Yom Kippur: Sunset October 7, 2011 - Nightfall October 8, 2011
"One of the great lessons of 2011 is that wherever people face pain, ancient stories serve to give them hope. That may be Moses's most enduring legacy." Bruce Feiler, author, Generation Freedom
If we ever needed hope, this is the time. There's so much evil in the world. Blind, bigoted hatred. Greed and heartlessness and downright cruelty. Egregious misdeeds of corporate and financial and political and spiritual leaders.
How dare they steal from us, break promises, destroy our health and well being, tamper with our children's safety and future. Diminish the quality of our lives into helplessness and fear.
Where is our recourse? Where is our hope?
We're not getting nearly enough response from those in whom we put our trust and faith. Help isn't coming from anyone who preaches self-serving political ideology laced with twisted religious radicalism.
We have lost hope, and become slaves to the evil around us.
Our pain has led to our own crimes, misdemeanors, bad behaviors. Anger, lies, unkindness ... all those petty and gross sins we've committed against society, our loved ones, our fellow human beings.
Righteous anger doesn't ring very true when it comes from those equally guilty, just on a smaller scale.
We need to take responsibility for each other and our children. Recognize that venal behavior is not acceptable from any source for any reason. And maybe, in some small way, help carve a path away from evil.
Many of us are protesting around the country, the world. If only there was a way, even just one day, we as individuals could try to make amends, do something positive. Rekindle hope.
Hmm. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Begun by Moses after receiving the second tablets of the Ten Commandments.
It's the holiest of holy days among the Jewish people, the Sabbath of Sabbaths -- 25 hours of thought, reflection and prayer. Culminating in a renewed determination and promise to be a better person.
Not such a complex idea really. Yom Kippur isn't just about religious sin. It's more about the moral laws which apply to everyone.
No matter our many diverse contemporary beliefs (or lack of same), its mission of honesty, enlightenment, apology and forgiveness belongs to all of us.
In fact the day before Yom Kippur we ask forgiveness from people in our lives for breaking moral laws, for causing them pain. Only we --not God-- can forgive each other. Yom Kippur is the day we ask forgiveness for promises broken to God.
Yom Kippur officially begins with Kol Nidre, a prayer asking God to release us from unfulfilled vows. Kol Nidre literally means "all our vows" and refers to the promises we weren't able to keep despite our best efforts.
Just before Kol Nidre, Jews follow the custom of promising these mitzvahs (blessings):
Love your neighbor as yourself.
The mitzvah of individual and communal confession.
The mitzvah of self-denial --fasting, abstaining from sex, refraining from washing, not wearing leather-- from sundown to sundown, one entire day.
Let one mitzvah lead to another.
Let the coming year bring joy and peace to ourselves, our families, to Israel and the world.
Amen to that one especially.
During Yom Kippur services congregations repeat the Confessional, a list of sins committed by the average person: lying, poor judgment, cheating or hurting a loved one, exploiting others, stubbornness, cruelty ... it's a long list.
The Confessional is recited as "we" to remind us we are all responsible for the sins of our society, either by what we do or by passively accepting conditions that lead to crime and lawlessness and violence.
If only all government and religious leaders believed --and acted upon-- that fundamental communal responsibility.
Jewish tradition says that from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur our names are written down by God in one of several books and our fate for the coming year is sealed. All of us hope our names are written in the Book of Life.
This is the blessing we wish for each other: Gamar Chatimah Tovah: "May you be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year."
That is my wish for you. May you and yours be sealed in the Book of Life for a good --for a much better-- year.
You don't have to understand the words to feel the pain, the beauty in asking forgiveness, and calling for hope.
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Max Rivlin-Nadler
drlaura2
Kristina Lakes
mhold
L in the Southeast
Jane Brogan
Salon.com
Comments
It bothers me that Easter, Christmas, virtually every other holiday, including even Ramadan and St. Patrick's Day are covered, but not these tremendously meaningful universal observances.
It would be nice to see some form of respect for the holiest day of the Jewish year, brought to the world by Moses, who belongs to all.
I will pray to be a better person who doesn't let small details like this bother me. I will also be wishing peace, prosperity, health and happiness for all my friends of every religion, culture, creed, color and belief or non-belief system.
L'Shana Tova and Shalom.
Lezlie
"Let the coming year bring joy and peace to ourselves, our families, to Israel and the world."
Amen to that - & Shalom.
Particularly moving was his relating the story of Muslims protecting Christians at Mass, and Christians returning the favor during Muslim prayers, and both groups joining hands to protect a synagogue. Religion certainly has its faults, chief among them the divisions it engenders, it is truly uplifting to see it play a role in bringing people together.
I thought I remembered doing a brief L'Shanah Tovah post last year so I looked. I had, but mainly it contained a link to your Rosh Hashanah post.
Are you familiar with a folk singer by the name of Christine Lavin? She once did a song called "National Apology Day." I don't think she knew that we Jews essentially already have one.
As for your comment about Rosh Hashana not being mentioned this year, I saw a few scattered posts that did say something about it, but nothing like this, I think. I agree it's odd - I feel like last year there were a lot more people writing about ALL Judeo-Christian holidays (and some others besides) - maybe that's just my impression - or maybe there really has been a change from last year to this one? At any rate, thanks so much for stepping up and giving us such a beautiful post about such an important holiday.
I had a Jewish partner, I learned so much. But this holiday was an especially revealing look at how I felt about everything i had done and those I lost.
Nice to see you]