Why I Fasted on Yom Kippur for the First Time in Twenty… or Is It Thirty… Years
Still I knew I had a lot to learn from Dennis and that his extraordinary “gift for gab” would make the service more entertaining than most. Besides, he promised to keep the whole thing mercifully short.
Well, he didn’t entirely keep that promise. Nevertheless, his non-stop commentary, particularly on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, stimulated a serious discussion about the existence of God in my hemi-semi-demi-agnostic family. I won’t go into it here — there are plenty of places to read about the creation of the universe more interesting than I could be and I’m already past 600 words. I want to get to another reason I fasted after Dennis put me in the mood.
The religious has always been close to the political for me. Although (mostly, depending on the day) I remain an agnostic (barely), I have always been a staunch Zionist. I’m certain that it stems from my childhood visits to my father’s medical office when I saw the numbers from Auschwitz tattooed on some of the nurses’ arms. Those numbers are seared indelibly in my mind. Perhaps they are now part of my DNA.
So today, on Yom Kippur, after having listened to Dennis a week ago, and with Ahmadinejad in New York, a man — some readers may recall — I encountered face-to-face in Geneva a few years ago at a United Nations gathering, I had no choice in my mind, body, and soul but to fast. “Never Again” is a serious matter to me.
Even though I’m a decent tennis player for a man my age, I’m way too old to volunteer with the Israeli Air Force to go after those despicable beasts, so the least I can do is affirm my identity as a Jew. I imagine I’ll be fasting next year too. Maybe I’ll even cancel my lesson with Omuta and go full bore.
Roger,
Curiously, I am listening to a youtube of Iris DeMent singing “Unclouded Day” (you may remember her singing “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” at the close of the Coen Brothers’ “True Grit”).
It seems appropriate for all of us of Faith, whether rock-solid or tentative-yearning, whether Jew or Christian, to meditate upon our sins, and pray for the mercy of our Creator now and in days to come.
Many, many of us sense we are on the precipice.
Shalom Roger.
(This Christian claims Dennis as her Rabbi, too).
Thank you Joan. The United States and Israel share a heritage which has survived innumerable acts of war against both of us. The role which Deity played is (for now) not fully seen. Yet have we not both been
Hit the wrong button – I am not compelled to “reply to myself”. Again:
Thank you Joan. The United States and Israel share a heritage which has survived innumerable acts of war against both of us. The role which Deity played is (for now) not fully seen. Yet have we not both been ESTABLISHED and PRESERVED by miraculous powers? Our heritage is both political (freedom’s children) and religious:
“PATRIOTS AND FELLOW AMERICANS, OUR FAITH SHALL YET TRIUMPH”
For reasons “unexplainable”,
But in wise eyes still quite blamable,
Our current lives, to many, grow oppressive (1).
Each day’s harsh news, and harsher demands,
To those with sight reflect a plan (2)
Pursued by evil powers quite obsessive (3).
To kill Columbia (4), to kill our faith,
To mock our freedoms, once kept safe,
These enemies of love and life conspire.
Their schemes, they think, cannot be known,
But Heaven has ways and means not shown (5),
To those who bend the knee to worship evil.
Let us awake and arise from our insensate state,
With Liberty’s hopes and dreams at stake,
Our prayers to Heaven shall not go unanswered.”
We shall bend our knees to Our Father’s Great God,
We shall recall harsh paths our Forefathers trod,
That we, their heirs, would live lives rich in freedom! (6)
Then, in their memory, and with their faith,
We shall live with honor, ‘til honor’s kept safe,
And once again the Liberty Bell is pealing. (7)
Through every trial, every fear,
God’s unseen angels linger near, (8)
Their sacred mission is our preservation!
So trusting in the Holy God,
We pray as we walk on Holy sod, (9)
And once more raise our eyes to Heaven believing!
Poet’s Notes:
1: Suicide is now the most prevalent form of (a) accidental death and (b) troop fatalities. This truth, while shocking, cannot be deemed unexpected. Those good souls who watch our nation being systematically dismantled and destroyed, from without and within, risk despair.
2: Our current dilemma is hardly accidental: “You didn’t build that” applies to the minions and slaves to darker powers.
3: Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)—“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
4: Columbia – the United States of America; new Latin; from Christopher Columbus; first see about 1775.
5: Isaiah 40:26 (KJV)—“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”
6: “God of Our Fathers” (National Hymn) composed in 1876 with lyrics by Daniel C. Roberts and melody by George W. Warrant to commemorate the American Centennial of 1876—inspired verse worth reading NOW. All four verses are simply overwhelming, each more necessary to us than the last, but the Fourth Verse, often ignored, now compels our attention: “Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way, Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine, And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.”
7: 1 Corinthians 13:2 (KJV)—“ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Safe to say that this is one scripture Obama (a) was never taught; (b) never read; (c) never heard expounded from Wright’s pulpit; (d) never took to heart; (e) ALL OF THE ABOVE.
8: Psalm 91:11 (KJV) “For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”
9: See Isaiah 50, with particular attention to verses 8-11. Christian or Jew, we all fast and pray for deliverance now.
You apparently do not understand the purpose of Yom Kippur, Roger. The central focus is time spent meditating and reflecting upon your life; even an agnostic should be capable of that. Fasting is but a sideshow, a diversion. Having a glass of water is no big deal. Opting to proceed with your silly tennis match merely undescores the shallowness of your life. But that is LA in a nutshell.
I’d cut him some slack. If he’s listening to Dennis, he may be startign to go somewhere. (I never worked out whether Dennis is still Orthodox or his own personal denomination.)
Tennis IS meditation..if you’re doing it right.
No need to shoot a deserter.
Baby steps, Carla, baby steps.
What an unsophisticated comment, carla. You are not exactly what would call a good spokesperson for the religious. I’m a Gentile, so unqualified in the specifics of Jewish law, but I certainly know rude behavior when I see it. Yours would not encourage me in any faith. Also, the person who just wrote about tennis is quite correct.
Carla, I think you’ve just found yourself something to reflect on. you are truly a piece of work.
To some extent, Yom Kippur – even though it is 25 hours – is the easiest fast. Being in the synagogue almost all day, one is occupied. Much easier than a shorter fast on a workday. Conversely, it would be hard to stay in the synagogue all day (except for a break of a few hours) if it wasn’t that there really isn’t anything else one is allowed to do.
(This isn’t only me – one of my colleagues, a Gruzini (former Soviet Georgia), who is what is know here as “traditional” (semi-religious Orthodox) made this remark to me today. Although – as most people here named Michael are – he is from the FSU, he follows the Oriental rite, like the Jews of the ME, being from an Eastern republic.)
The hard part, ideally, is to try to actually repent. We say confession ten times, in public before God, but to actually achieve some repentance is not easy.
Good luck on next year, Roger!
A couple of notes –
(1) One nice thing about being in the ME is that Muslims fast the same way we do. Chrisitians often find it strange that we don’t even drink water. On the other hand, you can refer a Christian to the Bible.
(2) As Orthodoxy predominates in the ME, religion in Israel is not split by denomination but by degree – you basically have Religious (Dati), Traditional (Mesorati(*)), and Secular (Chiloni). But the number who observe nothing at all is relatively small; most people fast.
(*) Mesorati, or Shomer Masoret, as traditionally used in Israel – for example in the official statistics – is unrelated to the attempt by the American Conservative movement to appropriate the term. Mesorati tend to be from the ME, and are mostly, if not overwhelmingly, Orthodox. Arguably, so are the Secular. Counting only religious people as Orthodox is like only counting fully-obervant Catholics as Catholic.
A recent survey of Jewish Israelis shows some 64% intend to fast, while 46% intend to spend at least part of the day in synagogue. The ranks of Israel’s “seculars” continue to demonstrate that they’re not fully divorced from Jewish tradition. A higher percentage will, for example, light Sabbath candles on Friday evening or attend a Passover seder than will US Jews.
These traces of tradition can manifest in the most unexpected ways. With other overseas students from Haifa, I was spending Sabbath at a campsite in Israel’s Golan. One of my fellow “traditionals” brought a small bottle of wine and decided that a great spot for a “kiddush” was near a waterfall-fed lake where many Israelis were swimming. As we started, a middle-aged fellow in swim trunks heard the words, rushed over, covered his bare head with his arm, and gave an enthusiastic “Amen!” before rejoining his family. Nowhere near Orthodox, but the spark was still there.
I live in Haifa and work here in Yoqneam Ilit (look it up in the book of Joshua!) and my impression is the opposite; everybody seems to fast, not to many go to the synagogue. however, after a nice search of the official statistics, it does seem that the latter is more common. Unfortunately, the way the statistics are portrayed make it difficult to compare.
One number I get in the fficial statistics is that of the part of the Jewish population 20 and over (a figure inhrently skewed toward irreligion) that does not classify itself as “religous”, the percentage that fast on Yom Kippur is just about half. (The religious population would be assumed to be close to 100% fasting, excluding those who may not fast because of danger to life.)
Sorry for the typos.
The percentage of the Jewish population that claims not to observe at all? About 5%.
Think about that the next time your local newspaper plays games with the facts to make you think the Israeli population is completely secular.
Repentence becomes more possible if I am modest in my ambitions. There is a whole lot of repenting I could do – but this year I picked one sin to work on – and I hope thru the year I will give it all my attention.
The Day of Atonement. Why fast, why follow any religion? Does having at least a Muslim sympathizer in the White House get your attention? Does having Israel and the Hebrew language reconsitituted ring any bells? How about the forces of Gog and Magog surrounding Israel and developing nuclear weapons. How about Daniel’s predictions that the 10 toes of Roman Empire being smashed and the current riots in Europe have any connection? How about treachery and teason abounding. The Muslim operatives in the U.S. government, including Huma Abedin all providing “advice”.
We all need to get down to basics and pray because the forces of evil are encamped all around us.
People have been predicting the Second Coming based on your criteria for hundreds of years. Result so far? Zippo.
Read Matthew 24:36-44 and stop trying to second-guess God.
Oh – it will come as a thief in the night – we are promised that. However, unlike prior generations, it is our generation who understands the mark of the beast (chipping). It was promised that things would get “interesting” when there was a generation who understood the mystery of the mark.
Lolly, what is chipper? And what do you see as the mark? Thanks
Chipping is the theory that uber rich bankers, such as the Rothschilds, will command governments to implant an electronic chip in your body which will keep track of your ‘money’ or ‘bank account’. And thereby you will be enslaved to a bunch of goddamned evil, misanthropic, parasitic bankers. Don’t toe the party line, or like the way things are? Tough. Who knows, maybe they’ll have a bit of some type poison in the chip? The theory postulates that there will be no coin or paper money, just a balance on a computer screen. Don’t knuckle under to their will and your money is “poof”, gone. Then you may starve to death or be killed by poison in the chip.
It is not out of the realm of possibility. Me, I will resist being implanted with a chip, to the death.
Fortune magazine actually had a cover article back in July entitled ‘The Death of Cash’. Don’t know about anyone else, but I like the anonymity of cash to buy whatever I choose.
The bells are ringing. Our entire family is waiting for JESUS! How can anyone not recognize all the things that are happening throughout the world?
Many good Jewish people sees the NEED to fast…..The Almighty hears when we are that serious….With G0d`s help i plan to fast for 2 weeks before the election…..I have went 7 days, and drank as i needed for my meds….But just with that i lost a lot of weight and got much closer to HIM….Weight-loss is just a side benifit……The human body can fast much longer…..
…….And as to Mr Simon, Sir you could not have a finer HUMAN as your Rabbi as Mr. Dennis Praeger…..May i also claim him as my Rabbi, even thou i am a Christian….Our Beliefs is sometimes so close…..I also say Never Again, to the persecution of jews…..I will be there with Israel, in spirit, when Bibi has to do what he needs to do for Israel`s Life and breath…
Many Christian groups are participating in a 40 Days of Prayer, praying for our nation. I have been on my knees praying for our country and will continue to do so. May God help us all.
One of the tragic advantages to the scheming set of pushing cultural anthropology in place of history or simply refusing to teach facts at all anymore beyond a few politically useful concepts is you get a Second or Third Bite at Unadulterated Power or Plans for Utopia. No one recognizes the patterns.
There is simply insufficient widespread knowledge for it to dawn on enough people in time that we are dealing with a “Never Again” moment. It is the broad themes and driving impulses that reoccur. Now when it happens again, it will simply be an unfathomable tragedy for most.
Why wear your “agnosticism” on your sleeve? Why write about playing tennis on Yom Kippur? If you are embarrassed by religious observance, why not quietly do your own thing and realize that the observance is serious and holy to Jews and show a bit of respect Yes, I realize you are of Jewish descent. We do not want to hear about your family’s lack of faith on our holy days (oh, how mundane and boring you are, not to mention predictable -um, Hollywood- so what else is new?)
You have the right to believe what you will, but kindly show some respect for Jewish people. We have the weight of the world on our shoulders..
Or you could finally join us.
Please give him some space.
Unfortunately, many Jews know so little about their religion (but assume they do know) that they end up finding the same thing – but in a foreign religion. (See Klavan on the Culture.)
If you find it so mundane and predictable, why read it? Your griping words coming right on the heels of the Day of Atonement suggest you didn’t spend nearly enough time reflecting on your own sins. If you can’t see how much Mr. Simon does in support of the Jewish state and how negative your sentiment is, well… Let’s just say you aren’t doing our people any favors with that attitude.
Hey, Roger, maybe in the end of one’s life it really does matter what you believe? Interesting thought.
Kol HaKavod Roger.
Many people dismiss practicing Judaism ” a little ” because they feel it is an all or nothing situation and if you don’t go,
” whole hog ” ( pun very much intended ) you are a hypocrite. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
When a person begins to exercise he doesn’t start with 100 push ups. He does 5 or 10 or 20 and as time goes by he adds a little and his muscle power grows. The spirit is very much like a muscle. It also need exercise and grows little by little over time if you challenge your spirit like you challenge your muscles.
Whatever motivates an individual is different for every person. In your heart you probably recognize that just mere happenstance spared you from a number tattooed on your own arm. Or perhaps there are even deeper motives that you yourself are unaware of.
Soon you will learn enough to know what you have truly been missing. The lack of a Jewish education is one of the greatest tragedies imaginable. I always compare it to a a tv show I like as a kid, The Beverly Hillbillies. Jews without an education are like the Clampetts. They sit upon a treasure trove of wealth that is theirs yet they are simply unaware of what lies underfoot. If I told you I would not trade my Judaism for a billion dollars or tens of billions of dollars you might not believe me. But it is a truthful statement.
Jews come in all colors, dress and levels of religiosity. I offer the following video as a Rosh Hashana gift to you.
Perhaps one day i will have the pleasure of showing you my city, Jerusalem and seeing your eyes filled with Joy and Understanding.
Menachem Ben Yakov
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKnuwvq5X8s
Nice song and video. Thanks for the link. A little surely is better than none and does have a way of leading to more. And it may be more important now than ever.
Congratulations, Roger, for staying the course of the whole 25 hours, even if you had a little water, since you didn’t have the encouraging assistance of spending all day at services.
It is normal to participate in the communion of man and God (metalepsis), to feel the yearning for the God that sustains existence and to experience the ‘pull’ of the divine. It is abnormal not to experience such things.
For those of kind of out of the loop, who is the Dennis to which Roger is referring?
I’m guessing he means Dennis Prager?
I am 100% certain he does.
Roger – I’ll second Menachem Ben Yakov @7 and mzk1 in his various postings here. Also, let me point out that being an agnostic should not stop you from observing. Judaism does not require belief, so much as it does doing. As has been said, Christianity is a religion of creed while Judaism is a religion of deed. So, do the deeds, and not just the ceremonial ones, but the ethical ones, and you can continue being an agnostic.
And BTW, I might point you to the blogsite, Uncommon Descent, as to why there is a high probability there is an intelligent designer (as opposed to a fully naturalistic approach to life as we know it; note: ID is not creationism). God is a sufficient but not a necessary condition for such a designer; nonetheless, the high probability of the designer (or the vanishingly low probability of the alternative) might give you pause about you agnosticism.
Thank you. I very seldom get such a nice comment.
But I want to be careful. Judaism does require belief, but I often think that the difference between a believer and an agnostic is attitude. After all, I am so-called – how I hate that term! – “ultra-Orthodox – and I am not “certain”.
Action comes first, in both directions. “If only they had abandoned Me and kept my Torah, for the light in it would return them to good.” And on the other hand, people generally leave Judaism “because it is too hard” and later justify their behavior with philosophy.
Which prophet declared that the Lord said that?
But Jesus was quoting Torah when He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul.” If you are not going to attempt to keep the greatest commandment, what is the point in keeping the lesser ones?
“only to sneak off shortly thereafter for a French fries and egg cream break at a candy store”
Umm, think you just made Michelle’s
ShiDung List, Roger L.Nicely played JP.
And to most of Jewish America, I will quote Samuel L Jackson and say, “Wake the **** up!” Obama is not your friend.
#9 Dennis Prager.
Roger, I grew up in the 1950s in a small town outside Cincinnati.
Several Jewish WW II refugees had businesses in my home town. As a little girl I was with my mother one day in Mr Carter’s Dixie Dry Goods. I noticed black marks on Mr. Carter’s arm and my mother said that was a “number tattoo” burned onto his arm during the war. The only thing I knew about branding was from cowboy movies and I was horrified. Mr. Carter was a very kind and patient man, and sold the best Valentines for only 1 cents each.
Later, in adulthood, I forced myself to watch every episode of Shoah. I think remembering Mr. Carter kept me tuning in each new episode. I figured if he could live it, I ought to watch it, and I did not enjoy watching Shaoh. Now a different nutcase is braying he is going to destroy another six million Jews. Is the world going insane to let this nation run by satanists to acquire nuclear weapons? Is it? Is it?
Recently I came a web site called Genocide Watch by Dr. Gregory Stanton. Dr. Stanton teaches at George Mason University and has documented over 50 genocides in history. He has identified and classified the warning signs and the denial signs. I recommend this web site.
The UN unfortunately has way too many hoodlums, tyrants, and religious fanatics, so America, Canada and other ethical countries MUST oppose genocide. Must Must Must.
Jewish voters, this president may not attend mosque anymore, but he grew up attending mosque with his stepfather in Indonesia, and the president admires and praises his Kenyan father who was a Muslim anti-colonialist. AFTER this president is re-elected, nothing will stand in his way to follow his heart’s inclinations. Which way do you think he will choose?
Yishar Koach, Roger!
(Sorry, I don’t think that translates, although they do put in a decent effort here: http://bit.ly/cZJyjJ; of course you probably already know what it means)
This Lutheran finds it very easy to feel a kinship with conservative Jews, but finds it unfathomable why so many Jews in the US support political policies which very well may lead to another round of attempted “cleansing” in the Middle East. It is an easy equation for me – if the crazy mullahs in Iran get their grasping claws on a nuclear weapon, they will use it on Israel. Support for the far left (and today that means the Democratic Party) by American Jews is the political and cultural equivilent of suicide.
If (God forbid) Obama is re-elected, you’ll have to do a lot more than just fast. You’ll have to do some serious praying, too. The events over the past couple of weeks have really depressed me, and it has nothing to do with the elections. You see the rise of radical Islam all over the Middle East and you really don’t see the west doing much about it. Oh sure, you’ll hear the odd word of protest from some western nations when a nut like Ahmadinejad speaks, but there is no real sense of outrage. In short, I’m seeing and hearing a hateful brand of Islamofascism sweeping the Middle East and the west doesn’t seem to care. This is stunning considering what happened in Europe when the last group of fascists came along roughly 70 years ago.
It just seems like we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes in history over and over again. People in the west keep mouthing “Never again,” but when it comes time to put up or shut up, we generally shut up. It always seems to be some other person’s problem in some other part of the world. People today actually believe that what happens “over there” will never hurt us “over here.” Tell that to the families of all the dead people on 9/11.
Who knows, maybe we’re the victims of our own success. George W. Bush kept us safe from terrorist attacks ever since 9/11. But even though terrorism by no means went away during the Obama administration (think of the Christmas “underwear” bomber, the Times Square bomber, and the Ft. Hood shooter, to name just a few), these attacks seemed small and their overall destructive power remote (although that perception would have changed if either the underwear bomber or the Times Square bomber had successfully carried out their missions).
Then came 9/11/2012. We lost our first American ambassador since 1979 plus three other Americans when our cosulate was destroyed in Libya. Most of our other embassies in the Muslim world, especially in places like Cairo and Tunis, were attacked. These people genuinely do not like the United States and really believe that Islam will dominate the world. And, worst of all, they honestly think that if you don’t get with the program, you need to be physically eliminated. Hmmmm, who else believed this? Oh yes, it was that other “merry” band of fascists in Germany during the 1930s and they were the same people who gave you World War II.
So here we are now, with Islamofascism on the rise throughout the Muslim world, you have Muslim leaders openly calling for the elimination of Israel, and you have people from that vile abortion called the “arab spring” wanting to eliminate any people, both Christians and Jews, that do not want to give in to their beliefs and Sharia Law. And the west remains silent to all of this?
Remember, the world was going through severe economic turmoil during the 1930s, just like we’re going through now. The last thing the world wanted in the 1930s was another World War. The last thing the people in Europe wanted to believe was that the insane leader of one of their own countries actually ment what he said when he literally wrote down in a book that an entire race of people needed to be eliminated from the face of the planet. And the last thing the world wanted to believe was that a madman like this would actually follow through on his threats of world domination.
And what did we get? We got World War II. Everything that madman said in Germany in the 1930s turned out to be true. Everything he promised would happen did, and everything he said he would do he did. So now, almost 70 years later, when confronted with the same type of evil, the same type of rhetoric, and the same type of promises, we suddenly think there will be a different outcome?
This is what is depressing me. Our elections almost don’t matter at this point. If Obama is re-elected, everything Ahmadinejad says will happen, only a lot sooner, especially after the Iranians get nuclear weapons. If Romney wins, the Iranians will still try to destroy Israel (either directly or through the use of a terrorist group), only the United States will at least do something about it. But, either way, the bulk of the west (especially the Europeans) will do nothing about it until there is a nuclear blast in either London or Paris or Rome or Berlin. Then maybe “Never again” will mean something to those people, too. But by that time it will be too late.
I agree, friend. I think that Netanyahu and associates hear you. No obvious proof of that yet, but there is ongoing warfare against the Iranian program and it will escalate.
As for the West, I agree, but part of the premise of Israel is ingrained skepticism about the West saving us. I think that this mindset is directly related to what I hope is the leadership’s resolve.
It is easy to feel that way, isn’t Libertyship? But you know what? Seldom do I quote a line from some Hollywood movie. I’ll make exception – you’ll get the drift:
NASA Director: This could be the worst disaster NASA’s ever faced.
Gene Kranz: With all due respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour.
I consider some of you, the observant Jews here at PJMedia, to be internet “friends” of a sort.
But I am frankly saddened that apparently many Jews cannot look at their own history, read their ancient prophets and for that matter the entire Tanakh, and not recognize that however surreal those ancient words may read to our post modern world crumbling before our eyes, everything revealed future tense in that Holy Writ is coming to fruition. And you may very well be that generation of Jews who witness its climax; if not you, your children. If each of you could recognize that, this would be a very different world.
I don’t know exactly how I know that – call it intuition, a gut feel, simply observation. But the events are as clear as day.
In my own lifetime, I have been the benefactor of witnessing aliyah. Does that sound strange coming from a Christian? It shouldn’t. PattyMor mentioned Daniel – read it again if you haven’t read it recently. It will do you good.
Whenever doubts enter my mind and I don’t believe God is listening, or He is not there, or I feel the entire world out of control and this is all there is, I go right back to your Jewish prophets, trace the Jewish history, measure what is happening vis-a-vis what Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the rest said would happen, and recognize this is all for real. Our shared faith strengthens my faith.
Never forget the Jews are a very special people – with a Covenant at least 4,000 years that cannot fail.
Each of you should walk in that comfort. You should teach it to your children. You cheat them if you don’t. It’s the very reason this irrational global hatred of Judaism so prevalent in this world.
Let us not be so arrogant in our modern excess that we think of ourselves as capable of understanding all there is. Frankly, to believe we are capable of all understanding is foolishness.
You are a people of vast achievement with a history like no other. But never forget to walk in the humility of knowing who and the what that puts you in that position.
And you can’t do that until you at least recognize the I AM.
Tex, I would be honored to be considered your friend on or off the net. The Jewish people, the human element of of The Divine connection between People, Land and G-d suffered a tragedy that is still not understood just seventy years ago. It is hard to understand the brutality of a world that colludes to murder one and one half million Jewish children under the age of five. At least it is hard for a true human being to understand. Jewish tradition teaches if you save one life you save a world. Because from that one life generations will follow. How many worlds have been stolen from us? And if we are to be a ” Light unto the Nations ” how much light has been extinguished.
My dear Tex one would not expect an amputee to race as fast as a person with both limbs. Yet so many expect The Jews to race as though we have not had one-third of our people murdered.
Tex you have a beautiful soul that radiates through every word. Do not fear for the future. Not your future or ours. As you well know G-d keeps his promises. With blessings for your family and all you love I remain your friend in Jerusalem.
Menachem
Menachem – Amen.
May He help us, but unfortunately it is all too understandable how the world can be so brutal. I think it was Koestler who said that the death of one is a tragedy, but the death of a million is a statistic. Scale blunts horor; a true empath iwould be a tortured soul indeed.Ssuch calousness is a protection, but one that can lead to tollerating the intollerable, and denying the possible until it becomes inevitable.
I am not a Jew, though Orthodox – Christian that is, and it has always seemed tome that a point in favor of fasting and repentance is that we make the divine, or to agnostics, the universal, Personal. To feel a change in ones life, at the physical level, even for a short time connects us to the physical and to some the Divine. Doing so with others gives us a community taht allows us to share an experience that is both intensley personal and collective, overcoming the limits of our empathy by examining things inside ourselves, and assesing our relations with others. It is a paradox, equal to the great one of at least some Christian theology – to find oneself one must surrender oneself to G-D.
Amen, Menachem and well said, Tex. I, too, am a Christian who looks on in disbelief at Jews who seemingly are pulling for their would-be murderers by their action/inactions. I have no idea how I’d be able to cope, knowing that such a large portion of the earth’s population hates me because I exist and haven’t “gotten with the program” yet (may G-d help me never to do so), if I didn’t have the promises and beauty of the Tanakh constantly available to me in my head. Oh, and I’d completely love it if either of you considered yourself to be my friend: a huge honor indeed.
And Roger, I don’t think I’m anywhere near alone in saying that this was a very special Rosh haShanah for me too, even as a Christian. We “People of the Book” are all in this together. Your article was an affirmation of that to me.
Thank you Tex. Beautiful sentiments.
9/11/2001: Bush: “they will hear from us all”
9/11/2012: Obama: “…………” (empty chair?)
sad sad sad
I am having a roughly similar experience. Although an agnostic, I am in some sense reaffirming my Christian roots. I still have many doubts about the God parts, but many of the values and traditions that I seem to share are in danger in a way I had never before thought possible.
“If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart.” Look and see with your own eyes the evidence that Jesus is Lord and God has raised Him from the dead. Can bread and wine spontaneously change into Flesh and Blood? See for yourself the Eucharistic miracles attesting to it! Behold the fulfilled prophesies- why, behold the land you walk on: Psalm 139, written circa 1000 BC, attests to a land existing beyond the sea. What sea would that be? The Mediterranean. But Israel is on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean- from Israel’s perspective, beyond the Mediterranean lies the Straits of Gibraltar, leading out to the Atlantic Ocean. You don’t hit land again until you reach North America.
The other day I was harvesting grapes in Spain (I’m American but my soon to be wife is Spanish and I was helping out the family…) and a Moroccan guy was helping us. Now I have to say, based on working with the man for a couple of days, he was a really nice guy- generous, friendly, hard-working. He spoke four languages and had some university education. I asked him if he thought there could be a revolution in Morocco like the ones elsewhere in the Arab world. He assured me that the Americans and “the Jews” would never let that happen. The comment was just so matter-of-fact. I guess it just drove home the point that people in the Arab world are just so inculcated with anti-Jewish propaganda, it doesn’t occur to them to question it. It is the truth as they have been taught it. So that’s what Jews are up against. Around the same time I saw that some official in the Irish government was seeking to ban imports from the “controversial” settlements in Israel- as if the obstacle to peace were a settlement in the wrong place, or an apartment building, or a border here as opposed to 20 meters to one side. Oh I don’t know, I think a bigger obstacle might be that 1 billion people are programmed to believe that Jews are the puppet master boogymen of the universe.
The essence of Yom Kippur is teshuva (return). You are returning to your roots.
It is a lifelong journey, and you have made a good start.
Welcome home, Roger!
I’m so glad you said that, Jeff. I felt such joy when I read Roger’s post, and was puzzled by the negative responses and criticisms. I’ve been ‘reading’ him for some time now, and have seen the progression of that ‘return.’ I will keep him and all of us in my prayers, that we find our way home and are strengthened for the earthly battle we face. As a Christian, I worry how many of my fellow Christians would be willing to give their lives for their faith in its currently diluted form.
I worry with you about “Christians” standing up for the faith in it’s current diluted form. I don’t even recognize what some churches are pushing as christian teachings. The dumbing down of the Bible so the common folk can read it has made it unreadable for me as an old codger. When the minister reads from one of the new versions I don’t recognize it as having come from my Bible (King James). Would they really stand up to Islam and fight for the right to practice Christianity or stand up to the atheist which seem to be wielding more power every day. Some of us can see how the opposition is pushing the Jews and not standing up for religious freedoms. Are they really that stupid to think it wouldn’t be done to them after they (the Muslims)successfully rid themselves of the Jews.
Excellent comment Jeff! And G-d Bless you in your journey Roger.
I’ve said it so often that “It’s getting to be a mantra with me” but I’ll say it again. If we allow another holocaust and the destruction of Israel that will be the end of us. By “we” and “us” I mean the West. And I don’t think anybody realizes how fast it’s going to happen. It took the Roman Empire what? 500 years to collapse, My prediction is we’ll last 50 after Israel goes.
I’d say less than 5.
Israel will not be destroyed. Wounded, yes, but not destroyed. We, however, may not be so lucky.
Hello Roger,
Just wanted to give you a positive message… I like Jews. I have no particular reason for feeling that way. I’m not a Jew. To my knowledge, I don’t have any friends or business associates that are Jewish. That is not by choice; I was born and spent most of my life in the South, and now I live abroad. The only reason I like Jews is because, on the whole, Jews seem to be intelligent, industrious, creative, and over all just decent people.
Hey Roger, how about a learned guy like you taking the next step and reading through the Old Testament? You might learn a thing or two about your people and the predicaments they get themselves into. Good grace to you.
To begin with, we Jews do not have an old testament. We have the Torah. That does not denigrate Christian belief or practice but it is an important difference if we want to understand better.
Secondly why so hard here? Read through what Rodger Simon wrote and it seemed very brave to me. He is dealing with existential issues from his own life and religion…in public. That takes some temerity.
Yes the Jews are a “stiff necked people” are they not? Exodus 32:9
Still for some reason we are here. Do you have any idea how many civilizations have perished in that collective memory?
Then you betray yourself. What “predicaments” are you referring to?
Spindok
Not for some reason, sir.
For God’s reason.
He has not cast off Israel.
Kol Hakavod.
I think Dennis Prager said in a talk last week that the “ritual affirms the ethical”.
Very nice story. Thank you for writing about your Yom Kippur.
I ma very moved by Roger’s article. To Roger, and to anybody with his mindset, I’d suggest to check out the Ohr Ha Torah synagogue, in Mar Vista, on Venice Blvd (ohrhatorah.org). This is what you may call a reform synagogue with a twist. The congregation spans the political spectrum. Rabi Finley, a Marine (there is no such thing as a former Marine) is a scholar with wide and deep intellectual reach (yes, such people do exist), speaks from a non-political pulpit, and has incredible insight into the workings of the human soul and mind. He also has, and this is the really rare and attractive thing, which fills the synagogue every Sabbath morning, the rare skill of passing his insight to the congregation, in a way that makes it immediately applicable to one’s day-to-day life.
Evidently, I am a fan.
NYC schools open on Yom Kippur? I was born raised and went to school in NYC during the 50′s. I don’t ever remember the schools being open on the Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah. Now I’m a Baptist kid out of Brooklyn, but I remember that many of my teachers were Jewish, which is no doubt why they closed the schools.
As it should be to all of us!
The same evil that threatens the Jewish people is the evil that threatens all of us, eventually.
Shalom.
While reading about a terrorist incident in Israel a few years back I made an astonishing discovery. A Jewish atheist I had dated back in the 80s was part of Chabad-Lubavitch and had emigrated to Israel. As I thought about my own return to traditional Catholicism it made sense. My erstwhile beau, a graduate of the finest secular schools, had been highly conflicted. Had he put aside all his doubts or did he discover that strict adherence to those rituals and tradition his modern peers found hopelessly old fashioned can help him bridge the moments and even days and weeks of doubt? I rather suspect it is the later. As Mother Teresa, who often had her own moments of doubt, once said “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
The story also confirmed my belief that God has a delightfully wry sense of humor. My ex-beau had been the stereotypical self-proclaimed sensitive, pro feminist, liberal intellectual, which meant he had treated me rather abominably. His large family consists solely of daughters so he’s likely to spend years worrying none of them ever run into a guy like his former self.
That’s funny. Smokey Mountains? Fiercely independent types..spent a summer in W Virginia. Anyhow, enjoyed the commentary..
So it turns out that there are 42 offenses listed in the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) “Viduy” (confessional) found in the standard “Machzor”, special prayer book for the Day of Atonement, and each one has numerous meanings on the literal and symbolic levels. I asked my Jewishly educated 17 step-daughter “what kind of sins can a 17 year old have” (especially THIS 17 yr. old)? She said the process of Yom Kippur prayer is to soften her heart!
I was never one to meditate over medieval hymns of praise whether found in Hebrew, medieval Latin or Arabic, until I saw this video about 17 Jewish bodies found head down in a medieval well dating from the 12th century CE in Norwich, England. Below is link to a fascinating BBC historical “CSI” program:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0125kbf
It really put the mentality of the period into perspective. Unfortunately, technology changes but personality changes little and some folks still have the same sort of brutal, savage mentality. Link to story in today’s National Post, Canada:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/26/its-for-your-good-let-me-finish-afghan-canadian-told-police-she-stabbed-daughter-with-kitchen-knife/
Even the most secular and nominal Buddist, Hindu, Christian or Jew should understand that in this day and age we give the savages of the world a posthumous victory if we neglect the civilizing tenants of our respective religion.
– carrying on the traditions, but do it for your daughter. She may thank you, someday. She certainly won’t reproach you.
Better late than never, Roger. Keep up the good work!
Observing rituals (“piety”) enhances the spiritual part of the human being. Rituals are a way of leaving ourselves open to divine revelation, while simultaneously celebrating a common faith with a community of believers. I wish Roger well on his journey of discovery.
CS Lewis once notedthat while man thought he was an angel we was also an animal, and what the body does affects the soul. The other great strength of traditional ritual is tht it protects us from charismatics.
During Yom Kippur services, it occurred to me that the content and spirit of the services comprised the best possible antidote to the poisonous activities of the UN and its terrorist or compromised member states. Only God can put the murderous international jokers out of business. Whatever steps we can take in the right direction, towards Him, count in this struggle more than we can know. The “dominion of arrogance” that we pray to eliminate exactly depicts most human governance in today’s corrupted world.
Across United States of America
Join us for 40 Days of Prayer starting on Sept 28 and ending on our national election day, Nov 6. Commit to at least 5 minutes of prayer for our nation each day. We will send out a Prayer Video from 40 different National Prayer Leaders each day encouraging people to pray for a relevant topic for our nation. We also encourage you to pray thoughout the day during this 40 days with your family, coworkers, church family or however you feel led.
http://www.ifmypeople2012.org
2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”.
***Please Invite All Your FB Friends to Join Us***
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Shana Tova Roger- may you be written and sealed for good year
Bravo, Mr. Simon…
The next step, insh’Allah, is that you’ll finally desist from going totally ga-ga yet again over the succulent pig meat at some LA barbecue or Asian specialty joint. And maybe even scrub from your site all previous such postings. Hmmm-Hmmmm. Delish!
Well the french fries are what they are (the best I ever had were at that famous smoked meat joint in the old Hebrew quarter of Montreal, with those at an unprepossessing fish and shrimp take-out place at the edge of Southside Chicago a close second. And maybe at the Nathan’s Famous mother church in Coney Island back in the 1950s, but no longer).
However, as any true New Yorker would know, there’s neither eggs nor cream in a a soda fountain “egg cream”.
My mom and dad owned a candy store in Bed-Stuy Crown Heights Brooklyn in the 1950s. They had customers who would bring in a raw egg every day and ask that it be beaten into their egg creams and malteds.
It’s a good start. Thanks for writing about it, Roger.
I cannot understand the mindset of people who are willing to take actions, or inactions, which might result in the extermination of another six million Jews in the Middle East. Nobody is talking about exterminating Arabs — not the ones living in the disputed territories nor anywhere else. Nobody is talking about exterminating Persians or taking over Iran. How can people treat the prospect of another genocide so casually? A person can be be Jewish, or Christian, or of no religion at all to see that this is wrong.
Obviously, you are wrong. People do not care or even look forward to another Holocaust against the Jews. Check inside yourself to find out why you abhor such horrid possibilities.
I felt the same way this Yom Kippur. There is something in the air and it’s not good. In any event Shana Tova.
Referred here by a blogger friend. Most interesting post, however, I find the comments amusing, amazing, alienating, dismantling, etc. America is ill; where have all the soldiers gone? Where are all our ideals and dreams? Where is charity for our fellow travelers?
Answers, I have none. I will be back to read, if not to comment.
Rafael, you have my beloved rand-father’s name, I aso feel as you do and fasted. My the Alighty watch over Israel.
Roger, your decision reminds me of the Queen Esther story. When she heard about a certain Persian’s plans to kill all the Jews she called for a fast (for three days, but ok, we’ll settle for one).
As to politics and religion being very closely related, has it occurred to anyone that allowing the government to decide what medical treatment you may or may not have, is idolatry?
But today I really did.
Well, not completely, but pretty close.
Sorry Roger, stopped reading at this point. Punch like came to early to seek the point.
Roger,
Yasher Koach. May your important step be counted before the Heavenly Court.
Roger, do you want to feel more religious. Study quantum electrodynamics!
How lucky you are Roger! These feelings are a sign of special grace from God. You are in for a long and interesting journey.
To those who are similarly inclined: take the hint. Truly, there are no accidents. The truth and beauty of God transcends the illusions and failings of men.
Jerry: I did. That’s why I joined the Eastern Orthodox church several years ago. My life has not been the same since.
Good for you Roger. The fact that your fasting this year was motivated by your worry and love for your fellow Jews (especially the ones living in Israel and in danger)is commendable.
Anybody who isn’t praying these days (and fasting is a form of prayer), has a less than firm grasp on reality.
Roger, I hope I’ll live long enough to see the full-flowering of your miracle.
I am a Christian, but have always liked the Jewish people. When I first moved into my apt in a predomineltly Jewish neighborhood, I became nervous when I heard the syrines calling people to prayer, and thought it was an attack by the Mohammadians. I have since found it comforting to hear the syrines as I know people are praying. Over the last few years I have begun to pray again.I will try to remember to pray for Israel as well as America because I believe we are the answer to the worlds problems.I believe God thinks that too.
Roger, TODAY, YOU ARE A MAN.
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