Chapter 139

Thus we also completed the Minchah service with awakening. We immediately prepared ourselves for Neilah, reciting the Incense Offering, Ashrei, Uva LeTzion, and several prayers from Shaaray Tzion, with great awakening and intent. We then prayed the silent Shemoneh Esrei of Neilah with intent, weeping, and powerful awakening, for it is the completion of the sealing—and everything follows the seal. This was especially so during “You extend a hand to transgressors, and You do not desire destruction,” and during the confession Ashamnu, everything amid awakening and tears, and especially at “Seal us,” and so forth. The silent Shemoneh Esrei continued for some time, amid the congregation’s weeping, awakening, and clapping.

The prayer leader, R. Avraham, may his light shine—the same one who had led Kol Nidrei and Mussaf—then repeated the Shemoneh Esrei aloud, with the liturgical poems and the Kedushah of Kesser. Everything was recited with great awakening and in the melody distinctive to the Neilah service. This was followed by all the Selichos; many liturgical poems from the various Selichos services are recited, with “God, King, Who sits upon a throne of mercy,” and so forth, between one poem and the next. Everything was accompanied by awakening and weeping, each person exerting himself with all heart and soul, for this was now the conclusion of all the Days of Awe, and so forth. The Ark remained open throughout the prayer leader’s entire Neilah service. Especially during the Selichos poems—the Thirteen Attributes, “Hashem, Hashem,” and so forth; “I shall recall”; “Attribute of mercy”; “May it be Your will, Hearer of the sound of weeping,” and so forth—there was certainly great awakening and abundant weeping.

We then recited the confession Ashamnu together with the prayer leader, and so forth. The leader continued the remainder of the Shemoneh Esrei, especially “You extend a hand,” as above, Retzei, and so forth, and the Priestly Blessing. The Priestly Blessing is recited in all the Yom Kippur services, and especially during Neilah; although sunset had already passed, they nevertheless recited the Priestly Blessing.

After the completion of the entire Shemoneh Esrei, we recited Avinu Malkeinu. It had not been recited throughout the day because it was Shabbos, but it is recited during Neilah, when one must say, “Seal us in the book of good life,” “Seal us in the book of redemption and salvation,” and “Seal us in the book of livelihood and sustenance.” These formulations are never recited at any other time, but only at Neilah. Throughout the year, on a communal fast, one says, “Remember us for life,” and so forth; and on Rosh Hashanah, throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah, and even in all the other Yom Kippur services, one likewise says “Remember us”—except at Neilah, when one says “Seal us in the book,” as above. We then proclaimed “Hear, O Israel” aloud, followed by “Hashem is King,” and so forth, “Next year,” and so forth, and Kaddish Tiskabel, with a shofar blast and melody, and so forth.

We afterward prayed Maariv, for the stars had already emerged, and we prayed with awakening and joy. We then recited the blessing “Who creates the lights of fire” over the olive-oil lamps that had burned throughout the entire twenty-four-hour period. Such a lamp is called a ner she-shavas—a light that rested. Lamps that had already gone out were likewise rekindled, for the Shulchan Aruch states that their extinguishing is not a favorable sign. A person must repent and accept upon himself that henceforth neither he nor anyone else will extinguish the oil lamp, but will allow it to burn until its fuel is consumed.

Each person then blessed his fellow with a good year, amid joy and dancing. Havdalah was made, and some people ate a piece of lekach. They afterward ascended to the roof and sanctified the new moon with joy and intent. A great dance followed, to the melodies of “The luminaries are good” and “David, King of Yisrael, lives and endures,” together with other melodies and dances.

They took leave of one another in peace, friendship, and joy. Many first went home to taste some food so that they could sanctify the new moon in a joyous state, as explained in the Shulchan Aruch. They then recited Kiddush Levanah with the large congregation in our Batei Machseh neighborhood. Many afterward went to immerse in the mikveh because they had not immersed on Yom Kippur. The same practice is followed on Tishah BeAv: after its conclusion one tastes something, sanctifies the new moon, and then goes to the mikveh.

We came home and made Havdalah with joy, also singing the hymn HaMavdil printed in the machzor, and so forth. There is likewise a mitzvah to make a beginning in the mitzvah of sukkah immediately. I therefore went outside, marked the place where the sukkah was to be built, and laid down a beam as an initial sign. We then ate the post-Yom Kippur meal with joy, for eating at that time is also a mitzvah. The Midrash teaches that at the conclusion of Yom Kippur a heavenly voice goes forth: “Go, eat your bread with joy, for God has already accepted your deeds,” and so forth.