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.
Please let us know if you think this is
a valuable and important message. If you do, please go
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others too!
Shalom,
Rabbi
Jeffrey Leynor
