Elohim came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. The same were the mighty men that were of old--the men of renown. 5 And YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil; continually. 6 And it repented YHWH that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. 7 And YHWH said: I will blot out man whom ...
Read more

Vatican Library Hid Original Hebrew Gospel Manuscripts for Centuries

The Vatican Library Hid Original Hebrew Gospel Manuscripts for Centuries By James Scott Trimm The Vatican Library is a treasure trove of ancient documents and artifacts.  While the public Vatican library was officially created in 1475, the library itself actually dates back to the origins of the Roman Catholic Church.  The library contains over 75,000 codices and over one million other books. In the 17th century about 150,000 items were designated as part of the "Secret Archives" and are not available to the public. Over a period of four centuries, only about 1,000 people have had access to these secret archives. One treasure which the Vatican famously suppressed for centuries was Codex Vaticanus 1209, known simply as Codex Vaticanus, or "Codex B".  Codex Vaticanus is one of the oldest, most complete manuscripts of the Greek New Testament dating back to the fourth Century C.E. Codex Vaticanus was listed in the first public catalog of the libr...
Read more