Ne’ilah “Open for us the gates, as the gates begin to close, for the day is about to pass.” The Ne’ilah Prayer
Just as many distance runners receive a second wind after sensing depletion, so do many Yom Kippur observers sense a revitalization of their strength as the Yom Kippur sun begins to slip past the horizon.
According to Jewish mysticism, during most of our lives, our conscious minds experience a degree of separation from G-d, even as we use action, emotion, intellect, and desire to relate to G-d. On Yom Kippur and, more specifically, during the final moments of this sacred day, a fundamental shift occurs. At this special time, our yechidah shines through—the level of soul that recognizes itself as a part of G-d—and we can become conscious of our inherent unity with G-d. In the last moments that close out Yom Kippur, we pray the ne’ilah (“closing”) service. During this service, we seek to complete our Yom Kippur journey by expressing in prayer the deep oneness with G-d that is available to us at this special time. The Amidah for ne’ilah is on pages 350–357. Notice that in this prayer we no longer ask G-d to inscribe us for a good year but that He seal us for a good year, indicating that these are the final moments of the Days of Judgment.
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The climactic finale of ne’ilah is when we declare three potent statements of our creed.
THE FIRST VERSE IS RECITED ONCE:
. ה' ֶא ָחד,־הינּו ֵ א ֱ ' ה,ִׂש ָר ֵאל ְ ְׁש ַמע י Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is one.
The verse, from Deuteronomy chapter 6, occupies a central place in Judaism. So many Jews, regardless of their involvement with Judaism, recognize these words. Children are taught this prayer from the time they can speak. We chant it over the cradle of our baby boys on the night before their brit milah. These are, traditionally, the last words a person utters before passing on—which includes the millions of Jews who were killed for clinging to their faith. At this moment of ne’ilah, when we are able to sense a deep connection with G-d, the fact that our ancestors sacrificed so much for G-d’s sake finds particular resonance.
