Yom Kippur
Oct. 8th, 2008 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioYom Kippur begins tonight. To those who observe, may you have a tzom kal (easy fast) and an uplifting day. To the rest of you, happy Thursday.
My rabbi will be speaking tonight and our new rabbi will speak for the first time tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to both. In the afternoon we will have our by-now-traditional beit midrash -- classes to fill the time between services, so you can just stay at the synagogue all day. I find that helps me a lot in maintaining focus. Mind, by about hour 22 of the fast my focus is fading anyway. I spend yizkor (we have ours late in the day) in a fog, but that's ok because I'm not really into yizkor anyway. (Traditionally speaking, I have no reason to go -- thank God.) I do find that the energy returns for ne'ilah, the final set of prayers. Someday I'd like to find an analysis of the whole Yom Kippur experience taking into account physiology and psychology; I'll bet the day and its liturgy are structured the way they are for reasons beyond theology.
I learned some years ago that the secret to fasting is a large, proteinful lunch (not dinner). And because we can't do it on Yom Kippur, we're supposed to have a festive meal beforehand. We had a lunchtime meeting today (bring your own). Later I received some inquiring comments about my sushi spread. :-)
My rabbi will be speaking tonight and our new rabbi will speak for the first time tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to both. In the afternoon we will have our by-now-traditional beit midrash -- classes to fill the time between services, so you can just stay at the synagogue all day. I find that helps me a lot in maintaining focus. Mind, by about hour 22 of the fast my focus is fading anyway. I spend yizkor (we have ours late in the day) in a fog, but that's ok because I'm not really into yizkor anyway. (Traditionally speaking, I have no reason to go -- thank God.) I do find that the energy returns for ne'ilah, the final set of prayers. Someday I'd like to find an analysis of the whole Yom Kippur experience taking into account physiology and psychology; I'll bet the day and its liturgy are structured the way they are for reasons beyond theology.
I learned some years ago that the secret to fasting is a large, proteinful lunch (not dinner). And because we can't do it on Yom Kippur, we're supposed to have a festive meal beforehand. We had a lunchtime meeting today (bring your own). Later I received some inquiring comments about my sushi spread. :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-09 01:30 am (UTC)Have you read Beginning Anew? I really enjoyed it, and wish there were a Mormon version.
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Anew-Gail-Twersky-Reimer/dp/0684826879
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-12 09:25 pm (UTC)Is your monthly fast something religious, or personal? I haven't heard of that tradition before, though I also don't know a lot about Mormonism.
M's daylight fasts have got to be really rough in the summer, though I suppose when it falls in January it's not so bad.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-13 03:46 am (UTC)Purposes of Fasting
This account teaches that prayer and fasting can give added strength to those giving and receiving priesthood blessings. The account can also be applied to our personal efforts to live the gospel. If we have a weakness or sin that we have struggled to overcome, we may need to fast and pray in order to receive the help or forgiveness we desire. Like the demon that Christ cast out, our difficulty may be the kind that will go out only through prayer and fasting.
We can fast for many purposes. Fasting is one way of worshiping God and expressing gratitude to Him (see Luke 2:37; Alma 45:1). We can fast as we ask Heavenly Father to bless the sick or afflicted (see Matthew 17:14–21). Fasting may help us and those we love receive personal revelation and become converted to the truth (see Alma 5:46; 6:6). Through fasting we can gain strength to resist temptation (see Isaiah 58:6). We can fast as we strive to humble ourselves before God and exercise faith in Jesus Christ (see Omni 1:26; Helaman 3:35). We may fast to receive guidance in sharing the gospel and magnifying Church callings (see Acts 13:2–3; Alma 17:3, 9; 3 Nephi 27:1–2). Fasting may accompany righteous sorrow or mourning (see Alma 28:4–6; 30:1–2).
Fast Sunday
The Church designates one Sunday each month, usually the first Sunday, as a day of fasting. Proper observance of fast Sunday includes going without food and drink for two consecutive meals, attending fast and testimony meeting, and giving a fast offering to help care for those in need.
A fast offering should be at least the value of the two meals not eaten. When possible, we should be generous and give much more than this amount.
In addition to observing the fast days set aside by Church leaders, we can fast on any other day, according to our needs and the needs of others. However, we should not fast too frequently or for excessive periods of time.
So for us the duration is shorter but it's done more often. I'm most impressed when people do it for personal reasons. When I had my grad school orals a group of my girlfriends fasted for me and I really "felt" their presence. Today lefty Mo's fasted for a defeat of Prop. 8 in CA.