Cantor Leigh Korn’s column from the September 2007 Ruach
We often translate Yom Kippur as the Day of Atonement. I was recently reading a book by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld who resyllabifies this word. He calls it the Day of At-One-ment, and I found this particularly striking. Yes, it is certainly the day that we atone for our mistakes and the times that we missed the mark in the past year. However, it is certainly a Day of At-One-ment. In fact, this could be said of the entire High Holy Days.
With whom are we “at one”? We are at one with God when we come to synagogue because we have often failed at repentance and we ask God to help us find a way to clean our slates for the coming year. We are at one with our community as we spend the whole day in synagogue recognizing that not only individually, but communally we are in great need of repair. We are at one with ourselves as we are commanded to look deep within and face the reality that we are not perfect. We fast so that we can feel that the natural course of our existence is suspended on this day and in turn learn how to better embrace life.
On these holidays, these days of At-One-ment, may you find your own way to become one with your family, your God, your community and most importantly, yourself.
Shanah Tovah.
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