Yom Kippur Katan: A Mini Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur Katan—literally “Minor Yom Kippur”—is the tradition of treating Erev Rosh Chodesh, the day before the new Jewish month, as a special time for reflection and atonement.

It is an opportunity to pause, take stock of our actions over the past month, and return to God with sincerity. Just as Yom Kippur cleanses us for the year, Yom Kippur Katan offers us a moment to renew ourselves each month.

Why We Treat It Like a Mini Yom Kippur

Throughout our tradition, Erev Rosh Chodesh is seen as a day to seek forgiveness. It is taught that on this day, God grants atonement for the past month’s missteps, relying on His compassion and mercy.

We approach this day seriously because we understand that preparing for a new month means clearing away what weighs on our souls. It is a chance to set a new tone for the days ahead.

How We Observe Yom Kippur Katan

Teshuvah and Honest Self-Reflection

At the heart of Yom Kippur Katan is teshuvah—returning to God with a sincere heart. On this day, we take time to look inward, to recognize where we've fallen short, and to commit to change.

We might:

• Set aside quiet time for personal reflection.

• Admit our mistakes privately before God.

• Make genuine plans to do specific things better in our relationships, our mitzvot, and our daily choices.

This is not meant to be casual introspection, but real work of the soul.

Adding Prayers and Supplications

Many communities include special Selichot prayers before praying Minchah on Erev Rosh Chodesh. These are heartfelt supplications, asking for forgiveness and mercy.

Even if we pray alone, we can use these traditional texts or our own words to express genuine regret for where we went wrong, and ask for help in changing our ways.

Personal Accounting

Torah leaders throughout the generations have encouraged us to use this day for an honest accounting of the soul.

We might choose to limit our food slightly if we're able, as a way of humbling ourselves. We can name our misdeeds honestly in the set prayers in the Siddur:

“Woe to me for having done this or that. How could I have burdened my soul before the King of the Universe?”

We pray not only for ourselves but for all our people: for the sick to be healed, for safety and protection, for peace and blessing in every home.

Reciting Tehillim

It is a beautiful and longstanding custom to read Tehillim—the Book of Psalms—on Erev Rosh Chodesh. The words of Tehillim have a special power to awaken the heart and inspire us to return to God.

For those who would like to complete the entire Sefer Tehillim but feel unable or lack the time, there is a widespread custom to divide the reading among several people so that the entire book is completed without burdening any one person.

Fasting on Erev Rosh Chodesh

In many communities, there is a custom to fast on Erev Rosh Chodesh, using the physical discomfort to turn our hearts toward repentance.

But voluntary fasting is not for everyone, and certainly not for those who find themselves getting angry or impatient due to their hunger or weakness. Heartfelt prayer is valued far above fasting without genuine introspection when it comes to non-obligatory fasts.

Those who do fast should make sure to eat as soon as possible after nightfall because Rosh Chodesh itself is a festival when we rejoice and are not permitted to fast.

Visiting the Graves of the Righteous

Many have the custom of visiting the graves of tzaddikim—the truly righteous—on Erev Rosh Chodesh, asking God to hear our prayers in their merit.

This practice reminds us of our connection to generations of holy people who dedicated their lives to God.

Teshuvah with Joy

Finally, we do not say Tachanun—the confessional prayer—at Minchah on Erev Rosh Chodesh, just as we skip it on Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov. Yom Kippur Katan, like Yom Kippur itself, is not a day of sadness but one of joy—joy that we have the opportunity to introspect, identify what needs fixing, and plot a new course leading to deeper connection to God and to our fellow Jews.