What are we to observe on the 10th day of the 7th Biblical month and how do we observe it?

Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 27 Notes For Leviticus: The Day of (the) Atonement(s) – known in Hebrew as Yom HaKippurim or more popularly written as Yom Kippor or Yom Kippur. This is the most serious day of the year and is a commanded day of afflicting our being (Leviticus 16:29, 31, 23:27, 29, 32, Numbers 29:7). Afflicting our being, or afflicting ourselves, involves avoiding pleasurable things including marital relations and all foods or drinks. So on the Day of Atonement, we are not supposed to be having "an enjoyable happy day of relaxing", instead we are to have a somber day of rest spent in prayer and repentance. We are to have a Set-Apart gathering with reading of the Scriptures, but it is not a regular gathering with rejoicing. This is not a day to feel comforted and comfort ourselves. Therefore, all music would be inappropriate on this Set-Apart day. All music is, in some regards, comforting to us. It will be a somber occasion where we are all thinking upon all the ways in which we have lived and all the ways we need to change. However, we should not wait until this day arrives to contemplate our ways and search ourselves to see if we are doing Yahweh's will. We should be doing this, well, really all the time but especially in the 6th month and the first 10 days of the 7th month we should be searching inside ourselves to see if we are walking worthily of the calling.

It is one thing to do the laws which ourselves and others can see us doing and which are outward – all of which are important to Yahweh. However, we do not want to neglect to take a look at our heart, our motives, our intentions, and question if we are really doing His will in our heart as well, or if we have forgotten where He called us from and what He has called us to also.

All too often we have desires and we want to question – why do we have these desires? Also, are we willing to wait on Yahweh? Sometimes the answer to our desires is that we must wait and simply trust in Yahweh and know that He will deliver us in the end. We want to be questioning ourselves also – are the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart pleasing in Yahweh's eyes? (Psalms 19:14) Yahweh can see our hearts, but I think sometimes we make other things a greater focus because we don't always see things the same way He does or with the same weight He places on things. May Yahweh have mercy upon us all and help us to not only focus on how we are obeying His commands in the ways we can see, but also in the ways in which He sees inside of our hearts as well. We should consider Proverbs 15:26 which one translation says, "evil thoughts are an abomination to Yahweh" while other translations use the word intentions or plans. Our thoughts are from our heart; we do not want an abomination in our heart.

Since we are to afflict our being, no food or drinks of any kind should be consumed on the Day of Atonement. In addition, unless you become unclean on accident (e.g. a nocturnal emission) and are required to bathe for something out of your control, then you should avoid bathing and showering as well. Before the Day of Atonement we should prepare in advance by bathing beforehand. In the past, in some years, to increase the feeling of affliction, sometimes I made ashes by burning paper before the Day of Atonement (which sometimes I had put on my head) and/or wore burlap-like material which was itchy tied with itchy jute string, but I haven't done that in years.

I spend some time in prayer as well when things come to mind to confess to Yahweh, or if there is anything that comes to mind to repent of. The reason I had used burlap-like material was because I didn't have actual sackcloth. I believe sackcloth was made out of black goats' hair and from what I read in the Scriptures was worn in times of mourning or fasting. Yes – it's uncomfortable. It's supposed to be. That's the point. However, while wearing burlap or something similar or itchy that is uncomfortable is not a requirement, it definitely makes you feel more afflicted to wear it.