Forgiveness, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Yesterday, I went to Rosh Hashanah services with Max and Sam. In the Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah, or the New Year, is a time of celebration. Rosh Hashanah coincides with the autumnal equinox, since the Jewish year is based on the lunar calendar. It is a time of harvest, celebration and wishing others a sweet new year. Apples and honey are the symbols of this holiday.

Rosh Hashanah is also the commencement of the time of self evaluation, culminating in a fast and the day of atonement, or Yom Kippur. During this time, Jewish people not only bring sweets to their neighbors and friends to wish them a happy new year, but they also ask forgiveness. Asking forgiveness from the heart, not necessarily receiving forgiveness from those we ask, absolves the seeker in the eyes of the divine.

However, going deeper than that, one may ask forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self, and forgiveness of the divine. Delving deep into one's being to find out where the ties of resistance lay, the ties of unresolved anger, the ties of unresolved expectations, etc., is where I am going during this time of retrospection and introspection. The energy keeping these ties that bind becomes a hindrance on the path of awakening and service. It is my hope that by knocking on the door, and seeking forgiveness in an authentic manner, will help me serve humanity and the Beloved in a way which is more in line with the now than the past.

Forgiveness is based on the past. Of course, we can ask forgiveness for the future missteps, but we wouldn't necessarily be awake to know what those might be. However, asking forgiveness, receiving and accepting that forgiveness is my goal. For how can we truly be absolved if we can't receive and accept forgiveness?