Ne'ila (), the ''concluding service'', is a special

Jewish prayer service Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yiddish words used in English, Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and ...

that is held only on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

. It is the time when final prayers of repentance are recited at the closing of Yom Kippur. Neilah marks the fifth

Amidah The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...

of Yom Kippur, the only such occasion in the Hebrew calendar in which there are so many services.

In the Ashkenazic and Hassidic rites, Ne'ila begins with

Ashrei Ashrei () is a prayer that is recited at least three times daily in Jewish prayers, twice during Shacharit (morning service) and once during Mincha (afternoon service). The prayer is composed primarily of Psalm 145 in its entirety, with Psalm ...

and Uva L'Tzion, both of which are postponed from

Mincha Mincha (, ; sometimes spelled Minchah, Minhah, Mincho or Minchuh) is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. Etymology The name ''Mincha'', meaning "gift" or "offering", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice offered ...

, when they are normally recited on

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

and

Festivals A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

. In most other rites,

and Uva L'Tzion are recited as normal at Mincha, and Ashrei alone is repeated at the beginning of Ne'ila. This is followed by

with

Selichot Selichot (, singular: , ''səliḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are a central theme throughout these pra ...

and an abbreviated

Vidui In Judaism, confession () is a step in the process of atonement during which a Jew admits to committing a sin before God. In sins between a Jew and God, the confession must be done without others present (The Talmud calls confession in front of a ...

; in the Ashkenazic rite, it concludes with

Avinu Malkeinu Avinu Malkeinu (; "Our Father, Our King") is a Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They als ...

. In Sephardic practice, it begins with the hymn

El Nora Alila El Nora Alila (), also transliterated as Ayl Nora Alilah, is a piyyut (liturgical poem) that begins the Ne'ilah service at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. The piyyut is recited as part of the Sephardic and Mizrahi liturgy, and has been adopted by ...

. At the end of the service, the

shofar A shofar ( ; from , ) is an ancient musical horn, typically a ram's horn, used for Jewish ritual purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices, with all pitch control done by varying the player's embouchure. The ...

is blown, and in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite ''

L'Shana Haba'ah ''L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim'' (), is a phrase that is often sung at the end of the Passover Seder and - in the Eastern Asheknazic rite - at the end of the '' Ne'ila'' service on Yom Kippur. Its use during Passover was first recorded by ...

'' is recited (sometimes sung). In the Eastern Ashkenazic rite, the ark ''(Aron Kodesh'' or ''Hechal)'' remains open during the leader's repetition of the Ne'ila Amidah, and it is traditional to stand throughout the service. In the Western Ashkenazic rite, like in all of the prayers of Yom Kippur, the ark is open for the entire repetition of the Amidah except it is closed for Kedushah and

Birkat Kohanim The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction (; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim''), rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan''), ''dukhenen'' (Yiddish fro ...

; most do not stand when it is open. While throughout the

High Holy Days In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, th ...

, Jews pray to be "''written''" in the Book of Life, during Ne'ila in all such prayers the word 'write' (Hebrew ''katav'' כתב) is replaced by 'seal' (Hebrew ''ḥatam'' חתם).

References

Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings {{judaism-stub

Contents

References