I have good news and bad news. First the good news. With today's daf TB Yoma 88 we finish our massekhet! The bad news is that I cannot think how to make the daf's discussion about going to the mikvah Yom Kippur relevant and meaningful. The tannaitic disagreement seems to be parallel to the disagreement whether one may recite Ne’ila at night or not.
TB Yoma 87b however, discusses the confession which has becomes a recognizable part of our Yom Kippur liturgy. Remember in Judaism we confess our sins to the Holy One Blessed be He. We have a direct line do not need an intermediary.
“§ The Sages taught: The main mitzva of confession is on Yom Kippur eve when darkness falls. But the Sages said: One should also confess on Yom Kippur eve before he eats and drinks at his last meal before the fast lest he become confused at the meal, due to the abundance of food and drink, and be unable to confess afterward. And although one confessed before he ate and drank, he confesses again after he eats and drinks, as perhaps he committed some sin during the meal itself. And although one confessed during the evening prayer on the night of Yom Kippur, he should confess again during the morning prayer. Likewise, although one confessed during the morning prayer, he should still confess during the additional prayer. Similarly, although one confessed during the additional prayer, he should also confess during the afternoon prayer; and although one confessed during the afternoon prayer, he should confess again during the closing prayer [ne’ila].” (Sefaria,org translation) Many traditional synagogues will hold a very early minkha service which will include the confession based on this sugiyah.
“And where in the Yom Kippur prayers does one say the confession? An individual says it after his Amida prayer, and the prayer leader says it in the middle of the Amida prayer. The Gemara asks: What does one say; what is the liturgy of the confession? Rav said: One says the prayer that begins: You know the mysteries of the universe, in accordance with the standard liturgy. And Shmuel said that the prayer begins with: From the depths of the heart. And Levi said that it begins: And in your Torah it is written, saying, and one then recites the forgiveness achieved by Yom Kippur as stated in the Torah. Rabbi Yoḥanan said that it begins: Master of the Universe. Rabbi Yehuda said that one says: For our iniquities are too many to count and our sins are too great to number. Rav Hamnuna said: This is the liturgy of the confession: My God, before I was formed I was unworthy. Now that I have been formed, it is as if I had not been formed. I am dust while alive, how much more so when I am dead. See, I am before You like a vessel filled with shame and disgrace. May it be Your will that I may sin no more, and as for the sins I have committed before You, erase them in Your compassion, but not by suffering. The Gemara comments: This is the confession that Rava used all year long; and it was the confession that Rav Hamnuna Zuta used on Yom Kippur.” (Sefaria.org translation) Our custom is to recite the confession at the end of the silent Armidah and the Cantor recites it in the middle of the repetition of the Amidah as noted in our sugiyah. You might recognize many of these sentences or verses from Scripture because they are found throughout our Yom Kippur Makhzor, prayer book.
Tomorrow we start massekhet Sukkah.
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