Tonight is Yom Kippur
We are now getting ready for Yom Kippur, which begins tonight. This includes carbo-loading and hydro-loading in preparation for the fast. Think of it as the great Jewish hunger strike. Whenever the Provos in Maze Prison go on a hunger strike it drives the Brits banging ballistic bonkers and they eventually make concessions to the Provos. Yom Kippur works along similar principles, except that we seek concessions from a Power even greater than the British government (though much more fair and benevolent).
And so, as we afflict our souls with the fasting and the praying, we are able to attain a high spiritual level conducive to forgiveness.
Many things have happened to us this year. The Israeli government cut funding to Torah schools, and the Bush administration compelled Israel to begin to give away some of the land which G-d says is ours to the terrorists. And all of the natural disasters (which really are the hand of G-d) such as Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and now, the earthquake in India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. Though these latter two events no doubt rid the world of a significant number of enemies of the Jewish people and of America, they are still tragedies in human suffering. And we do not celebrate and rejoice in the downfall of our wicked enemies (compare that to how the Arab street people celebrated when we had the attack on the World Trade Center)
It is going to be very difficult this year, but we must afflict our souls with the fasting and the praying, so that we are able to attain a high spiritual level conducive to forgiveness. It will be very painful, but deep in my heart I do believe that when it is all said and done, the Jewish people will be able to grant forgiveness to G-d for all that has happened this past year.
Along these lines, today is the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen on 12 October 2000. And it begs the question: While all Muslims are certainly not terrorists, why is it that most terrorists are Muslim?
And so, as we afflict our souls with the fasting and the praying, we are able to attain a high spiritual level conducive to forgiveness.
Many things have happened to us this year. The Israeli government cut funding to Torah schools, and the Bush administration compelled Israel to begin to give away some of the land which G-d says is ours to the terrorists. And all of the natural disasters (which really are the hand of G-d) such as Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and now, the earthquake in India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. Though these latter two events no doubt rid the world of a significant number of enemies of the Jewish people and of America, they are still tragedies in human suffering. And we do not celebrate and rejoice in the downfall of our wicked enemies (compare that to how the Arab street people celebrated when we had the attack on the World Trade Center)
It is going to be very difficult this year, but we must afflict our souls with the fasting and the praying, so that we are able to attain a high spiritual level conducive to forgiveness. It will be very painful, but deep in my heart I do believe that when it is all said and done, the Jewish people will be able to grant forgiveness to G-d for all that has happened this past year.
Along these lines, today is the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen on 12 October 2000. And it begs the question: While all Muslims are certainly not terrorists, why is it that most terrorists are Muslim?
posted by Expatriate Owl @ 4:24 PM
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