Yom Kippur - Shul Prayer

The Shul (Synagogue) Prayer.

 

There is an astounding statement found in an ancient Aramaic Musaf prayer for Yom Kippur:

 

‘Our righteous Messiah is departed from us, horror hath seized us and we have none to justify us. He hath borne the yoke of our iniquities and our transgressions and is wounded because of our transgression. He beareth our sins on His shoulder that we may find pardon for our iniquities. We shall be healed by His wounds …’

 

It was another Jew who then correctly understood the words of the prophet Isaiah concerning the atoning work of the Messiah in Isaiah 53:4-6.

 

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.