The goal of Yom Kippur
Tomorrow the holiest day of the Jewish calendar will begin, which is the day of forgiveness or Yom Kippur.
Article published on September, 14th in Nueva Rioja
Yom Kippur is said to be “Forgiveness Day “. This concept is not wrong, because it is true that this is a day when the gates of Heaven and Divine Mercy open, after the Rosh Hashanah judgment. However, the correct translation is “Day of Atonement.” This name alludes to the underlying idea of Yom Kippur: making amends for wrongdoing through an honest and detailed examination of what we have done, talked about and thought.
Normally, at the beginning of each year, we set goals and objectives in our lives. However, during the year, immersed in routine and matter, we tend to forget about those goals and focus on urgent matters, neglecting the essentials. Rosh Hashanah arrives and we recap: we try to reprogram our goals and plan a new project in our lives. Then, the ten days of Teshuba come (return to the path of good) , a propitious moment to renew our commitment to the Torah, the precepts and good actions.
Yom Kippur finally arrives, a day when we momentarily move away from the routine and the material to engage in a process of reflection and internal analysis. We use all our energies for it. In this introspection exercise, it is very important to be honest with ourselves to discover the origin of our mistakes, but also to use common sense and not make false promises.
If, for example, we discover that our error in a certain area arises from ignorance, let’s propose something viable: it is better to study that subject, dedicating ten minutes a day to it. Let’s not try to make a drastic change overnight, because the most likely result will be failure, with the discouragement that this entails.
It is also very important to improve the fundamentals, and not the superfluous. If we focus on appearances or on the outside but neglect what is essential, we will probably end up falling into the same error over and over again. It is preferable to present a concrete program, which generates a single positive change, than abstractions, with thousands of ramifications that, in practice, do not end up generating anything.
In short, Yom Kippur is a day of reflection, analysis and introspection. If we use the tools that God provided to know ourselves better and work on our qualities, be more generous and benevolent to others and improve the world, then Yom Kippur will have fulfilled its mission in all its splendor.
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