SHAFAQNA- Kippur is performed in Iran in the style of Sephardic Jews or Eastern Jews. In Iran, and especially in historical and old synagogues, it is customary to light a large candle in the synagogues on the day of Kippur, which stays lit for 25 hours during the Kippur fast.
Iranian Jews celebrated Yom Kippur this year as well, while in the last two years the outbreak of the Coronavirus has affected the holding of religious rituals in Iran and all around the world and has changed the way these rituals are held.
In this regard, Shafaqna has conducted an interview with Bijan Khakshour, an expert on Jewish culture and religion and a researcher on religious issues, which is as follows:
Shafaqna: What is Yom Kippur and what is its historical background in Iran?
Bijan Khakshour: The main and most famous Jewish fast is called Yom Kippur fast. This fast is performed (between man and God) with the aim of forgiving sins and is considered by Judaism to be the only fast for which God’s direct command is given in the Torah. Prophet Moses came down from the mountain in the tenth day of the seventh month, and because this day was a sign of forgiveness for the sins of the Bani Isra’īl (sons of Isra’īl), this day was designated as the day of Yom Kippur, the day of forgiveness of sins. On this day, which is the most important day of the Hebrew calendar, the Jews fast for 25 hours (sunset to sunset) and stop doing anything and worship full time in the synagogues.
Shafaqna: How is this ceremony held in Iran?
Bijan Khakshour: Yom Kippur is performed in Iran in the style of Sephardic Jews or Eastern Jews. The Jews dressed in white or light colors, participate in a large fast worship group. The characteristic of the Yom Kippur ceremony is the performance of congregational prayers or Tefillah throughout the day, that is, the majority of people are present in the synagogue from morning to evening, and worship in congregation throughout this time.
Kippur ceremonies are performed in the same way in ancient synagogues that have a historical aspect and modern or newly built synagogues, with the difference that worships in small and historical synagogues in ghettos are performed as a clan and family, and due to the presence of a limited number of people and the family kinship of the participants, it has a different spiritual atmosphere. In Iran, and especially in historical and old synagogues, it is customary to light a large candle in the synagogues, which stays lit for 25 hours during the fast of Yom Kippur.
Shafaqna: Given the circumstances created by the Corona in the last two years, in general, what is the condition of Iranian Jewish ceremonies?
Bijan Khakshour: The outbreak of Coronavirus has overshadowed the Yom Kippur during the last two years and worship has been mostly done at home and in family gatherings, although few congregations have been formed with the necessary protocols, but the ceremonies have naturally been more limited due to the prevalence of Corona, as this has happened in Arbaeen Walk and the Christian New Year and the Zoroastrian, Sabaean Mandaeans and Assyrian festivals of Iran.
But the prayer that was added to the prayers and congregational worships is a request to God to remove this epidemic and this evil virus from the world, just as the cooperation of religions in helping the needy in these circumstances was carried out in different ways, these movements are more valuable than thousands of individual and congregational worship.
Shafaqna: Please explain about the religious commonalities between Jews and other religions and whether there is a ritual like Arbaeen in Judaism.
Bijan Khakshour: Arbaeen or the number forty has been used in various ways in the culture of Judaism and Islam. In the tradition of the great prophets, this word was first known as a sign of perfection; Because most of the prophets became prophets at the age of forty.
In Judaism, the word Arbaeen refers to the to the 40 days and 40 nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai. In Jewish culture, these 40 nights are called the “Nights of Selikhoot,” and the final ten days are called the days of horror or Yamim Nuraim and end with the day of Yom Kippur. In the Holy Quran, the narration of God’s promise to Prophet Moses (AS) and the mentioned 40 days and nights is narrated in this way: “And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by [the addition of] ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights.” (Surah Al-A’raf, verse 142)