Jewish Musings, Sunday, September 24, 2023

[peachymom1]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[peachymom1]

Good morning and shavua tov! FYI, I will not be posting on Monday and will post late Monday night for Tuesday.

As we all know, Yom Kippur begins this afternoon, before sunset, with the Kol Nidre prayer, which is not actually a prayer, but a statement canceling any vows we might make to God in the coming year. Then later in the service, we recite a long list of sins we’ve collectively committed (whether we’ve committed them individually ourselves or not). There’s something deeply moving and comforting to me about declaring these things publicly, together as a community, that I can’t explain to my non-Jewish family. But they’ve all seen Neil Diamond in “The Jazz Singer,” so they have an inkling about atonement and the power of Kol Nidrei, and my sisters, in particular, get it. (That may sound lame, and I mean no disrespect to my sisters, but that movie went a long way in helping them understand me, and I appreciate that very much.)

So let’s talk about the recitation of sins that we repeat after the cantor, from “We have trespassed” all the way down to “We have led others astray.” Listing them all is intended to inspire awareness in us, and it does do that for me. But I recently came across something by Rabbi Avi Weiss (the founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in the Bronx), who has proposed an “opposite recitation” of the confession, this one focusing on the good things the speaker has done. “A person should also be joyous concerning the good he or she has done. It follows that just as there is a great benefit to self-improvement through confessing one’s sins, so is there great benefit to confessing one’s good deeds,” Rabbi Weiss writes. Here is the confession of good deeds:

“We have loved, We have blessed, We have grown, We have spoken positively. We have raised up, We have shown compassion, We have acted enthusiastically, We have been empathetic, We have cultivated truth. We have given good advice, We have respected, We have learned, We have forgiven, We have comforted, We have been creative, We have stirred, We have been spiritual activists, We have been just, We have longed for Israel, We have been merciful, We have given full effort, We have supported, We have contributed, We have repaired.”

I love this. What are your opinions and comments?

I wish you all an easy fast (if you’re fasting) and a meaningful Yom Kippur. G’mar tov!

[louise]

I love the listing the things we did right. It's something to pull out on the days you need to be reminded. For YK though I find it very powerful to list the potential sins. I think it is a good idea at the same time to keep a grip on who you are and how you could be better.

I don't want to jinx myself but I feel that I am actually prepared. I lead one short service (mincha before KN), am only chanting the maftir, and also Jonah but I have done that many many times. I did some set up on the sanctuary before I left yeaterday. Flowers will be delivered today. Will go over my checklist jusy to ne sure.

Wishing those that faast an easy fast and wishing Frieda a speedy recovery.
G'mar tov.
(I will not be logging on during YK either).

[hollygail]

By the time I got to "we have grown," there were tears in my eyes. I LOVE this concept and this particular set of positives. THANK YOU for finding and quoting it here. A former rabbi of mine offered us an alternative to beating our hearts during the Ashamnu recitation: opening the hand and sort of circling it on the chest where the heart is, like a "soothing" type of touch. I think it's something that could be added to "confessing" the positives we've accomplished.

Thank you for quoting Rabbi Avi Weiss. (I sent the information to my rabbi already! Not necessarily for this year, but for her general files of good stuff...)

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE!

Re today's topic: I won't be fasting for medical reasons, but do intend to spend the time thinking about how to become a better person. DS and I may watch services on TV; there's a channel here that shows Jewish-oriented programming.

Have a peaceful day, and if you are fasting later/tomorrow, I hope it will be easy and meaningful, Lee

[gazelle18]

I like the recitation of good deeds, as a balance to the recitation of sins. I wouldn’t want to replace the good deeds list for the bad deeds list. This might lead to us becoming “arrogant” or “stiff-necked,” etc.

May those who are fasting have an easy one. May we all have a meaningful YK. Good luck to those of you leading services or chanting. Frieda, if you see this, we are all wishing you a speedy recovery, and will think of you tonight and tomorrow.

See everyone on Tuesday.

And now….off to make blintzes!

[brgmsn]

May those fasting and attending services have a meaningful holy day and easy fast. I wish all health and peace, especially to Frieda, and a full and complete recovery

[peachymom1]

I'm thinking of Frieda and wishing her all the best with her surgery. Frieda, I hope you get that cheesecake!