For those of you who don’t know, last Saturday, September 30th, marked the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) on the Jewish calendar (5761) and the 10 days between last Saturday and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) are considered The Days of Awe. It is during this time that we reflect on our lives, particularly this past year, and consider ways to improve ourselves and to ask forgiveness for the sins we have committed.
However, G-d can only offer forgiveness for sins or broken promises against Him, he cannot offer forgiveness for sins or broken promises between people. Therefore, we must ask forgiveness not only from G-d, but from all those whom we may have harmed, whether knowingly or unknowingly, whether by word or by deed.
For all those who have harmed me, I offer forgiveness. I recognize that we are all only human and subject to human frailties. And to those whom I have harmed, whether with a sharp tongue or a hasty action (or in many cases with me, incaction), for thoughtlessness, pettiness, anger, broken promises, or any other way I may have hurt you, I ask your forgiveness as well.
May everyone be inscribed again this year in the Book of Life, and may we all prosper and be well.
I’m reminded of the joke that Jon Stewart tells about the advantage of Judaism over Catholicism…you guys get to wrap up your sin issues on one day per year…bets the heck ouf of confession
Happy New Year Shayna and all our other Jewish Dopers!
Thanks for reminding me. I meant to put a card in the mail to you. The good news is that I already know I’m forgiven since this is the time of year when you’re in a forgiving mood.
Okay, now that I’ve a minute or two to post reflectively:
Blessings to you, Shayna, not only in tribute of these holy days of creation and atonement, but in the rest of the year to follow.
G-d and I aren’t the best of friends these days, but I’ll put in a call specifically for you. And, although I am late, May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. I’m sure that before the next seven days are up, your teshuvah will clean your slate.
I missed being a Jew by this* much (line broke at my mother’s FATHER) so I have a special fondness for my Jewish friends. And I long ago figured out that Jews and Catholics have lots in common–services in a (nearly) dead language (like I said, it was LONG ago), hated and distrusted by nutty Fundy Protestants*, religiousness being a LIABILITY in an election. So I guess I’m sorta Jewish–enough to wish my Jewish friends the most dreadful, heart-rending, and ultimately fulfilling Yom Kippur.
And I would like to extend my apologies to all whom I have offended here, especially since I’m usually too unthinking to realize it.
I still haven’t gotten used to BEING a Protestant, especially since the Catholic and Lutheran churches have kissed and made up. And Catholicism is just Romanized Judaism, anyway. (Tick, tick, tick–the clock is running until I get corrected for that one!)
Yesterday, there was a bunch of Jewish people throwing bread into the Mississippi River. I didn’t find out until later that the bread represented emptying their pockets of sin.
I saw my mom & her SO yesterday. He’s Jewish, so I wished him a Happy New Year, and asked him if he’d atoned yet. Then he explained to me about how there’s actually a week between the New Year & the Day of Atonement, and explained about how it works. Neat stuff, that. I asked him how in the heck he’s supposed to remember anything that he should be atoning for, and if he keeps a sort of “sin diary” throughout the year, so that he can keep track of everything, just in case he forgets (Mike has a great sense of humor, so I knew I could get away with that). Then he explained about how there’s all kinds of prayers & stuff that will cover pretty much everything. The hard part is getting to the people that you may have sinned against & asking their forgiveness, because you have to ask G-d (for this thread, I’ll spell it that way) for forgiveness for, say, lying, but you have to ask forgiveness also from the person you actually lied to. Kinda keeps you on the straight & narrow, I think.
This holiday season is going to be fun for my family. We do celebrate Hannukah, but this year, the first night of Hannukah falls on December 21st, which happens to be the pagan Yule. Can you say paaaaaar-taaaaay?
One time after Pesach (Passover,) my family and I were trying to rid our house of the leftover matzah, so we took it down to the lake to feed to the ducks. They swam over, sniffed it, and swam away as it sank like a stone. Apparently even ducks have standards.
Happy New Year my friends and landsleit. Don’t get sick when you break-the-fast.
Oy! Shayna, could you have at least mentioned your mother in that post? She’s probably so worried over you, she’s gone mashugana!
You should eat more, you’re skin and bones! Apples and honey will do the trick! A little coogle, a little bit o’ blintz, come come, there are starving kids in Haifa who would gladly take your food from you. Oh, such a shana punam, you look like your dear ol Uncle Morty, G-d bless his soul.
I trust you went to shuel a few days ago. You know, in my day we weren’t even allowed to call it shuel. We called it bait k’nesset, dag nabbit! You kids have it so easy what with your “new” testements and whatnot. I went to school with Yitzhak, Abraham’s son, and I’ll tell you what, he was no laughing matter. So believe me, ya little zoftik, when I tell you what’s what.
Happy New Year to you and the rest of the Jewish people here.
You have my forgiveness for any bad thing you have done to me. Which is nothing, but save it up, you might need it later. Never can tell when a little extra forgiveness might come in handy.
So are you gonna get shit-faced, make some stupid resolution you’ll forget about once you sober up, and kiss someone at midnight like we gentiles do?
Oh and Coldie, I had no idea you were of the East-Bengal Pink Unicorn Revised Progressive Belief. You see, I’m of the West-Bengal Periwinkle Unicorn Orthodox Belief. In light of this new information, I’m afraid I can’t interact with you anymore.
