My name is Yossi. I’m twelve years old and I’m in seventh grade. I live in Eretz Yisrael. I love Yamim Tovim very much. There’s something special about them that ordinary days don’t have. I love the special mitzvos and tefillos and minhagim. I want to share with you the special emotions that take hold of me when Yom Kippur is coming — the holiest day of the year.
In the morning we get up for Selichos which to our surprise is very short. Abba doesn’t let us sit around wondering about this. We have all the mitzvos of the day to fulfill. We hurry back home where we see that our Shabbos table is covered with a sparkling white tablecloth as if today is Shabbos. Abba eats more than he usually does for it’s a mitzvah to eat today so that we can fast better tomorrow but he’s quieter than usual.
Abba tells us that tonight we’ll be standing on trial before the Court on High — all of us and everything we have and we have to be solemn. His seriousness makes an impression on us and we’re also very serious almost like the grown-ups.
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