Yom Kippur





Yesterday, for the first time I attended a Yom Kippur Service- Day of Atonement  at the Synagogue.  It was a powerful experience since as individuals and community we asked Hashem – God to forgive us.  The service was more than four hours long.  Some people do not leave their synagogues at all for those 24 hours.  They do not eat or drink. It is a powerful sign of repentance and sacrifice for the sake of some spiritual nourishment.  There will be more to come on Yom Kippur. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sir Nicholas Winton - quietly saved 669 children from the Holocaust

Image
People need to be creative in the times of difficulty.  Why? It is sometimes the only one way how we and others can service.    Sir Nicholas Winton (Born :  May 19, 1909 (age 106) and Died : July 1, 2015)  was a man who was able to think beyond the social, political, economic limitations.   That helped him to save 669 Jewish children from the Holocaust.   This clip is an explanation of how Sir Nicholas did that and what kind of impact his thinking and acting had on people’s lives. Also, it is interesting, that he did not stop helping.  He focused his life on protecting others who could not do this for themselves.  He is one of the Tzadikim   Nistarim – the hidden righteous ones.   
Read more

Simchat Torah - I learned something new about it

Image
Tomorrow we celebrate Simchat Torah.  What is Simchat Torah: “Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the  Torah ." This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of  weekly Torah readings …. On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends. This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah  scrolls  and plenty of high-spirited singing and dancing in the synagogue with the Torahs. Drinking is also common during this time; in fact, a traditional source recommends performing the priestly blessing earlier than usual in the service, to make sure the  kohanim  are not drunk when the time comes! In some synagogues, confirmation ceremonies or ceremonies marking the beginning of a child's Jewish education are held at this time. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah...
Read more

HETERODOXY

Image
Richard Rohr wrote: One of the earliest accounts of Francis, the "Legend of Perugia," quotes Francis as telling the first friars, "You only know as much as you  do ." His emphasis on action, practice, and lifestyle was foundational and revolutionary for its time and at the root of Franciscan alternative orthodoxy ("heterodoxy").   You may be wondering, "How can Franciscanism be an  alternative  and still be called  orthodox  (right and true)?" Heterodoxy is precisely a third something in between orthodoxy and heresy!... The early Franciscan friars and "Poor Clares" wanted to be  Gospel practitioners  instead of merely "word police," "inspectors," or "museum curators" as Pope Francis calls some clergy. [1] Again, Richard Rohr challenges me to look at the Christian faith from a more Jewish perspective.  Right action, this is what is important in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. ...
Read more