I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Yom Kippur. I love some of the chazanut (choral singing) and hate the fast. (The latter despite the fact that fasting seems to be getting easier as I get older.) There are chunks of the prayers that are walls of words and it’s often tempting to skip them. If I can get into the right mood, I will concentrate on the Hebrew text and quickly glance over at the translation to appreciate the context. I do find Yizkor (memorial prayer for deceased loved ones) to be significant and worthwhile. It sparks a flurry of mixed emotions: happy memories and pangs of loss. For example, I remember my grandfather and being in shul with him and my dad at the old synagogue (Great Portland Street?) in Glasgow’s Gorbals. I remember my mum welcoming us back home and being praised for my attendance.
The last hour of the fast typically passes slowly, despite the best efforts of the chazan. But at the end, putting to one side the occasional headache, I normally feel better in body and soul. Spiritually, I’m in a good place. Some say that fasting is healthy for you and maybe that’s part of the reason for the outcome. Perhaps it’s also partly the sense of satisfaction at getting through the day, having put in a solid day’s prayer and a heap of soul-searching and reflection. It’s as if I have had a reboot of my inner-self.
Like last year, this Yom Kippur will be full of worry about ,and hopes for, the hostages and the soldiers of the IDF. As of this writing, Trump’s latest peace plan seems unlikely to be accepted by Hamas, though if a week is a long time in politics, 24 hours is even longer in the Middle East. We shall see.
Meantime, I have these tips for Yom Kippur.
First, drink plenty of water in the hours before the start of the fast. And, when you think you are full, drink more!
Second, avoid caffeine the day the fast starts. When I used to drink regular coffee, following this practice vurtually guaranteed I would be headache free.
Three, whatever you like to eat for your last meal before the fast, always leave plenty of time. In other words, don’t find yourself bolting down food before the fast starts.
Four, if you struggle with getting anything out of the day and it doesn’t connect with you, try to get a hold of a Koren Yom Kippur Mahzor – the Rohr Family Edition – and read the introduction by the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. The writing is, as usual with Sacks, top-notch. It glitters with golden nuggets of wisdom and insight, food for thought, and inspirational calls to action. No matter your relationship with Judaism and G-d, if you approach the material with an open mind you should get something worthy out of his words. And, if prayer’s a turn-off, you can always read this instead!
Gmar chatimah tovah. גמר חתימה טובה
May you be sealed in the Book of Life.
