The High Holy Days have already begun.
Emily and I are talking through our vision for the
services. The Ritual Committee is
getting organized. The venues are
booked. It might seem early, but the chaggim are only three-and-a-bit months
away. Important actions take time to
prepare; it’s time to start getting ready.
With its ancient, cyclical wisdom, the Torah gives us a
gentle nudge this week. After the
Israelites disobey yet again and God desires their annihilation, Moses reminds
God of God’s supreme qualities:
Moses speaks: “The
Eternal! Slow to anger and abounding in
kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression...”
God responds: “I have
pardoned, as you have asked.” (Parshat
S’lach L’cha, Numbers 14:18, 14:20)
“Adonai! Erech apayim v’rav chesed, noseh avon v’fasha
v’nakeh.”
“Vayomer
Adonai, ‘Salachti kid’varecha.’”
These words may sound familiar – they are woven into the Yom
Kippur liturgy.
Real forgiveness doesn’t come easily. It’s a process of acknowledging hurt, understanding
the cause, letting go, crafting a renewed vision of the relationship, and
building towards its realization. There
are no short cuts. And it begins with
the self.
While there’s still plenty of time, begin your High Holy Day
preparation now. Identify any anger
you’re holding. Remind yourself of your
qualities of forgiveness.
Just as God did, people need to be reminded to forgive. We especially need to remember to forgive
ourselves. Human beings are tough self-critics
– both for what we’ve done and for what we haven’t done. Responsibility is a heavy burden. It’s also a hard one to set down. Now is the time to begin.
