Yom Kippur on Shabbos

hi rabbi. i'm looking on the calender - i see that yom kippur falls on shabbos this year (10/11-12). I know that if a fast day falls on shabbos it's pushed to before or after. does this apply with yom kippur too?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

You’re absolutely correct that any other fast day that falls on Shabbat would be postponed. This is often the case with Tisha B’av that will fall on Shabbat. In such a case, the fast is postponed until Sunday. Virtually nothing is to override the peace and pleasure that Shabbat brings with it.

There is one very notable, exception, however, and as you note, that is Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur can never be postponed. It must be observed on the exact day it falls out. This is because the Torah explicitly states that the fast of Yom Kippur is to be observed on the 10th of Tishrei. Of course, the Torah “knew” that the 10th of Tishrei would occasionally fall out on Shabbat, and, nevertheless, a date is given, and the date must be observed regardless of what day of the week it falls out on.

Another reason that it overrides Shabbat is that Yom Kippur is called the “Shabbat of Shabbats,” implying right in the verses that it takes precedence over Shabbat.

It is worth noting that he only difference between a “weekday” Yom Kippur and a “Shabbat” Yom Kippur is that the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, which is normally recited four times in the course of the Yom Kippur prayer is only recited only once when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat. In that case, it is recited at the Neila service, which is the last opportunity to do so. And if you like math and stats: Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbat 31% of the time. So approximately every 3 years.