S.Y. Agnon’s Yom Kippur Stories

On the perception of the holy day in Agnon’s stories, and the emotional, existential and religious difficulty of entering into it. For Agnon, the transition between secular and holy is vast, threatening and sometimes impossible. On the other hand, he sees Yom Kippur as an independent time, differentiated from the normal time that flows between the seasons of the year, passes and disappears. The holy day is a stable conceptual anchor in his world, giving meaning to all other times.

Prof. Ariel Hirshfeld is a researcher of literature, art and music, and a lecturer in the Department of Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University, and the Mandel School of Educational Leadership in Jerusalem.