THE DAY

  Actually, the day is tomorrow but begins tonight with the arrival of evening. One of the most touching and heartfelt prayers, the Kol Nidre, is sung with great emotion for it is the last-ditch effort to convince G-d, the Eternal Scribe of the Book of Life and Death to decide. What is our fate for the coming year. If itis not a good one, then what must we undertake to change that possible outcome. 

It is well known that three things are able to deter fates boding no good for individuals - repentance, prayer, and charity. To the last moment in life, these are pathways to avoid the negative as well as to ensure a year of better fate and outlook for the year to come. Does it work? No one can speak to that with proof positive and sentient conclusion, but we can surmise and that is the inspiration for The Days of Repentance, culminating in a vow to do better, to be better. 

What it is important to pay attention to is to know one can ask for forgiveness only for the violations between Man and his G-d. For those between Man and Man, only the offended can do the forgiving. If there are true repentance and the offended refuses after three times to forgive, well, then he has just assumed a burden he could have avoided.

The idea is to encourage proper and positive relationships among all mankind, from individual to individual and groups large and small, to encourage interactions of good intent and outcome, to encourage peace and quiet, progress and all that is good in this world in all its unfulfilled gifts for Mankind. 

I wish it would be possible to achieve this goal. So very much, but I doubt it, particularly as we are currently overloaded with people of Evil intent and deed, who cannot let go of the ugly traits of evil, their urges to fulfill their most wrongful fantasies perpetrated on those so designated an enemy.  

The positive parts of mankind, their innate inclinations to do good by others, have been overcome by the negative, especially so of late. This is an ugly trend repeating once again the errors of people and delays the arrival of a world devoid of the hate, the jealousy, the bigotry, the constant return to wars which solve nothing and are only of service in the ramping up to yet another war, to follow the same useless terrible path. 

Would that we could forgive ourselves, forgive the offenses against us and convince the Scribe that this time we really mean it, in all spheres. Peace would then reign.

A dream of all our yesterdays.

A hope for the fruition of that dream in our todays.

And a huge hope that one day, our tomorrows, will be that in reality. 

Forever.

I will return on Friday.

Let us culminate the year with true repentance and forgiveness and a step forward on the road to peace and brotherhood.