elul journal prompt number four. fifth of elul.

From a cantor friend of mine. Fasting on Yom Kippur is not required, and in many cases actively forbidden, if it will damage your physical or mental health. This is a list of resources for people who cannot fast, and who are looking for other ways to connect with this holiday.

— Rabbi Laura Geller, “Mishkan Hanefesh: Machzor for the Days of Awe” (via nigheagnah-ath)

12 October 2024 - 10 Tishrei 5785

Yes, today is Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year. It is observed by a near twenty-six hour fast, in which some will abstain from food, drink, sex, washing, applying lotions or perfumes, and wearing leather shoes. Some will attend up to five prayer services across Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur ends with a blowing of the Shofar, a rams horn, which signals the closing of the Gates of Heaven, and the end of the fast. Yom Kippur is often followed by a festive break-fast meal Due to the solemn nature of Yom Kippur, “Happy Yom Kippur” is not a traditional greeting. Consider instead wishing a meaningful Yom Kippur, or a good year. Today is also Shabbat Shabbat shalom!

Steve (U.S./New York Chosen Child from 02's World Tour arc with curly hair and glasses), {American Jew}, to Steve's Frigimon {Yukidarumon in Japanese}: Half of those people* (*also probably, new & later old Chosen) out there are Gentiles.

Steve: YOU go explain Yom Kippur to a Gentile.

Frigimon, staring out the window:

Frigimon and Steve:

Frigimon: ( "Maybe you could ask Koush---" )

Steve:

Reminder, taking the day off from work/school for the high holy days is your right regardless of how observant you are! 

It doesn’t matter if you are going to spend the whole day in shul or sit at home playing video games.  You have the right to take the day off.

And you don’t need to feel guilty about it either.

Does anyone ask Christians if they are going to spend all of Christmas day in church and in prayer? Nope.

If you observe and that fulfills you, awesome. Take the day off of work and go to shul or pray in your own way.

If you don’t observe, but you are a Jew, that’s OK too. You are a fellow Jew and you have the right to a holiday.

This includes not fasting on Yom Kippur.  I hope you all have a meaningful Yom Kippur, whatever that is for you!!!

forgive yourself. forgive yourself for all the versions you couldn't become. forgive yourself for the wrong things you said. forgive yourself for not knowing any better at certain point of your life. for fucking things up so much that the grief still haunts you. forgive yourself for the darker and shadowed parts of you. you have to learn to integrate all parts of you, even the ones you desperately want to disown. it'll be alright.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l, The Koren Sacks Yom Kippur Machzor p. lxix

A general tip for students who are sending those dreaded Religious Absence Emails to your professors: Rather than asking permission to take the day(s) off, politely let them know that you will be taking the day(s) off.

In other words, consider not saying this:

It's not that there's anything wrong with the above, per se. But because it's phrased as a request, it risks coming across as optional — a favor you hope to be granted. Problem is, favors are not owed, and so unfortunately asking permission opens the door for the professor to respond "Thanks for asking. No, you may not. :)"

Instead, try something along the lines of:

This is pretty formal language (naturally, you can and should tweak it to sound more like your voice). But the important piece is that, while still being respectful, it shifts the focus of the discussion so that the question becomes not "Is it okay for me to observe my religion?", but rather, "How can we best accommodate my observance?"

Because the first question should not be up for debate: freedom of religion is a right, not a favor. And the second question is the subject you need to discuss.

(Ideally, do this after you've looked up your school's policy on religious absences, so you know what you're working within and that religious discrimination is illegal. Just in case your professor forgot.)

Also you do not have to be religious in order to take these days off. You do not have to spend all day at synagogue on Yom Kippur or fast in order to be "justified" in taking the day off. You can take the day off and observe any way you wish. Even if that means just being at home with your family. You do not have to go into detail when stating why you taking the day off. You just have to say that you're taking the day off to observe XYZ holiday.

Something I think a lot of xians don’t get is that while Judaism and Tanakh are absolutely essential to xianity and it making any kind of sense, Judaism in no way needs anything xianity has to offer, nor is modern rabbinic Judaism dependent on the existence of xianity. We exist entirely outside of and independent of xianity and Judaism (both as it was before the fall of the Second Temple as well as modern rabbinic Judaism) would have continued just fine without xianity. If xianity somehow disappears from the earth entirely, Judaism will still be here and will still make sense. 

On the other hand, if Judaism and all of its texts were to disappear, xianity is no longer intelligible. And that is what I mean when I say that xianity is parasitic on Judaism. This is not a mutual or symbiotic relationship, no matter how hard xians seem to want to think it is. 

Oh, and in before I get any xians in my inbox shouting about how xianity is the “completion” of Judaism: 

The only reason you think that is because you don’t understand how the korbanot (that is, sacrifices) during the Temple era, and how teshuva in the post-exilic era, work in terms of forgiveness. 

The central tenet of any form of xianity is that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, and therefore we are all “saved” through (and only through) him. This assumes as a baseline that human beings can’t just take the matter up with G-d directly. 

We can. 

And Jews do. We absolutely have a process called “teshuva” (which can roughly be translated as “repentance,” but means both something a bit more and slightly different than that.) This is how we obtain forgiveness, and it is a direct human-to-Hashem kind of connection. We don’t need an intermediary. That’s not how it works in Judaism. Full forgiveness can be obtained directly from G-d by engaging in this process. Granted, it involves work and genuine behavioral change, but it can be done - and is done by Jews all the time (and especially around Yom Kippur.) 

We don’t need a savior to repair our relationship with G-d, and we also don’t believe in original sin. There’s a prayer we say every morning, called Elokai Neshama that literally is a prayer thanking G-d for giving us a pure soul and renewing it every day. While it’s true that our behavior can tarnish our souls, we are born pure, G-d helps us to become pure and start over each day, and we can also repent and purify ourselves by doing teshuva. 

In his comments on another prayer we say daily, Rabbi Freeman says: 

So, in conclusion: 

Xianity views itself as the completion or fulfillment of Judaism, but must willfully misunderstand core theological tenets of Judaism in order to do so. Meanwhile, Judaism is the baseline reality from which all xianity draws from and cannot exist without. The whole “completion” or supersessionism thing is really projection. 

I can’t even count how many times xians have asked me what Judaism teaches about Jesus only to be mildly to super offended when I tell that that it doesn’t.

Not just because they want to hear that we also admire Jesus, but often because they are fed this narrative that Jews hate Jesus, that our existence is rooted in the opposition of him, and when they hear that actually Jews really don’t give a single flying fuck about Jesus, they are not happy.

Since this is going around again, I just wanted to clarify a few things and interject some further thoughts on this, particularly due to some of the comments I’ve read in the tags. (Yes, I read your talking in the tags, lol.) 

First of all, I think an important clarification here is that I was raised Protestant and converted to Judaism. I am now a Jew, full stop. But because of my upbringing, I do in fact actually understand xian theology from a personal vantage point. (The reasons why I rejected it are many and personal, so I am not going to get into them on an already way-too-public post.) 

Second, I type it as “xian,” because (1) it’s shorter, and (2) typing out the full word is something that some religious Jews try to avoid, because it is a somewhat tacit acceptance of Jesus as being Moshiach. 

A few of you mentioned in your tags that the Jewish form of forgiveness is basically the same as the xian one. Let me assure you that it is absolutely not. I didn’t get into it in my second reblog because it was already too long, but now that it’s been brought up I’ll lay it out for you: 

Forgiveness in xianity is predicated on the idea that Jesus’ crucifixion was a necessary sacrifice in order for all humanity to have our eternal souls saved. Salvation is necessary in order for the soul to go to heaven eternally because we are born into sin. Many (most?) xians believe that accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is necessary (but depending on the sect, may or may not be sufficient) for every single human being, and anyone who fails to do this is going to hell for eternity. Some liberal/pluralistic xians temper this a bit, believing that other religions are valid for their adherents, however. The whole virgin birth + death + resurrection = salvation belief is the xian definition of what a messiah is/is supposed to be, and consequently Jesus fulfills that role for them. 

Naturally, all beliefs regarding sin and repentance flow from these beliefs, leading to: 

As for how sin, forgiveness, and the Moshiach operate in Jewish theology?Couldn’t be more different. 

This is something I did not understand as a child, and the reason why I posted this in the first place is because I wanted to help close that knowledge gap. You’ll have to excuse my irritated tone - I had been seeing a lot of particularly ignorant xian tomfoolery that day, which is the other reason I posted it. 

Basically, growing up, I did not understand how the ancient Israelites and their spiritual descendants (rabbinic Jews) were able to obtain forgiveness without Jesus. Were all of the Israelites before Jesus doomed to languish in hell for eternity? How was that fair!? (And, y’know, modern Jews also?) 

(Side note: I was specifically concerned about the ancient Israelites and Jews because of our shared texts. I incorrectly believed that Jews were essentially “old testament xians” and therefore read these texts the way I was taught to read them. I assumed other groups, whose religious texts were different, did not have this problem because what they were doing was valid by their holy texts.) 

The answer(s) I got were . .  … . unenlightening, to say the least. They all essentially amounted to the doctrine of the unlearned, but simplified for me due to my age. (Basically: they’ll get another chance in the end times.) 

Why am I laying out the fundamentals of xianity? Aren’t most people familiar with this theology whether they want to be or not? Yes, but I’m doing it because it’s important to point out that every single point is different in Judaism. 

Let me repeat that: Judaism differs on every. single. point. mentioned above.

Literally even the very concept of what religion is, is different in Judaism. 

So let’s go over that, point by point. 

What is Sin?

I honestly really don’t like using the word “sin” to describe any Jewish concept, because I feel like it really, well, misses the mark (…sorry not sorry guys.)

Partially this is because there are multiple words to describe different kinds of behavior. Moreover, there are different remedies based on whether it was a wrong committed against one’s fellow, or a wrong committed against G-d. 

Sin in Judaism is conceived of differently by different movements, but regardless of the movement in question, while human beings are acknowledged as imperfect beings, we are also viewed as fundamentally pure. Here are two essays I found insightful about the Jewish understanding of sin from two very different viewpoints: Reconstructing Judaism (liberal); Chabad (orthodox/chassidic). 

Universalism vs. Particularism

As mentioned above, xianity is a universalist religion because it is viewed as applying to all peoples throughout the world essentially equally (with some caveats.) The goal for many (if not most) xians is for everyone, eventually, someday, to all be xian. Conversion is therefore actively sought out with missionaries and proselytizing. 

By contrast, Judaism is particularist, meaning that the 613 mitzvot only apply to Jews and no one else. There are some basic moral rules (the Noahide laws) that apply to everyone, but they don’t require anything remotely in the vicinity of conversion to Judaism. While conversion to Judaism is allowed, it is a BFD. You spend at least a year studying, learning Jewish culture, assimilating into a Jewish community, turning your whole life upside down, and are typically driven by some underlying homesickness for your people, because you feel in your soul that you should have been/are Jewish. 

Needless to say, it is not actively encouraged. It is, in fact, in some ways actively discouraged. We not only don’t care that you aren’t Jewish, but generally prefer that people stay non-Jewish unless they are driven to conversion by a serious commitment to Judaism and Jewish life. 

Xianity’s Original Sin vs. Judaism’s Pure Neshama

Jews do not believe we are born into sin as xians do. [1], [2], [3]. Instead, Jews believe that we are born with a pure soul (neshama) that can be made impure through the all-too-human iniquity but can never be permanently tainted. 

Teshuvah, not Salvation/Repentance:

What happens when we inevitably commit wrongdoing? How do we obtain forgiveness? As mentioned in my second post on this, teshuva — often translated as repentance, but more literally means return — is our process for obtaining forgiveness from G-d. It requires that you: 

Repentance in a xian sense, however, centers on Jesus as a sacrifice. Without Jesus, repentance is entirely in vain. With belief in Jesus and his sacrifice, repentance is effective. This requires an underlying assumption that we can’t achieve forgiveness on our own. Since Jews do not have this assumption, we consequently do not have the same process. 

Heaven and Hell are Quite Different in Judaism

While Judaism does have a variety of beliefs on the afterlife, we differ from xians in how we view it, especially with regards to hell. 

Xians are generally very motivated by avoidance of hell, both in terms of their own souls and having concern for others’ in their lives. This is because hell is viewed as permanent. (But see: this article, for a more nuanced xian view of hell.) 

The Jewish concept of Gehinnom is a lot more analogous to purgatory than to hell. It’s a temporary place intended to purify the soul rather than to punish it, and only lasts a year. 

The Jewish concept of heaven is also different: 

[Source: Jewish FAQ]

Long story short, while it’s true that the reward of Olam Ha-Ba is based on your actions during your life, it’s honestly not something most Jews think much about and many don’t believe in it literally. We are way, way more focused on what this life has to offer in terms of opportunities to be good and do mitzvot. 

[For more perspectives: [1], [2].]

The Jewish vs. Xian Concept of Moshiach/the Messiah

One final obligatory aspect: the criteria for being the moshiach. Jews hold that Jesus did not meet these criteria. Why? 

Well, according to traditional Judaism, the Moshiah must: 

Jesus…. didn’t do any of those things, unfortunately. Assuming he existed at all, as one person (historically debatable, but we’ll assume it arguendo), he: 

Now, if you accept the xian view of what a messiah is - and in particular, if you accept that Jesus was actually God, then xianity makes perfect sense. But you have to realize that, by Jewish standards, he was not and did not even come close to being our vision of the Moshiach. Furthermore, Jews did not buy into the idea that the Moshiach would come back after …….? amount of years to finish the job. Again, by xian standards, Jesus can be the messiah. But not by Jewish theological standards. 

Here’s some more links for the curious: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. 

I hope that clears some things up for folks. 

This is a fantastic guide, but just to add: 

If you’re Christian and reading this and you think you get it and understand Judaism now, trust me, you’re still misinterpreting things left and right.

Judaism is a lifetime of study, and for those who are Jews by choice or baalei teshuva (secular Jews who choose return to their Jewish roots, despite not having a Jewish upbringing), a huge portion of that study involves unlearning Christian ideology. The degree to which Christianity and Judaism are different cannot be understated, and even the above, wonderful and thorough though it is, is barely scratching the surface.

For example:

 The word “confession” seems pretty self-explanatory. Sure, one might naively assume that “confession” is done before a priest – but I think that most people know enough about Judaism to be aware that we don’t confess to our rabbis (or even our kohens). So, how far off could a Christian interpretation of the word “confession” possibly be, right?

Well, let me blow your mind a little: In Judaism, confession is communal. All of us routinely confess to all sins (“We have incurred guilt, we have betrayed, we have stolen, we have spoken falsely, etc.”). This is because we are judged by Hashem not merely as individuals, but as a community. Judaism teaches that we must all take responsibility for being part of a society where murderers and thieves and other wrongdoers exist, regardless of whether or not we have personally done those things. It’s not enough to be personally innocent – your obligation is to repair the world, and help others to do better as well.

Let’s try another:

Olam ha-ba literally means the World to Come. Seems pretty clear, yes?

Olam ha-ba is not a place, it is a time. Judaism teaches that very little happens metaphysically after death at all. In fact, in Jewish tradition, the dead do not even praise Hashem - they exist in what might be closer to the Christian conception of Limbo than that of Heaven. The World to Come, in contrast, is the Messianic age. Once the world has been completely perfected (and once the Moshiach arrives to let us know that we’ve made it), Judaism teaches that all the dead will be reborn (either literally or metaphorically), and everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, will enjoy the paradise which the living have created – a paradise here on Earth.

When Jews say that Christians don’t understand Judaism, this is the extent of what we mean. It’s not just that you don’t understand out theology. It’s not just that you don’t understand the basic terms that are used to explain our theology. It’s that you don’t even understand the terms used to explain the basic terms that we use to explain our theology.

Christianity and Judaism may share texts, but we’re about as theologically distinct as Christianity and Daoism are, and I’m not even joking.

I really appreciate this really in-depth post!

There’s one thing I wanted to add about the Christian conceptualization of hell, though, from a Christian with a non-standard view on hell. I know you said “generally” Christians are motivated by an avoidance of hell (of course leaving room for those who don’t) but I wanted to add a caveat—some Christians don’t believe in hell at all. Like, that it’s not real, but heaven and Earth are. My episcopal priest very very firmly told me that she thinks the idea of hell is bs (she swears, it’s great) and that it doesn’t exist. I’m not going to go into her whole theological argument, but I had to say it had me thinking about it.

I’m actually extremely interested in her theological argument if you’re up for sharing!

— Mathia ben Heresh, Mishna: Yoma 8:6

Jewish people who type the word “god” as “g-d”: Do you think you can fool the big man upstairs with a technical work around? When he goes through your emails/texts/facebook posts after you die, you don’t think he’s gonna see that dash and think “this sneaky fuck here, enjoy h-ll.”

this thought comes from someone who has no idea how Judaism works, but okay. People avoid writing out God’s name, because you aren’t ever allowed to destroy or desecrate something with God’s name on it - you have to bury it instead. That’s what a genizah is. The most well known is probably the Cairo Genizah. It’s a box where Jews can put anything with God’s name on it to ensure that it gets buried. So obviously Jews do write out God’s name. In fact, it used to be traditional to mark the top of pages with God’s name as a kind of blessing or mark of honesty. That’s why there are so many miscellaneous texts in genizahs. Judaism reads “do not use my name in vain” pretty literally as a command to revere and respect the Y-H-V-H name of God. Most rabbis agree that this commandment only holds for the hebrew, so not typing out God is more something people do out of respect or as a nod to this tradition. Some people use G-d because they want to parallel the fact that the tradition was put in place for people who would be speaking and writing in hebrew or a very near identical language like Aramaic.

It’s a matter of respect, not a matter of “don’t do this or you will be punished.” Besides, Judaism deals almost exclusively with punishment in life and Judaism very explicitly doesn’t have a clear and codified notion of עולם הבא (the world to come). And there is certainly no notion of hell. Also, Judaism is not nearly that harsh in response to small mistakes. We have a holiday every year explicitly devoted to the idea that we all fuck up and that we need to ask forgiveness from each other and God (and during which God does all the judging - God doesn’t wait until after we die. It’s an active thing that can be constantly adjusted). Maybe world religions is not the best topic of contemplation during your shower.

Fun fact

There are Jewish only spaces for a reason.  There are Jewish and non-Jewish spaces for a reason.  Both existing is a good thing.

Don’t be that non-Jew who argues with a Jew before Shabbat about why they should be let into a Jewish space.  Just don’t.  Especially when said person invites you to a space for non-Jews and Jews.