It's that time of year again. Yom Kippur. The day when nothing but prayers and air pass our lips for 25 hours.
This means settling in for a night of worries. Did I eat enough beforehand? Did I drink enough? When will the first pangs hit? Will I get a headache this year? Does my throat feel dry already?! Do I feel bad for turning on the computer and breaking the chag?
How long can I hold off peeing so I don't feel like I'm losing all my water?
What time does the dream come where I wake up in the morning and absentmindedly drink a glass of water? Every year I have that dream!!
Along with the bigger questions, such as: Did I offend anyone? Have I truly repented for the sins I've committed in the past year? Have I asked forgiveness from everyone who I can possibly think of?
One of my favorite quotes on religion and forgiveness goes like this:
What we remember, God forgets. What we forget, God remembers.
When we remember our sins and ask forgiveness for them, God will "forget" them and not hold them against us. But when we remember our good deeds and gloat about them, they become less important to God.
When we forget the good deeds we've done, God will use them as credit to our names. But when we forget the bad things and don't repent for them, God remembers those.
Inspiration to live a modest and meaningful life.
With that, I'm going to turn off the machine, crack open a book and try not to think of food or water.
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