Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is a very holy day for Jews. Its purpose is to recognize the wrongs one has done, and make amends for them.
Judaism, and other religions as well, have ways of expressing remorse and seeking reconciliation with God. On the day of Yom Kippur, Jews pray and fast. Christians pray for forgiveness when they’ve sinned, and Catholics have the sacrament of confession. Muslims ask Allah for forgiveness, and do a good deed to make up for the sin. Buddhists acknowledge their fault, and renounce the practice that led to it.
Asking God’s forgiveness is important, but we also need to ask the person we’ve hurt for forgiveness. Deists and atheists alike realize that we need to take responsibility for our actions, and make up for the harm we’ve done to others. This is the way we would want to be treated, if we were in their shoes. We may even need to take some action, like replacing something or correcting false information.
We all make mistakes, and, although it can be very humbling, we all find it necessary at times to apologize to others. This is how we maintain good relationships, and sometimes relationships can be all the stronger for weathering these storms. The Bible says that if you come to the temple to pray, and you’ve offended your neighbor, go and make it up with him first, then return to the temple.
Yom Kippur is a good time for all of us, as well as Jews, to think about being humble, cherishing the relationships we have, and asking for forgiveness when we need to.
