Yom Kippur 5778, Please Forgive Me

May I take this opportunity, just hours before Yom Kippur to ask forgiveness from all of you...

For those of you who know me personally, f2f, and those who just read my words on social media...

For anything I may have said or written that I shouldn't have...

I meant no harm...

גמר חתימה טובה

Gmar Chatimah Tovah

May You Be Inscribed "Well," or "For Good"

Actually, I truly wonder what that means. When good people, holy, mitzvah doing people die, especially when they die and/or suffer at such young ages, I don't like, or can't accept, the idea that the חתימה Chatimah means that either a person lives or dies. Honestly, it makes no sense to me and that philosophical, dilemma is the cause of much suffering for many. 

Simplifying Judaism, or any religion, into Gd gives a long happy life to the good people and makes the evil suffer is not what we see in This World. Just this week, two very holy people I knew passed away much too young. 

For this blessing to make sense to me and be a comfort, I go back to the Jewish concept of This World and The Next World, aka The World to Come, עולם הזה ועולם הבא Olam Hazeh vi'Olam Habah. Chaza"l, Our Sages teach that the payment/receiving of reward and punishment aren't in This World; it's in the Next World, the one world after death. So the "Inscription" referred to in that blessing must really mean that when we die we will benefit or suffer from the grade or score or mark we get for all we have done in This World. 

We, therefore, shouldn't look at death as a punishment for sins or a long life as a reward for good deeds, because we all know of absolutely wonderful people, including innocent children, who have died very young even after great suffering. And we all know of dangerously evil people who lived very long healthy and wealthy lives. 

May we merit the opportunity to fully repent before death. And that means that we should take advantage of every day for repentance, not just Yom Kippur, the first ten days of Tishrei and the Month of Elul. Repentance should be on our minds 24/7, Gd willing.

Please Forgive Me