Shalom, y’all! Hang in there as we continue through, and soon enough we’ll be in our concluding prayers. Remember, if you’re not feeling well, lie down in our lounge or take a quick fast break if you need some water or a snack before Break Fast. It is important to feel some discomfort to sit with the magnitude of this day as we cleanse our souls, but it is more important to take care of yourselves.
Now, our final Torah reading for the day comes from Leviticus, the holiness code. Some of it is a repetition of the Ten Commandments, while many other lines give us other commandments around sacrifices, about leaving the corners of the field for the hungry to come and eat, and guidelines to take care of ourselves, each other, and the environment. It starts with the commandment, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” And what does this commandment mean? How can we hope to live up to God’s holiness?
Maimonides, who had a lot to say about how to properly repent and be holy and mark these days of awe, suggests that we must emulate specifically the 13 attributes of mercy that have become a piece of the High Holy Day liturgy: “The Lord! The Lord! God, Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to anger and Abundant in Kindness and Truth, Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations, Forgiver of iniquity, willful sin, and error, and Who Cleanses (but does not cleanse completely, recalling the iniquity of parents upon children and grandchildren, to the third and fourth generations)”.
If we are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in kindness, if we are honest, forgive those who hurt us and apologize to those we hurt, we learn to walk in the holy ways of God. In doing so, we not only make ourselves holy for God, we help create a holy community, a kehillah kedosha, for those around us. Creating holiness within ourselves and our communities is an important step toward tikkun olam, and transforming these traits into actionable change for the world.
As the Gates of Repentance start to close this evening, may we find the strength for the coming year to emulate the Holy One and embody the mercy that leads to holiness on earth, for ourselves, for our friends, family, and community, and for the world.
Now, our final Torah reading for the day comes from Leviticus, the holiness code. Some of it is a repetition of the Ten Commandments, while many other lines give us other commandments around sacrifices, about leaving the corners of the field for the hungry to come and eat, and guidelines to take care of ourselves, each other, and the environment. It starts with the commandment, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” And what does this commandment mean? How can we hope to live up to God’s holiness?
Maimonides, who had a lot to say about how to properly repent and be holy and mark these days of awe, suggests that we must emulate specifically the 13 attributes of mercy that have become a piece of the High Holy Day liturgy: “The Lord! The Lord! God, Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to anger and Abundant in Kindness and Truth, Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations, Forgiver of iniquity, willful sin, and error, and Who Cleanses (but does not cleanse completely, recalling the iniquity of parents upon children and grandchildren, to the third and fourth generations)”.
If we are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in kindness, if we are honest, forgive those who hurt us and apologize to those we hurt, we learn to walk in the holy ways of God. In doing so, we not only make ourselves holy for God, we help create a holy community, a kehillah kedosha, for those around us. Creating holiness within ourselves and our communities is an important step toward tikkun olam, and transforming these traits into actionable change for the world.
As the Gates of Repentance start to close this evening, may we find the strength for the coming year to emulate the Holy One and embody the mercy that leads to holiness on earth, for ourselves, for our friends, family, and community, and for the world.
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