This past weekend was the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Happy 5770! Next Monday will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Attonement, in which Jews repent for sins they have committed against God during the previous year. Jews are supposed to settle sins committed against others with those people. The point is to get yourself inscribed in the Book of Life for another year - Stephen Colbert actually covered this on his show last night. (http://www.hulu.com/watch/97278/the-colbert-report-tue-sep-22-2009).
The ten day period between the two holidays is known as the Days of Awe. The Days of Awe are sort of the personal introspection and reflection period leading up to Yom Kippur. We Jews are supposed to think about the past year, what we've done wrong and right, what we have to attone for on Yom Kippur, and what we want to change for next year. These 10 days can determine whether or not God inscribes us in the Book of Life.
As Stephen Colbert demonstrates on his show, Jews are supposed to hear the blowing of the shofar in synagogue on these two high holidays. There are a number of other somewhat archaic customs associated with this period, most of which only Hassidic and other similarly Orthodox Jews practice. There is one custom, however, which I know my conservative synagogue practices - it involves throwing bread crusts into a moving body of water. Called taschlich, this represents the tossing away of one's sins. I have never participated in it but I can see why it is an attractive practice. I can imagine that it might be quite cleansing.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are completely opposite in spirt. Rosh Hashanah is a big festive affair that one celebrates by eating disgusting quantities of delicious food with a large group of happy people. Yom Kippur is solemn, quiet, and introspective, and it is observed by fasting from sundown the evening before to sundown the day of and praying in synagogue. I've always associated these two holidays with the beginning of fall. When I was still in school, this meant the beginning of a new school year, a time to renew my scholarly commitments and make a fresh start if I so chose.
I never really think of myself as a particularly religious or spiritual person, but this time of year seems to consistently bring out the religion in me. Going to synagogue, the one to which my family has belonged for at least 15 years, and in which I was bat-mitzvahed, is beautiful, familiar, and filled with memories. Attending services on the high holidays causes me to reflect upon my religiousness, as I'm sure is intended, and to consider wrongs I may have committed during 5769. So, I apologize if I've offended anyone out there. In terms of my goals for the new year: I hope to continue the gym/weight loss/fitness trend, and not be defeated by the holiday season in December. I look forward to enjoying my job, whatever it is. I would like to know what I'm going to do with my life, or at least what I want to study in grad school. By this time next year, I will have taken the GRE.
Being Jewish becomes increasingly personal, as I grow up and no longer live at home. What I once did because my parents said so, I now question and consider for myself. This is not something I would ever have imagined I would do as a child in Hebrew School, but I've recently done a lot of things I never thought I would do, such as taking trapeze class and eating almost healthily. I hope this trend of trying new things and making myself leave my comfort zone every once in a while continues as well.
There's a little lesson and introspection for you.
Shanah Tovah!
I'm surprised the feasting comes at the beginning of the reflection period and that the fasting comes at the end.
ReplyDeleteWell, technically we eat a lot after Yom Kippur, to break the fast, but that's more of a "OMG WE'RE STARVING" sort of meal. The next holiday in the first month of the Jewish year is actually another feasting holiday, an 8-day harvest holiday in which you're supposed to eat a huge meal in an outdoor 3-sided structure with a thatched roof through which you can see the stars. It's called Sukkot and the sukkah, (the three-sided structure) commemorates when Jews would bring their harvest to Jerusalem and camp out there in sukkahs and feast with each other.
ReplyDeleteSo, I suppose the more religious Jews sandwich the fasting with feasting, but Sukkot has never been as big of a holiday for my family, although it's certainly a bigger deal in Hebrew school. There are actually a number of customs that go along with Sukkot as well, but unless you have your own sukkah, (which my family hasn't ever,) non-Orthodox Jews don't really celebrated in the same manner as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Any updates to your life?
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