Yom Kippur” by William Kurelek, 1975. This painting is part of the “Jewish Life in Canada” series, which consists of sixteen paintings that provide historical depictions of Jewish life in Canada.
Last evening marked the beginning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious year. This is a solemn 26 hour Day of Atonement which is marked by abstinence, repentance, along with seeking and granting forgiveness.
It's straightforward for me to type those words "repentance" and "forgiveness" -- they are words which are also important in Christian vocabulary. It's very different to unpack them in a way that isn't glib or somehow places the responsibility on those who have been harmed to forgive.
There is an interview in Religion News Service with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg about her new book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World. In it she lays out the Jewish system of repentance as codified by the 12th-century Jewish sage, Moses Maimonides. While this may sound like a dry theological tome she frames her reflections in the light of the #Metoo movement, cancel culture, and the generally shallow perceptions of what forgiveness entails. Here is the link so you ponder what Rabbi Ruttenberg has to offer.
2 comments:
And a Gut Yontif to you sir. :)
I love it when you speak Yiddish, Adam. A good holiday to you as well!
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