The Days of Transformation

This piece is a shout out to my friend Jim Myers and his Real Yeshua Blog. The Hebrew month of Elul comes before the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Traditionally it is a time of inner reflection which we call in Hebrew Heshbone Ha Nefesh, literally, “an accounting of the soul.” Friday, August 14th was the start of this sacred season.

As Jim points out, an important component of this time is repairing and reconciling broken relationships. There are three basic relationships involved:

(1) The one we have with ourselves.

(2) The one we have with our Highest Power or Highest Love.

(3) The ones we have with the rest of creation.

Unfortunately for us, we are responsible for repairing and reconciling all three.

But what about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, fasting, prayer, forgiveness? Yom Kippur covers only transgressions against the Creator, which can include evil we do to ourselves and to others. But, our personal relationships belong to us.

How do we accomplish this vital task? There is an ancient formula we call in Hebrew, TESHUVAH, literally, to TURN ONSELF AROUND. Remember, WE are doing the Turning, not GOD! This idea was taught in the Torah and by Jewish Teachers and Rabbis, which included Yeshua (aka “Jesus”). In Matthew 5:23-24 he teaches,

"Therefore, if you bring your QORBAN to the ALTAR, and THERE, you REMEMBER that your "brother" has something AGAINST you, leave your QORBAN there, before the altar, and FIRST be RECONCILED with your brother", and THEN come and offer your QORBAN.” 

The Temple's sacrificial rituals were part of Jewish life at that time. QORBAN is usually translated as, "Sacrifice" or "Offering." In 21st century America, both words are understood to be an act in which the one presenting the QORBAN, "loses" or "gives up something." During Yeshua’s time, and before, the word QORBAN means "TO DRAW NEAR YAHWEH." The closest thing we have to that today is PRAYER- an act to bring us closer to THE PRESENCE.

It is through our repairing of relationships that we grow spiritually as adults. We were never created to be PERFECT! When we make mistakes and hurt ourselves and others, the ancient formula of TESHUVAH is the spiritual glue.

How does one do TESHUVAH? Cease doing the negative behavior, experience genuine remorse for the wrong committed and ask for forgiveness (forgiveness is not condoning, forgiveness is for "US" so we can move forward), make restitution and repair where possible for the damage done, and DO ACTS OF TOV! -- Protect Life, Preserve Life, Make Life More Functional and/or Increase the Quality of Life.

Want to "DRAW NEAR" the GREAT SPIRIT, THE HIGHEST LOVE -- the spirit of others? Don't talk about it, DO IT! Concrete acts of Kindness, Righteousness, Justice and TOV are all ways that lead to SHALOM -- Wholeness and Peace.

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Shalom,

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor