The Closing of the Gates

<p><b>Explore judaism's timeless message of divine purpose and the ongoing search for meaning in a world of human frailty but also promise.</b></p><p class=ql-align-justify><em>N’ilah </em>the closing of the gates is in many ways the most anticipated worship service in the entire Jewish calendar. Coming at the end of the 24-hour fast that characterizes Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) it symbolizes the days of old when the gates of the ancient Temple closed at last and with them the last chance for prayers of atonement and reconciliation with God and with others. Nowadays the synagogue service that replaced the Temple cult marks the occasion with heightened fervor: the only time all year when the gates of the ark that houses the Torah scroll remain open throughout the service; telltale melodies accompany the occasion; a final blast of the shofar (the ram’s horn) symbolizes the end of the fast and the new beginning that follows; special prayers celebrate the human capacity to create a life that matters beyond our own mortality - and the presence of God who “reaches out a hand” to invite us into the new Jewish year that <em>N’ilah</em>’s final shofar blast inaugurates.</p><p>Prayers of Awe: A multi-volume series designed to explore the High Holy Day liturgy and enrich the praying experience for everyone—whether experienced worshipers or guests who encounter Jewish prayer for the very first time.</p><p><b>Contributors:</b></p><p>Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson DHL </p><p>Rabbi Tony Bayfield CBE DD</p><p>Rabbi Will Berkovitz </p><p>Dr. Annette M. Boeckler</p><p>Dr. Erica Brown</p><p>Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander CM DHL DD</p><p>Rabbi Lisa Exler</p><p>Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand</p><p>Rabbi Laura Geller</p><p>Rabbi Edwin Goldberg DHL</p><p>Rabbi Andrew Goldstein PhD</p><p>Dr. Joel M. Hoffman</p><p>Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman PhD</p><p>Rabbi Walter Homolka PhD DHL </p><p>Rabbi Elie Kaunfer DHL</p><p>Rabbi Reuven Kimelman PhD</p><p>Dr. Mark L. Kligman</p><p>Rabbi Noa Kushner</p><p>Rabbi Daniel Landes</p><p>Rabbi Asher Lopatin</p><p>Catherine Madsen</p><p>Rabbi Jonathan Magonet PhD</p><p>Rabbi Dalia Marx PhD</p><p>Ruth Messinger</p><p>Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh PhD</p><p>Rabbi Jay Henry Moses</p><p>Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum</p><p>Rabbi Jack Riemer</p><p>Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin DMin</p><p>Rabbi Marc Saperstein PhD</p><p>Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso DMin</p><p>Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso DMin</p><p>Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater DMin</p><p>Rabbi David A. Teutsch PhD</p><p>Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig DD</p><p>Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel</p>