Yom Kippur

[cellio]

Yom 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. :-)

Comments

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

The only time Akdamut made sense to me was after staying up all night for a tikkun leyl Shavuot, so I think you may be on to something.

Tzom kal and gmar chatimah tovah!

[wrenb.livejournal.com]

An easy fast to you! I like to spend the day at the synagogue, well away from my kitchen and pantry. I like the mindset it fosters. Ne'ilah is the best service of the whole day, I think. I love the energy that the liturgy creates, especially as everyone is dragging.

[singingthread.livejournal.com]

An easy fast and a good day to you as well! I'm going to be in the choir all day -- it will be very interesting to see how that much singing goes without water. We also have a beit midrash set up with many interesting classes, and I'm looking forward to that.

[amergina.livejournal.com]

An easy fast to you.

[ticklethepear.livejournal.com]

I will start saying "an easy fast to you" since I do it the first Sunday of every month and M has his month every year!

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