Why the closing prayers of Judaism’s holiest holiday focus on repairing relationships with each other

The Ne'ilah service, recited at sunset as Yom Kippur closes, is the last of five prayer services during the holiday and focuses on being 'sealed' in the Book of Life through forgiveness. According to a scholar of Jewish liturgy, the service's confessional prayers emphasize sins of speech, like slander, and its unique closing addendum shifts focus to sins of the hands, such as fraud and exploitation.

The theology holds that God won't forgive a wrong until the wronged person has been made amends with directly, which is why the Days of Awe include the practice of asking others for forgiveness before Yom Kippur arrives. The ark of the Torah is left open during Ne'ilah, and many congregants stand through the service as a final plea before the metaphorical gates close.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.