Dear Friends,
The story goes that a local man saw the Rabbi rushing down the street deep in thought.
“Rabbi,” the man said, “why are you rushing from place to place?”
The rabbi replied, “I’m rushing to make sure the prayers are in order for Yom Kippur.”
“Perhaps,” said the man, “it might be better to slow down and use the time to put yourself in order.”
There is no magic to Yom Kippur. As our liturgy states,
For transgressions between an individual and God, Yom Kippur atones. But for transgressions between one individual and another, Yom Kippur does not atone until they have made peace with one another.
Instead, Yom Kippur presents us with an opportunity to reflect on our choices, and once we have identified where we have fallen short, work to make amends and change our ways.
That “opportunity” begins at sunset this evening. Whether you fast or not, whether you plan to spend the entire day in synagogue or not, I encourage you to set this day aside as a day for self-reflection. These next twenty-four hours won’t wipe our slates clean, but they will help us reflect upon the choices we have made and identify those areas that need improvement.
A teacher once asked, “What is the most difficult thing to look at?”
The students, thinking it was a trick question, were silent.
After waiting a few moments the teacher said, “A mirror. The hardest thing to look at is ourselves.”
Yom Kippur is our mirror. It helps us identify and celebrate those qualities about which we are proud. And it challenges us to begin the process of fixing those personal attributes that fall short of our expectations of ourselves.
I look forward to seeing you this evening.
Gmar Tov,
Rabbi Daniel M Cohen
Dvar Acher:
Tomorrow’s break out sessions include:
• A Text Study led by Student Rabbi Ora Jacobsen
• An Israel Update with Mike Sachs
• A Meditative Experience with Anne Sussman
My thanks to each of them for adding meaning to our Day of Atonement.
In addition, please note that tomorrow’s Yom Kippur Afternoon Service at 3:30 pm will include a special section to commemorate the attacks of October 7th.