Guidance for Housebound Individuals on Yom Kippur and "9 Ka'bin"

Hi, I am unfortunately housebound and won't be able to go out to shul or the mikveh on Erev Yom Kippur. I've decided to do the best I can under the circumstances, so I am asking: Are there any ways I can purify myself for Yom Kippur in my situation, and what prayers may I say when praying alone?

Thank you for your question.

I would like to commend you for doing the best you can, and one should know that even if people unfortunately cannot go to shul, Hashem listens to all prayers and is very close to you when you pray.

I will provide a general outline of the specific halachot regarding immersion on Erev Yom Kippur. Then, I will explain how one can purify himself at home using 'Tishah Kabin,' which will be explained later.

There is a mitzvah to immerse oneself in a Mikvah before Yom Kippur, as mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, Siman 506, Se'if 4. The Mishnah Berurah writes that one does not recite a blessing when immersing in the mikvah, since it is only a minhag.

Therefore, one should check oneself to ensure that there is no chatsitsah, and should even brush and clean one's teeth.

There are opinions that a person should immerse in the mikvah three times since the Tevilah is not only a way to purify oneself but also an act of Teshuvah,

The right time to go to the mikvah is after chatsot before Mincha, so one can then pray Mincha after having purified oneself. Alternatively, one should go at least half an hour before chatsot."

Someone who is not able to go to the mikvah at such a time may go as early as from “Alos Ha’shachar” (sunrise)

One should daven Mincha in one's Shabbos clothing early enough to have sufficient time to eat the Seudat Hamafseket after Mincha

If for example a bachur that was not able to go to the mikvah before Mincha, may then go after Mincha.

If someone is not able to go to a Mikveh on Erev Yom Kippur, then he can use the method called 'Tisha Kabin,' meaning he has to pour a measure of nine kabin on himself from one container.

This is, le’halacha, how one can do it:

Water that comes out of a shower is considered as coming from one container,

According to the most stringent opinion, the measure of nine kabin is twenty-three liters. Therefore, by standing for five minutes under the shower, one will have used twenty-three liters

The best is, for the shower head to be fixed on its fixture. However, if there is no fixture, then one may hold it above one's head for that amount of time

The water doesn’t have to reach one's whole body, it's enough if it reaches most of the body.

There are customs that women also immerse in the mikvah on Erev Yom Kippur, although there are those who do not have such a custom. However, there are those who say that even if they have the custom to immerse in the mikvah, they should not do so during the Sheva Neki'im.

Since you won't be able to go to the Beis Hakneset on Yom Kippur, here are the guidelines for how to pray B'yechidus

Shemoneh Esrey

You should daven the Shemoneh Esrei as usual, and you should only recite the viduyim that are part of the silent Shemoneh Esrei.

Piyutim, kol nidrey, and other Tefillos

You do not need to recite the viduyim of the chazzan repetition, piyutim and Kol Nidrei etc. However, if you want to recite them, you may.

The 13 attributes ( יג מדות הרחמים)

You may recite the 13 attributes (יג מדות הרחמים) and even the Tefillos that include them. However, it is important to know that since you are praying alone, you may not recite it as a normal prayer but rather as one reads during Keriat HaTorah, using the trop

Yizkor

One may recite Yizkor even when praying alone (the Sephardi custom is not to recite it at all, not even with a minyan).

Personal prayers

One may pray on Yom Kippur personal prayers even on Yom Kippur like this year, that it falls on Shabbos.

Azamroh Lishmecho Issue 263