 Torah Thoughts
Yom Kippur
G-d Awaits Us…
On this holy day, we transcend our physical nature and
focus on our relationship with G-d. We refrain from working, taking part in
mundane activities, eating, drinking, washing or anointing the body, wearing
leather shoes, and marital relations.
Freedom of choice is the keystone of our purpose in
life. Divine service is choosing what G-d wants - even if it conflicts
with our earthy desires. Choosing the temporal over the divine distances one
from G-d's presence. Feeding the animal within, while starving the soul,
dulls one's sensitivity to G-d and to others.
Self-centered destructive behaviors are addictive. It
becomes increasingly difficult to extricate oneself from the snare. Logic
dictates that a breach of Divine will should incur obliteration.
The Creator was well aware of human fallibility.
Thus, G-d programmed the concept of "teshuvah" into the
design of the world. This Hebrew word is often translated as
"repentance." A more accurate term is "return." It
implies a return to the source, one's original state of being. This G-d-given
gift allows us to transcend time, retrace our steps, and change the past. We
can choose to grab G-d's extended hand and pull ourselves from the pit we
have dug, into the warm divine embrace. G-d waits patiently for us always.
During the High Holy Days, however, G-d's hand is proffered. We are given
inspiration and assistance.
Yom Kippur is the climax of this period of grace. It is
the anniversary of Moses' descent from Mount Sinai
bearing the second Tablets of the Law. His prior descent ended tragically.
Moses witnessed his people committing the gravest sin. After a process of
national introspection, repentance, and prayer, Moses returned to the
mountain. The repentance was successful. Yom Kippur has been marked ever
since as the last day to "file returns."
Let's get practical. How does one do teshuvah?
The starting point is awareness. An awareness of G-d's existence and the
contours of the path on which He wishes us to travel is an obvious point of
departure.
Armed with the knowledge of where we should be, we must
now evaluate where we are. We must develop an awareness of those behaviors
that led to the discrepancy. The road to recovery begins with abandoning the
detrimental behavior - cold turkey.
Once we are out of its clutches, we must survey the
damage. The realization of how far our behavior allowed us to stray from our
mission and from G-d's presence should lead to feelings of profound remorse
and regret. Those feelings must flower into a resolve never to succumb again.
Extracting the negative behavior from our core,
examining it, and appreciating the damage it caused requires confession. This
verbal act of coming clean airs our dirty laundry, preventing us from denying
or rationalizing our errors. This exposure is a private affair between the
penitent and G-d. We do not rely on human intermediaries.
Yom Kippur only atones for sins against G-d. Harm
caused to one's fellow is not forgiven until the injured party is appeased.
Every effort must be made to gain forgiveness from that individual. One is
obligated to make three sincere attempts, even bringing friends along to
intercede. If the injured party still refuses, one is no longer obligated to
ask. The erstwhile victim is not regarded favorably.
We are exhorted to emulate G-d, who is merciful and
forgiving. Forgiving others wholeheartedly releases one from resentment and
encourages divine forgiveness.
The Talmud teaches that personality traits rooted in
egocentrism impede the teshuvah process. We must search out these
traits and destroy them. Apathy, anger, malevolence, insensitivity to the
needs of others, unwillingness to hear criticism, and cutting oneself off
from society all deal a death blow to the possibility of teshuvah.
One who says "I will sin and repent" is not
afforded the opportunity to repent. Time is of the essence; procrastination
is toxic to teshuvah.
The ultimate test of the success of one's teshuvah
is a return to the "scene of the crime" - the motive and ability to
commit the sin present themselves again. The individual who has internalized
the change of teshuvah will turn his back on sin and run toward G-d.
Human life is tempestuous. We are tossed about by
events of the world outside; we are shaken by the storms raging in our inner
world. Many live their lives passively. They are caught in the maelstrom,
circling the drain, waiting for the end.
The message of Yom Kippur and teshuvah
is that we have tremendous power. Our actions have real consequences, and we
must take responsibility.
Our goal is to reunite with G-d. This can be achieved
only by returning to our true selves - our pure souls, unsullied by the
physical world, but elevated by using the gifts of the material world as
vehicles to reach G-d.
Once we begin the process, we will feel G-d's guiding
hand and warm embrace.
(From an article by Rabbi Price in The
Bergen Record 10/02/2003)
A Few Laws and Customs of Yom Kippur
Eve of Yom Kippur
It is customary…
…to eat a festive meal on the day before Yom Kippur.
…to immerse in a Mikveh (ritual pool) before Yom Kippur
and enter the Day in “purity” with a sense of rebirth.
…for men to don a Talit (prayer shawl) before the
beginning of the evening service
Yom Kippur
Begins before sundown of the night before
No creative work (as defined by our Oral Tradition- the
Talmud) may be performed- just as on the Sabbath.
We abstain from 5 physical activities:
Eating and drinking, washing, applying ointments to the
body, wearing leather shoes, marital relations
Yom Kippur ends with a sense of jubilation.
We begin “the rest of the year” with a mitzvah- we start
building the Sukkah right away.
Rabbi Baruch Price
Technical
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