What is the holy-day ALL ABOUT?

If Judaism could be summed up in one word… it would be Oneness.

Oneness with ourselves.

Oneness with our spouse.

Oneness with our children.

Oneness with our community.

And most importantly… Oneness with G-d.

Shema Yisrael… HaShem Elokeinu… HaShem Echad.

Hear, O Israel: HaShem is our G-d, HaShem is One.

Oneness is our ultimate goal. Our destiny.

For where there is unity, there is peace. Where there is peace, G-d resides.

But this Oneness is not easily achieved.

It is not our natural state.

Our default is separateness… fragmentation… isolation… distance — from one another, and from G-d.

Oneness requires effort.

And yet… there is one day in the year when Oneness is attainable. One day when it is accessible. That day is Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement. Or better yet… the Day of At-ONE-ment.

On Yom Kippur, we rise above our nature by disconnecting from the physical.

We stop eating. We stop drinking.

We refrain from intimacy, from washing, from wearing leather shoes.

On other days, these very acts help elevate the physical. But on Yom Kippur… we are already elevated.

For one day, we live as angels.

The venerated Rabbi Manis Friedman teaches:

Instead of spending the holiest day of the year rehashing our unholy mistakes…

It is far better to contemplate to whom we have erred and strayed.

It is not the what that matters most — but the who.

Who have we turned away from?

Who have we forgotten?

Who have we hurt?

And so we turn to the Master of the Universe.

Avinu Malkeinu. Our Father, our King.

Our Father… is the King. The Master of the Universe!

And we say:

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the times that I was too busy to call you. Too preoccupied to talk to you. For the Shabbat I didn’t spend with You. For the 613 ways you have given me to connect with you but I ignored.

Thank You for patiently, lovingly waiting… for me to return.

Well Hashem, I am back, this Yom Kippur, I’m back.

I want to be One with You again Hashem.

Please, help me to stay close with you this upcoming year.

From the moment I wake… until the moment I sleep.

Let nothing — and no one — come between us.”

But Yom Kippur is also about atonement with the people in our lives.

To our spouse, we say:

“I am sorry for the times I wasn’t there for you. For all the times that I neglected you.

I am sorry for not seeing you and hearing you in ways that you needed me to,.

I am sorry for making you feel like you are all alone in this world.

I am sorry for all the times that I checked out instead of stepping in and stepping up.

For all the times that I chose someone or something else over you.

I’m sorry for all the times that I’ve hurt you.

Please forgive me.”

To our children, our parents, our siblings, our family, we say:

“I am sorry for all the times that I have been impatient, for raising my voice, for being indignant.

For choosing work… or my phone… over you. For making you feel abandoned.

For failing to show you how precious you are — to me, and to G-d.

Please forgive me.”

To our friends and community, we say:

“I’m sorry for the times I judged you.

For gossiping instead of supporting.

For competing instead of celebrating.

For criticizing instead of caring.

Please forgive me.”

And to ourselves, we say:

“I forgive you.

I accept you.

I am only now learning to love you.

To become whole again.”

And that… is what HaShem wants for us.

To remain whole. To remain connected.

Because the Jewish People and HaShem…We belong together.

The G-d of Israel and the People of Israel…

We are One.

Eternally One.

Unbreakably One.

May this be the year of our Final Redemption.

May we merit to greet Mashiach — together.

G’mar Chatimah Tovah.

Have an easy… and a meaningful fast.