Yom Kippur 5781 Reflections

 

Greetings, Gail-Friends: 

I'm writing this post at the end of the fast for Yom Kippur.  Our service last night was so wonderful.  

Our observance was serious and solemn and yet joyful at the same time.  We reflected on and confessed our sins and then rejoiced in the redemption of Yeshua Ha Mashiach through His blood sacrifice.  I'm so grateful that we don't have to bring a sacrifice to be burned (see the graphic at the top of this post).  We also rejoiced in the Torah, God's wonderful gift to us! 

Each year we do this.  It's always convicting to read the list of sins and to be reminded of how sin can sneak in so easily.  I confess that murmuring and complaining are still my besetting sins.  Most of this happens when I watch the news. 

I pray to be like my husband, Rabbi Jem, who laughs at the things they say.  He laughs because he knows that Hashem says their time is coming.  I have to remember that and pray for Him to bring the evil ones to justice.  My part is to pray.  God has allowed all of this to happen - the plague, the attack on our country, the horrible murders and violence in the streets, the attacks on police, and the attacks on our president. 

Yom Kippur tells me to take a whole day to seek God's face and to fast and pray.  I not only fasted from food, but also the internet and television.  As I did this today, I read the Proverb of the day.  These verses stood out to me:

 He who conceals his sins will not succeed;
    he who confesses and abandons them will gain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

Oh, how I praise Adonai for his patience and mercy with me as I've journeyed through this earth.  I would be so lost without Him.

As I reflected on the evil in the world lately, this verse encouraged me:

 Those who abandon Torah praise the wicked,
    but those who keep Torah fight them. (Proverbs 28:4)

I'm reminded that my obedience to Torah is a weapon that brings power to my prayers. 

And this verse humbles me in my prayer life:

 If a person will not listen to Torah,
    even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:13)

During our Torah service, we always parade the Torah as a reminder that His Word is important.  It has been preserved for thousands of years by faithful men and women who treasured it and protected it and most important obeyed it.  

As the scroll passes by, we touch it (with our siddurs) and then touch our lips -- a reminder that His Word is sweet, like honey to our lips.  

 

We follow the scroll with our eyes and bodies, not turning our backs on it.  This is a physical reminder that we are to follow it, obey it, and never turn away from it.

While the scroll is being paraded, we sing this song.  I hope you'll listen and read the words as they are very moving.:  Ancient Words

Another song I reflect on during Yom Kippur is Teshuvah, which means to repent / return to Torah.  I hope you'll listen and reflect on the words of the song:  Teshuvah

To learn more about Yom Kippur, just click on the label on the right of the blog.

We're going on now to Sukkot - our holiday of JOY!  We'll be building the sukkah on Wednesday and I'll show you how it turned out!  I'll also show you our celebrations during the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Blessings and shalom to you all, dear Gail-Friends!

** image used by permission from A Little Perspective.com