Joe Podolsky wrote:
> This ceremony, in both timing and theological intent, sounds a lot like
> the Jewish High Holy Days. Are you aware of any studies comparing these
> two religious events?
Joe, I had exactly the same thought. This year Rosh Hashanah starts on
October 1st, and Yom Kippur October 10th. The injunction to ask for and
accept forgiveness sounds very similar to our practice. Throughout the
month preceding Rosh Hashanah and during the "10 Days of Repentence"
between RH and YK, one reflects on one's errors and asks forgiveness of
fellow humans. On YK one asks forgiveness of God for those things which
are between the human and God. But one cannot go before God unless the
"horizontal" community repentence has been done.
Actually the word "t'shuvah," which is usually translated as "repentence,"
more literally means "returning." The word "cheyt" which is translated as
"sin" literally means "missing the mark." In Judaism people are basically
good, but not perfect. We make mistakes, we miss the mark, we get out of
alignment with our own values and relationships. We use the RH/YK process
to return to our true alignment. (In some mystical strains of Judaism,
God is not perfect either. He/she/it makes mistakes too, and humans and
God evolve and perfect the world in partnership. The end of this process
is the Messianic age and all is heaven.)
Judith Weiss
Judith Weiss
jsweiss@mail.utexas.edu
http://galaxy.tradewave.com/editors/weiss/JSW.html
"We are weary of being tested by technology, but that seems to be the
condition and challenge of the 21st century." -- Michael Ventura
--jsweiss@mail.utexas.edu (Judith Weiss)
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>