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YOM KIPPUR

Updated: Oct 21



At this time of the Jewish New Year I came across this wonderful poem by UU minister Rev. Julian Jamaica Soto.  I love the idea of knocking gently at your own door in order to be kind to yourself and illicit a caring response for yourself rather than trying so hard to whip yourself into shape.  Rev. Soto has given me permission to reproduce the poem here.  You could see more of their work by clicking HERE.


As part of the Yom Kippur, (Ne’ilah) the

prayers list sins in alphabetical order,

but not all of them, as folks have

many bad ideas.

 

And as they are read, the listeners

beat their chests in ritual, but

without pounding.

 

Rabbi says, “Knock gently, that the

door may actually open, rather than

steel itself against an onslaught.”

 

“Hello? Is anybody home.”

I am; having returned from a long

journey away from myself.  I open

the door to let in the possibility

 

that after a while, forgiveness

can make way for growth and

patience can make room for

love.

 

-gently 



.  And, here is one of my own poems about Rosh Hashanah

 

Rosh Hashanah

 

When the gates of the Hebrew New Year swing open,

I, too, am given the chance to atone;

for the petty disappointments I continue to carry

for songs I could have sung and didn’t

for un-danced dances,

kisses given without heart

for words I wish I could reel back

and my resistance to gray days, rain and boredom.

For times I was not mindful

and others were harmed,

for sitting in the back row

demanding that the world entertain me,

for clinging to outcomes,

forgetting that heaven is here on earth.

 

My prayer is

that the process

of remembering

my sins

helps

to soften them,

wash them

into the stream

of last year

where they might flow

remembered

and transformed

by the river

of time.

 

            ~Penny Hackett-Evans

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 Comment


Mary Allan
Mary Allan
Oct 14

I shared your Yam Kippur "Sacred Path" post with a Jewish friend of mine. She SO appreciated it!

You are touching so many lives, Penny. Thank you.

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