Cheshbon Nefesh

Matt and I went to Kol Nidre with the Reform Movement here. It was one of my only meaningful Kol Nidres. I *really* enjoy Rabbi Thal. He does a few things that really make his services stand out. One thing is that he talks about real issues in his sermon - it's not about supporting Israel or being a strong Jewish community. It's about paying attention to the life that's around us, or paying attention to our inner selves. (Matt also likes that he tells good jokes - he had a really good one tonight which I'll share below). He also shares a poem or a little ditty before the kaddish. During RH it was about how a woman wishes that the older generation was still around and how she didn't appreciate them enough while they were there. Tonight it was essentially The Giving Tree, and how there's always something to take/learn from someone else.

On the way home, Matt and I were doing a bit of Cheshbon Nefesh - talking about who we are, what we've done over the past year, and some general good thinking. We started with last year at this time when we were in Michigan saying good-bye to his Zaydie. We essentially moved through the year, remembering trips and visits with people. We couldn't believe that we returned from South Africa, went to Michigan for Matt's cousin's wedding, went back to NYC for three days, then went back to Michigan for Thanksgiving and then back to NYC. Also, we were remembering going to Israel, Florida and Georgia three weekends in a row, I think. How did we do all of that?

We were talking about how our life is supposed to be so much more exciting now, since we're living in ASIA, and that's exotic and all that, but really life just feels normal. When we do get off of this island, it does feel new and exotic, but traveling on the weekends is exhausting with our long hours. Hmmm. Not sure what to make of that, but I do know that we're going to Cambodia and Thailand in the next couple of months, and possibly Malaysia for a weekend her or there.

The funny story that Rabbi Thal told - in old-time Europe, when men went out with hats, one man lost his hat. He felt frustrated that he lost it, and he wasn't prepared to buy a new one. He decided to go to synagogue on Saturday morning and leave a bit early after stopping in the coat room and taking a hat. The rabbi spoke about the ten commandments for the sermon, and the man ultimately decided against his plan. He spoke to the rabbi afterwards and told him the whole story of what he was going to do. The rabbi asked, "so, what did I say that convinced you not to steal someone's hat?" The guy said, "while you were going through the commandments, there was one dealing with adultery, which reminded me about where I left my hat."

One more thing that the rabbi said that I really liked. He said that Yom Kippur is really Yom HaKippurim in Hebrew. K'Purim means "like Purim." Purim is another Jewish holiday where you dress up and feast. How is Yom Kippur like Purim? Masks. On Purim we put on a mask and pretend to be someone else and on YK we take it off and show our honest selves to ourself and god (maybe). I liked that a lot.

G'mar Tov - and we should all be written in the Good Book (if it exists) and have a meaningful Yom Kippur - or at least a day of reflection.