| The other day I had an eye opening experience that | | | | feelings associated with the fragility of human life. It |
| taught me a very important life lesson, and one that will | | | | was real, so very real. |
| forever help me understand what Yom Kippur is | | | | And I started thinking that maybe the timing of this |
| supposed to mean to me as a Jew. | | | | event wasn't a coincidence. |
| I was leading a program with a group of kids at my | | | | Here I stood between Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new |
| school. | | | | year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), during |
| Someone passed along the message to me that one | | | | a period which we call the Ten Days of Repentance |
| of the kids was meeting with a teacher, crying | | | | (Aseret Yemei Teshuva), a period where Jewish |
| because his brothers had just been in a car accident. | | | | tradition tells us God is making big decisions based on |
| I was worried. And remorseful... | | | | our merits. He's deciding this year who among us will |
| And then I was told who his brothers were. I knew | | | | live, and who of us will not. |
| them well. They were a couple of teens who I cared | | | | And many of us speak about this each and every |
| about very deeply. | | | | year. |
| And my stomach began to hurt. | | | | But how many of us really believe it? How many of us |
| My voice started stuttering. | | | | truly feel the reality of our fragile existences? How |
| I felt myself struggling to hold back tears. | | | | many of us stand frightened before our Creator, |
| For ten minutes I was in the dark, no knowledge | | | | knowing with complete certainty that our fate is being |
| whatsoever of what had happened. | | | | sealed? |
| All I had was this minimal information, and an | | | | I wish I could say that I always do. |
| overactive imagination that began the process of | | | | But I don't. |
| emotionally preparing myself for the worst. | | | | And I feel that these ten minutes have helped me so |
| And then I got the info... | | | | much. I feel like I've been hit hard with the feelings that |
| It was a minor fender bender with no injuries, and a | | | | should accompany me my entire Yom Kippur. |
| very emotional younger brother. | | | | Only I won't be panicking about someone else. My life |
| And after what would be a minor event for many, | | | | will truly be in God's hands. |
| perhaps even a little embarrassing, I feel like a different | | | | May we all always experience a most meaningful |
| person. | | | | Yom Kippur. |
| I felt like I'd been acquainted with so many of the | | | | |