Ne'ila

Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. The final service of Yom Kippur is the prayer iNe'ilahi, which literally means ishutting.i The Ne'ilah service evokes the image of the closing of the gates of prayer as Yom Kippur fades into dusk. This is the last opportunity for our prayers of repentance and forgiveness to reach the heavenly throne. The signature piyut (chant) of Ne'ilah states: iptach lanu shaar be'et ne'ilat shaari i open for us a gate at the time of the shutting of the gate.i Ne'ilah service is a prayer of urgency, time is running out, the last chance on this day to plead for forgiveness before God. But it is also a prayer for change and renewal. The closing of one gate in life opens another.