Posts
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:YOM KIPPUR:TESHUVAH
Shalom again:
Sorry about sending two emails in one day to our class, but I received this question, minutes after our class was sent, and being that the Holy Day of Selicoth is on the 20th of September, quite soon, and this question is very germane to the season, I felt it best that I answer it, and send it.
Thanks,
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
via Shamash Org on-line class service
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
via Shamash Org on-line class service
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
Dear Rabbi Segal:
Are you saying that we are better off NOT going to services on Yom Kippur
and spending that whole day in synagogue?
Thanks,
Bob______
email and last name redacted as per request
_____
Dear Bob:
Of course not.
I am not sure where you are with you Jewish Spiritual Renewal.
If you have been reading the classes, but not doing the work, then what I
recommend for you, this High Holy season, is to access the past classes asap,
on the Hebrew College Shamash web page way down at the bottom of this
email class, and to do your chesbon ha nefesh to find out which folks in your
life you need to forgive, and which folks in your life you need to make
teshuvah, amends, to before Yom Kippur.
Judaism specifically states that asking God for forgiveness of our character
defects, before we have asked forgiveness from humans to whom we owe
amends, is wasted prayer. Hence, our sages would find hypocritical, masses of
Jews, going to services on Yom Kippur, beating their chests, confessing to
communal sins, while still holding grudges to folks in the very sanctuary.
Jewish Spiritual Renewal is about, among other things, doing ritual with
kavenah, sincere spiritual intention.
We want you at Yom Kippur services as part of the community, in communal
prayer, as all Jews are responsible for one another. When your fellow sins, you
have the mitzvah to reprove, gently instruct, so that you are not guilty of
sinning. So avoiding synagogue and separating yourself from the Jewish
community, disallows you this opportunity.
Yet, Judaism demands that you do your chesbon ha nefesh gadol and continue
each night with a small one, do vidui, do a true tashlich, and do teshuvah,
before asking God for forgiveness on Yom Kippur in synagogue.
So, yes, go to YK service, BUT yes, do the work required, during the month of
Elul, now.
There is an exception: if the only synagogue near you is not God or spiritually
based, you are better off praying at home. If you are going to hear sermons
that "God can't do this or that", or that you can change yourself, or if the day
is one of more of a social event then of Jews taking the Day of Repentance
seriously, and IF you are at a weak point in your life where this effects you
negatively and feeds your yetzer ha ra, then stay away.
I am blessed at this point in my life that I can go to a bar or bat mitzvah, if
invited, to a Temple, that may be closed on Shabbat, or have a rabbi giving
misinfo in the sermon or bulletin, and still can be not judging, and happy, and
see a cup over flowing, and not a cup half empty as I used to see. But this
took YEARS of work. It was not an over night matter. I had to learn humility
Are you saying that we are better off NOT going to services on Yom Kippur
and spending that whole day in synagogue?
Thanks,
Bob______
email and last name redacted as per request
_____
Dear Bob:
Of course not.
I am not sure where you are with you Jewish Spiritual Renewal.
If you have been reading the classes, but not doing the work, then what I
recommend for you, this High Holy season, is to access the past classes asap,
on the Hebrew College Shamash web page way down at the bottom of this
email class, and to do your chesbon ha nefesh to find out which folks in your
life you need to forgive, and which folks in your life you need to make
teshuvah, amends, to before Yom Kippur.
Judaism specifically states that asking God for forgiveness of our character
defects, before we have asked forgiveness from humans to whom we owe
amends, is wasted prayer. Hence, our sages would find hypocritical, masses of
Jews, going to services on Yom Kippur, beating their chests, confessing to
communal sins, while still holding grudges to folks in the very sanctuary.
Jewish Spiritual Renewal is about, among other things, doing ritual with
kavenah, sincere spiritual intention.
We want you at Yom Kippur services as part of the community, in communal
prayer, as all Jews are responsible for one another. When your fellow sins, you
have the mitzvah to reprove, gently instruct, so that you are not guilty of
sinning. So avoiding synagogue and separating yourself from the Jewish
community, disallows you this opportunity.
Yet, Judaism demands that you do your chesbon ha nefesh gadol and continue
each night with a small one, do vidui, do a true tashlich, and do teshuvah,
before asking God for forgiveness on Yom Kippur in synagogue.
So, yes, go to YK service, BUT yes, do the work required, during the month of
Elul, now.
There is an exception: if the only synagogue near you is not God or spiritually
based, you are better off praying at home. If you are going to hear sermons
that "God can't do this or that", or that you can change yourself, or if the day
is one of more of a social event then of Jews taking the Day of Repentance
seriously, and IF you are at a weak point in your life where this effects you
negatively and feeds your yetzer ha ra, then stay away.
I am blessed at this point in my life that I can go to a bar or bat mitzvah, if
invited, to a Temple, that may be closed on Shabbat, or have a rabbi giving
misinfo in the sermon or bulletin, and still can be not judging, and happy, and
see a cup over flowing, and not a cup half empty as I used to see. But this
took YEARS of work. It was not an over night matter. I had to learn humility
which I still learn daily, and that I am not perfect, and screw up many times daily.
So, Bob, search your heart. If you have done your chesbon ha nefesh, you
know your defects. If one of them is judging, ask God to keep you from this sin,
and let you go to your synagogue and only see good.
Many blessings,
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
via Shamash Org on-line class service
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
WWW.SHAMASH.ORG
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a service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and
an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/
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So, Bob, search your heart. If you have done your chesbon ha nefesh, you
know your defects. If one of them is judging, ask God to keep you from this sin,
and let you go to your synagogue and only see good.
Many blessings,
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
via Shamash Org on-line class service
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
WWW.SHAMASH.ORG
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The SPIRITUALRENEWAL mailing list is hosted by
Shamash: The Jewish Network, http://shamash.org ,
a service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and
an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/
To unsubscribe email: SPIRITUALRENEWAL-unsubscribe-request@SHAMASH.ORG
For other options go to: http://listserv.SHAMASH.ORG/
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