{"id":9058,"date":"2013-08-30T17:43:14","date_gmt":"2013-08-30T23:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=9058"},"modified":"2013-08-30T17:43:17","modified_gmt":"2013-08-30T23:43:17","slug":"victims-become-pardoners-on-the-high-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/victims-become-pardoners-on-the-high-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Victims become pardoners on the High Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF<\/em><\/p>\n

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Actually, the High Holidays, as they\u2019re called, are a ten-day period beginning with Rosh Hashanah (The New Year) and ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Leviticus<\/em> commands us to announce the big day, Rosh Hashanah, with a blast of the ram\u2019s horn or shofar. That
\noriginal ram\u2019s horn, of course, still lingers in today\u2019s terminology (trumpets, bugles, coronets, trombones are all referred to as horns.)<\/p>\n

We blow the shofar – like the bugle at reveille – to wake up the worshiper to the reality of the world to come and the divine judge who awaits our appearance at the Bar of Justice.<\/p>\n

On Rosh Hashanah the fate of the penitent for the coming year is
\ntentatively determined – written in sand so to speak and on Yom Kippur it is carved in stone tablets like the granite of Sinai.<\/p>\n

The earnest penitent – during those tense ten days when even the angels tremble, we are told – pleads with the Creator for absolution. But deep down in the midnight of his soul there\u2019s a rumbling discontent. A distracting angst that darkens his hopes. The rub, you see, is that forgiveness for sins against one\u2019s fellow humans must also come from the victim. So says the Talmud. That\u2019s why murder is such a heinous crime. You\u2019ve destroyed the only source of your
\nabsolution. You\u2019ve burned down your house and your insurance agency with the same torch.<\/p>\n

When Jewish and Christian interfaith groups get together on Sunday for punch, cookies, and fellowship they talk for hours about the many similarities of the two sister faiths. \u201cAfter all, we worship the same God – we share the Five Books of Moses.\u201d That\u2019s the mantra of unification. But eventually the talk comes around to areas of delicate disagreement. And after an invigorating debate on the identity and timing of the Messiah, the next topic is forgiveness, the
\nbalm of Gilead. Soon, both sides are metaphorically throwing oatmeal cookies at each other because forgiveness is one of the epic discriminators between the two faiths.<\/p>\n

\u201cRedemption must be earned like your daily bread,\u201d says Jewish doctrine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt droppeth from the sky like the gentle rain,\u201d says Christianity. Raise your face and it will wash away your tears. Faith is the catalyst that morphs repentance into redemption.<\/p>\n

This easy absolution is inexplicable to the Jewish mind that meditates on the Yom Kippur message of repentance. If it\u2019s pardon you\u2019re seeking, says Judaism, there\u2019s no dodging the plea to the aggrieved party. Though prayer, the pleading with the Judge – is an essential element of Judaism, it\u2019s not quite the same as amnesty or even restitution: like fixing the fender of your neighbor\u2019s car that you bashed one midnight – inviting to supper your wife\u2019s cousin who you\u2019ve ignored for years – returning the Social Security overpayment – praising the office competitor who you\u2019ve routinely degraded around evaluation time.<\/p>\n

According to Jewish doctrine, the contrite sinner, in addition to his synagogue devotions, must run the gauntlet of those he has wronged. Even a merciful God is hesitant to pardon transgressions against humanity. He will forgive your violations of his legal code dealing with diet, Sabbath and worship But if you malign your friend with slanderous accusations or misbehave with his wife, who\u2019s the virtual twin of Britany Spears, then God shrugs. Better talk to them first,
\nHe says. Ask forgiveness. If they say OK, then come to Me. We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a rabbinical tale that says on the day after Rosh Hashanah, while the divine decree is formulated but as yet unsealed, the Magistrate of the universe takes control of every aggrieved human heart. And just as He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, he gentles those of the world\u2019s victims. They always grant absolution if sincerely petitioned by the sinner. Furthermore, the Talmud consoles us with, \u201cwhose sin does G-d forgive?\u201d Answer; \u201cHe who forgives the sins of
\nothers\u201d.<\/p>\n

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, seekers of repentance fervently rely upon this comforting thought as they solicit their victims – now their pardoners.<\/p>\n

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