Greetings friends
Welcome to the ten days of awe, which begins with Rosh Hashanah – the first day of the seventh month and the months are counted astronomically with Aries as the first and Libra as the seventh, and will end with Yom Kippur, or you can look at it as a period beginning with the day of waking up and taking stock. And we end after the time of reflection and introspection when we faced the mirror of self and take steps to fix the broken patterns of our lives.
We began the holiday as we ate an apple dipped in honey. The apple represented the knowledge we gained from Eden – the great gift of knowing what is good and what is evil – and even knowing – many of us choose evil and not good, and the honey is for a sweet life. And believe it or not – you are entitled to a sweet life – and usually, it is only you who denies yourself that right.
We spend the 10 days of the yamim nora’im (days of awe) asking ourselves where we fell off the path we were chosen for and how to get back, who we need to forgive, who we need to seek forgiveness from, and have we told those who have meaning in our lives that they have meaning, because if you don’t tell, they won’t know, they will only guess. Don’t make people guess. Expose yourself, be vulnerable. There is strength in vulnerability.
But you can look at these ten days in another way. You can look at them as the means of setting yourself to honor and inculcate the four characteristics we all have but don’t always know we do and which elevate us - and these are – trust, hope, confidence, and love – because we do these things automatically without thinking –
I wish one day to be as trusting and sure in my belief as I trust tomorrow, the sun will rise – and yet –
I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I hope I am there for it;
None of us can see the future, but we are all confident there will be one;
And we see evil and darkness the world over – but we all still love.
Trust, hope, confidence, love – embrace them – hold onto them – even when under attack.
Much of the essence of the ten days of awe can be found in the Yom Kippur service with the ending prayers – the viduy – the confessional prayer, but instead of pounding your chest stating that you have done things, you might not have – ask yourself if you have done them.
I broke them down into 42 questions, broken down by things we do to G0d and the universe, to other people, to ourselves. I list a few at the end of the show, and all these questions are crucial questions.
The Talmud tells us we should consider ourselves balanced – half sinful, half righteous. When we commit one good – we tilt toward righteousness; when we commit one bad – we tilt toward sinfulness.
Think about each decision you make – which way are you tilting the scales?
Learn to exercise the forgiveness ritual – seek forgiveness from those you have offended; grant forgiveness to those who have offended you and do so with sincerity, accountability, and with vulnerability.
“Oh lord, creator of heaven and earth, who delivered us from bondage”– “if it please you, as you have done so often before, for so many, provide peace, security, insight into who I am and give me the power to grant and to seek forgiveness….”
That little prayer has all the elements - I stated the identity of who I am addressing and praised them for things they do and have done, and then I ask for what I am petitioning them for. This is what the prayer-filled holy days coming up are about, and this is your formula for developing your own.
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Be well, be happy, be healthy, be free, be kind, be forgiving, be compassionate, be independent of mind and deed, be mindful of your intentions, and be good to yourself. Continue to celebrate freedom of choice in your life, do not give in to fear, and enjoy the peace that comes from acceptance – as always - if you have any questions or suggestions or just want to say “hi,” please send me an email. I love hearing from you.
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Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others, and in doing so, be safe, my friends, be happy, and may you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace and love and miracles, and make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness.
And remember – your world is what you make it. Just wish upon a star and continue to be the miracle in someone’s life.
“Ketiva v’chatima tova” – “may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year” – and I know you are – and as the holy day concludes, it is “gamar chatimah tovah – a good final sealing”.
Blessings, share your love and continue sending in names for the great public ceremony when we light candles for all those lost in your lives and freedom fighters throughout history.
