I recall that several years ago there was an intense, internal debate at Beth Am as to whether we should sanction or prohibit the use of cellphones at one of our BAFTY (Beth Am Federation of Temple Youth) High Holyday services. The controversy arose because the thought was that those in attendance would be actively encouraged to bring and use their smart phones to try and answer some thought-provoking questions posed by the service leaders.
In contradistinction to that Yontiff conundrum, Yom Kippur is not only the most powerful day in Israel, for example, it is also the most power-less day!
It is the one day in the Jewish year, more than Shabbat or even Pesach, even more than Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut when the Zionist dream can be truly realized. So suggests Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Executive Director of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America. “It is a day when everyone stops. No one works (except essential military and medical personnel), no one drives, and the entire country experiences a Zen-like 25-hour state of quiet. The synagogues are full, and people pour out into the streets to ride bikes on traffic-less throughfares and to greet each other in the greatest schmooze-fest of the year.”
An Israeli-experienced Yom Kippur is much more than cheshbon hanefesh, about personal introspection and repentance. In a rather curious way, it’s actually about the fate of the entire world. For if the world was created on Rosh HaShanah, then the world can be saved on Yom Kippur!
Yes, we the Jewish people are meant to be – quite literally - an “Or La’Goyim,” a light unto the nations! Yes, Israel invented the cherry tomato, drip irrigation, Waze and the PillCam aside from many other extraordinary innovations but what if we were to think of Yom Kippur as an “invention” whereby an entire country powers off?
Rabbi Weinberg posits the fascinating question: “What would it look like if every country had a Yom Kippur? Yes, it’s never a bad idea for every human to seek forgiveness, and re-revaluate one’s behavior but what if the entire planet powered off one day a year? One day with no planes, trains or automobiles, no restaurants or shopping malls, no factories or offices. A no-traffic, no-industry 25-hour period of….quiet! And what would happen if they did that twice a year? Once a week? How much energy would we save? How much carbon would we offset?”
As we now prepare, this coming week, for the great day of judgment, repentance, forgiveness and deep soul searching, let us also try our very best to internalize the power of Yom Kippur! Israeli style!
Let’s try, Beth Am, to “power-off” – when and where possible - this coming Wednesday night through Thursday night!
Robert
Old York Road Temple-Beth Am 971 Old York Road Abington, PA 19001
