Yom Kippur Katan: A Monthly Moment of Reflection

Before each new month begins, Jewish tradition offers a quiet opportunity for reflection and spiritual repair. This practice is known as Yom Kippur Katan, a time set aside by some communities to review the past month and prepare the soul for what lies ahead.

What Is Yom Kippur Katan?

Yom Kippur Katan, which means “Little Yom Kippur,” refers to the customary fast and the recitation of selichot, penitential prayers, observed by some on the eve of Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new month. When Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the observance is moved earlier to Thursday.

This custom is mentioned in the book Menasheh Levi by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz and is also discussed in the Kabbalistic teachings of the Ramak. It is recorded as well in Leket Yosher and was already practiced in Ashkenazic communities by the mid fifteenth century.

The Purpose of the Day

The Mishnah Berurah explains that the observance of Yom Kippur Katan depends on a person’s strength. Even one who does not fast should still use the day for repentance and reflection, correcting what may have gone astray during the month.

Rabbi Yaakov Emden writes in his siddur that in later generations it became widely accepted to fast on the eve of Rosh Chodesh and call it Yom Kippur Katan. He emphasizes that this practice serves as a reminder for people immersed in daily distractions to cleanse themselves spiritually and preserve the purity of both body and soul.

A Teaching of the Chafetz Chaim

In the book Divrei Yosef Tzvi, a story is told about the Chafetz Chaim when he arrived in Warsaw on the eve of Rosh Chodesh. He asked a local Jew where people prayed for Yom Kippur Katan. The man replied that they only observed the great Yom Kippur and did not pray on Yom Kippur Katan.

The Chafetz Chaim responded with a parable. He described traveling by train and meeting a Jew who planned to disembark at the first stop rather than travel all the way to Radin. When asked why, the man explained that he lacked the funds to go the entire distance and would work along the way to earn more money.

The Chafetz Chaim explained that great individuals can spiritually reach Yom Kippur in one step, but most people cannot. Instead, they must make smaller stops throughout the year. Yom Kippur Katan serves as one of those stops, helping a person gradually prepare for the great Day of Atonement.

The Steipler and the Power of the Prayers

In Ashkavtai D’Rabbi, which records teachings and practices of the Steipler Rabbi, it is told that a man who lost three brothers in his youth sought a blessing. The Steipler advised him to make sure he regularly recited the prayers of Yom Kippur Katan on the eve of Rosh Chodesh, explaining that these prayers are known to help annul harsh decrees.

Who Is Obligated to Observe It?

The Kaf HaChaim notes that the full order of Yom Kippur Katan is intended primarily for the general public. One who studies Torah as his full occupation and has deep understanding of Gemara and halachic authorities does not need to interrupt learning to recite this order, since Torah study combined with repentance brings atonement.

Torah Reading on Yom Kippur Katan

When ten people are fasting, a Sefer Torah is taken out and the portion of “Vayechal” is read. The third person called to the Torah also reads from the Prophets the passage “Darshu Hashem B’heimatz’o,” just as on other fast days.

The practice is observed eight times a year. It is not held on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, Tevet, Iyar, or Tishrei. These four exceptions can be remembered by the letter dalet, meaning four. The eve of Rosh Chodesh Tevet falls during Chanukah, fasting is prohibited during Nissan which includes Iyar, and the eve of Rosh Chodesh Tishrei is the eve of Rosh Hashanah.
Today, only a small number of people fast the entire day on the eve of Rosh Chodesh. Others fast until midday, while many do not fast at all but still recite the selichot as a form of spiritual preparation.

Small Steps Toward Atonement

Yom Kippur Katan reminds us that repentance does not belong to one day a year alone. By pausing at the close of each month, a person can gently correct their path, refine their actions, and move forward with greater awareness. These small steps, taken consistently, help prepare the heart for the great moments of judgment and mercy that define the Jewish year.