Lent vs. Yom Kippur


March 2025  

To be perfectly honest, I've never been a big fan of Lent. Largely because I grew up in the Jewish tradition and while Lent and Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, are different, there are similarities. Lent and Yom Kippur are both significant religious observances focused on themes of repentance, reflection, and spiritual renewal, but they originate from different religious traditions and have distinct practices.

Lent, the Christian tradition observed by most Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant denominations, is a season of preparation for Easter commemorating Jesus Christ's 40 days of fasting in the desert. During this time the Christian practice is one of

  • fasting or abstinence from certain foods or activities
  • increased prayer and acts of charity
  • reflection on one sin’s and seeking forgiveness
  • emphasis on self-denial
  • and sacrifice lasting for 40 days except Sundays beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday. 

Yom Kippur, the Jewish tradition, is the day of atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is focused on seeking forgiveness for sins and a reconciliation with god. It practices include:

  • a 25-hour fast from food and drink.  
  • intensive prayer and synagogue services.  
  • confession of sins.  
  • focus on repentance and self-reflection.  
  •  emphasis on Atonement, forgiveness, and spiritual cleansing.

 Lent prepares for Easter, while Yom Kippur focuses on atonement.

So, what are the similarities?

  • Both involve fasting as a form of self-denial and spiritual discipline.  
  • Both emphasize repentance, seeking forgiveness, and self-reflection.  
  • Both are periods of intense spiritual focus and renewal.

But there are differences

  • The most obvious is Religious Origin: Lent is Christian, Yom Kippur is Jewish.
  • While both involve fasting, the specific practices and rituals differ significantly.
  • And Duration: Lent is 40 days; Yom Kippur is a 25-hour period.

So why bring this up? Those of you that know me, know that I am constantly challenged by my Torah studies as a young boy juxtaposed with studies of Christian Theology, Doctrine and Dogma. Most importantly, I try to observe Jesus’ life and teachings in his context. Jesus was, without question, a Jew. He was raised, we are told in the Bible, by devout observing parents, studied Torah, and debated Torah with the Elders. I can therefore conclude that it is entirely probable that Jesus observed Yom Kippur in the undocumented years prior to his ministry which ended with his Crucifixion. So how is it that the Christian Church, given the similarities of the practices of Yom Kippur and Lent, chose to create and evolve Lent into the liturgical season practiced today.

Take a closer look at the origins of both.

Yom Kippur has its origins rooted in the Torah, the foundational text of Judaism. 

Biblical Origins:

  • The core of Yom Kippur's observance is described in the Book of Leviticus, particularly in chapter 16. This chapter details the elaborate rituals performed by the High Priest in the Temple in Jerusalem.  
  • The Torah mandates that the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei) be set aside as a day of atonement, involving fasting and abstaining from work.  
  • According to rabbinical tradition, Yom Kippur is also associated with Moses descending from Mount Sinai with the second set of the Ten Commandments, after God forgave the Israelites for worshipping the golden calf.  
  • Historical Development:
    • In ancient times, the central observance of Yom Kippur involved the High Priest performing specific rituals within the Holy of Holies in the Temple.  
    • After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the observance of Yom Kippur shifted from Temple-based rituals to synagogue services, prayer, and personal reflection.  
    • The focus became centered on repentance, seeking forgiveness from God, and making amends with others.

So, in essence, Yom Kippur's origin lies in the biblical command to dedicate a day to atonement, which has evolved through Jewish tradition into the solemn and significant holiday it is today.

The history of Lent is a story of gradual development within the Christian church, with roots that stretch back to the early centuries. Key points:

  • Early Origins:
    • It's believed that a period of preparation before Easter existed in the early church, even before it was formally structured.
    • Early observances focused heavily on fasting, particularly for those preparing for baptism at Easter.
  • Formalization:
    • The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. played a significant role in solidifying the practice.
    • The 40-day timeframe is often linked to the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness.
  • Development of Practices:
    • Over time, Lent evolved to include practices like:
      • Fasting and abstinence.
      • Penance.
      • Almsgiving.
    • The practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday developed later, symbolizing mortality and repentance.

In essence, Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and preparation for the celebration of Easter. It has grown from early Christian practices into a widely observed tradition with rich historical and spiritual significance.

But Why Lent over Yom Kippur?

The adoption of Lent by the early Christian church, rather than Yom Kippur, is rooted in the distinct theological and historical developments that shaped Christianity's separation from its Jewish origins. 

  • Christological Focus:
    • Lent's primary focus is on preparing Christians for the celebration of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This aligns with the central tenet of Christian faith.
    • Lent developed as a time to reflect on Jesus's 40 days of fasting in the desert, as recorded in the Gospels. This established a precedent for a 40-day period of spiritual preparation.  
    • Christian theology emphasizes that Jesus's sacrifice superseded the need for the ritualistic atonement of sins through practices like those observed on Yom Kippur.
  • Separation from Judaism:
    • As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, it gradually distinguished itself from Judaism. This process involved the development of distinct liturgical practices and theological interpretations.  
    • The early Church, particularly through the teachings of figures like Paul, emphasized that Gentile converts were not bound by Jewish law. This contributed to the shift away from Jewish observances.  
    • While early Christians were of Jewish origin, and therefore participated in Jewish traditions, as the religion grew, and included more gentile followers, the traditions shifted.  
  • Development of Liturgical Practices:
    • The early Church developed its own liturgical calendar, centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  
    • Lent emerged as a period of preparation for the most important Christian festival, Easter.  
    • The early church grew to include many people that had no previous cultural connection to Judaism, therefore the traditions that were adopted, became those that were most relevant to the new followers.

In summary, the adoption of Lent reflects the Christian Church's emphasis on Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, its evolving identity separate from Judaism, and the development of its own unique liturgical traditions.

I conclude that Lent and Yom Kippur are both powerful times for spiritual introspection and renewal, but they are rooted in distinct theological traditions and expressed through different practices.