Yom Kippur Drasha

I am posting my Drasha on Yom Kippur. After Yom Kippur I will blog about the past few days for everyone to read. I wish everyone a Tzom Kal, and easy fast, and a meaningful Yom Kippur.

L'shana Habah b'Yerushalyim
Gmar Chatima u'Chitiva Tova
David


Last week we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is a New Year along with three other New Years in Judaism. The others are, the 1st of Nissan, TU B’Shvat, and the entire month of Elul.

Have you ever thought about Yom Kippur as being a New Year? Think about it for a second. On Rosh Hashanah we start asking for Teshuvah/Repentance for all the things we have done in the past year to our families and friends. On Rosh Hashanah the Book of Life and the Book of Death are opened. When the books are opened, God begins to judge us on how we have been in the past year. God also starts to think about which book we should be written in based on the past year. From the time that Rosh Hashanah starts until Yom Kippur we enter the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah/ The Ten Days of Repentance, which are used for Teshuvah.



On Yom Kippur, we as Jews are written and sealed for the upcoming year in either the Book of Life or the Book of Death. In those Ten Days of Repentance, we are atoning for the sins in the last year, from the previous Rosh Hashanah until the next Yom Kippur. So the Jewish New Year we just celebrated almost ten days ago is only part of the reason for it being called the New Year. Yom Kippur in my mind is the Jewish New Year because everyone is wiped clean and everyone starts over for the next year. Without Yom Kippur our New Year would be incomplete because we would still be working off of an old slate and there is not way to earn your brownie points and eat more brisket, that you can’t even eat on Yom Kippur.

I want to share with you a short story from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z'l about Yom Kippur:

Imagine you are on a subway and suddenly realize that your soul mate, the one you've been waiting and praying for your entire life, is standing beside you. You're full of love and disbelief; you can't speak. Then your soul mate is leaving, walking off the train. Frozen, you manage, "What's your number?" You hear only the first three digits. Then the doors close. At the next stop, you run to a pay phone, frantically trying every combination of numbers imaginable. Failing that, you drive through the streets, crying, searching. Overwrought, you drive dangerously, running red lights. You are arrested for reckless behavior.Imprisoned, brokenhearted, and alone, you await your trial. You prepare yourself, terrified of the possible judgment. As you enter the courtroom, you see the judge you have feared is your soul mate, the very person you've been seeking and whose absence created the sadness that made you lose your way. You break down. Your soul mate says the words that change your life. "I know you've made mistakes, but let's not think about that now. Today, I just want to be close to you." On Yom Kippur we stand in judgment before G-d. We beg forgiveness for our mistakes. If we listen closely we will hear God’s voice, "I know how hard this world can be. I know you long for meaning and sometimes make mistakes. But now, I just want to be close to you." When things fall apart, may we be blessed to hear God's voice.


With that I Wish you all a Happy and Complete New Year to you and your families. May you all be inscribed in the Book of Life for now and always.

Gmar Chatimah Tovah, May you be inscribed in the Book of Life