{"id":18034,"date":"2019-09-25T00:21:24","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T00:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=18034"},"modified":"2019-09-26T19:29:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T19:29:04","slug":"universal-ethical-truths-are-at-the-core-of-jewish-high-holy-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/universal-ethical-truths-are-at-the-core-of-jewish-high-holy-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Universal ethical truths are at the core of Jewish High Holy Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ronald W. Pies<\/a>, Tufts University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

My most vivid adolescent memories of the Jewish High Holy Days are the painful rumbling of my empty stomach as I fasted on Yom Kippur, and the sharp blasts of the shofar \u2013 the ram\u2019s horn \u2013 sounding from the synagogue pulpit.<\/p>\n

I was one of millions of Jews the world over who observe \u201cYamim Nora\u2019im.\u201d That\u2019s Hebrew for \u201cDays of Awe\u201d or \u201cHigh Holy Days.\u201d<\/p>\n

This 10-day period begins with the two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana. It ends with the one-day observance of Yom Kippur, when adult Jews in good health are expected to fast.<\/p>\n

What is the significance of these holy days for orthodox Jews, secular Jews and perhaps even for non-Jews?<\/p>\n

Traditional beliefs<\/h2>\n

Rosh Hashana<\/a> and Yom Kippur<\/a> are known, respectively, as \u201cThe Day of Judgment\u201d and \u201cThe Day of Atonement.\u201d In Orthodox Judaism, these combined Days of Awe embody both celebration and trepidation, renewal and repentance.<\/p>\n

This is a time when Jews believe that all humankind is judged by God and inscribed either in \u201cThe Book of Life\u201d or \u201cThe Book of Death.\u201d Judaism doesn\u2019t believe these are actual \u201cbooks.\u201d However, Jewish tradition tells us<\/a> that God writes down the names of the righteous in The Book of Life, and the names of the wicked in the Book of Death.<\/p>\n

The belief is that the righteous will live through the coming year; the wicked will not. All others \u2013 neither fully wicked nor fully righteous \u2013 will have their fate decided between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.<\/p>\n

The angst surrounding these holidays is captured in a liturgical poem called the \u201cUnetanneh Tokef,\u201d translated as \u201clet us speak of the awesomeness.\u201d This ancient prayer is chanted during both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services, and states that<\/a>,<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Rosh Hashanah they are inscribed, and on the fast day of Yom Kippur they are sealed\u2026who shall live and who shall die\u2026 who shall perish by water and who by fire; who by the sword, and who by a wild beast; who by hunger and who by thirst\u2026\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Leonard Cohen, considered among the greatest of songwriters, was inspired by this poem and used similar words in his song, \u201cWho By Fire.\u201d<\/a> He wrote,<\/p>\n

And who by fire, who by water
\nWho in the sunshine, who in the night time
\nWho by high ordeal, who by common trial
\nWho in your merry merry month of May
\nWho by very slow decay
\nAnd who shall I say is calling?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Given the apprehension that accompanies these stark pronouncements, it is hardly surprising that during the Days of Awe, observant Jews often greet each other with a phrase of hope<\/a>, \u201cG\u2019mar Chatimah Tovah\u201d \u2013 roughly translated, \u201cMay you be inscribed in the Book of Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a psychiatrist reflecting on the High Holy Days, I have often wondered how many traditionally raised Jewish children have been frightened by the prospect of winding up in the Book of Death. I know I was.<\/p>\n

As someone who has written extensively<\/a> on Jewish ethics, I know that the High Holy Days also embody an \u201cethical core\u201d that transcends religious doctrines and embodies universal ethical truths.<\/p>\n

The varieties of Jewish beliefs<\/h2>\n

Judaism encompasses a wide range of beliefs. Orthodox Judaism is based on the premise that the Torah \u2013 essentially, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible \u2013represents God\u2019s eternal and unchangeable rules<\/a> for Jewish living and religious observance.<\/p>\n

But non-Orthodox branches of Judaism emphasize Jewish ethical and cultural traditions more than strict adherence to Jewish law and scripture. They seek to adapt Jewish traditions to modern needs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Worshippers pray during Rosh Hashana services.<\/span>
\nAP Photo\/Diane Bondareff<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Judaism in all its varieties is, at heart, a religion of hope and optimism. For example, the somber warnings of the liturgical poem \u201cUnetanneh Tokef\u201d are softened by its reminder that one can avert<\/a> being inscribed in the \u201cBook of Death\u201d by means of repentance, prayer and charity. That is done in the interval between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.<\/p>\n

Repentance, or teshuvah in Hebrew, requires taking a kind of \u201cspiritual inventory\u201d aimed at improving the health of our souls. True repentance during the High Holy Days also requires making amends<\/a> to those we have sinned against or mistreated. Merely asking God to forgive such sins is not enough.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jews from an ultra-Orthodox sect listen to their rabbi on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea as they participate in a Tashlich ceremony in Herzeliya, Israel.<\/span>
\nAP Photo\/Ariel Schalit<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ethical core of the High Holy Days<\/h2>\n

Secular and Humanistic Judaism are branches of non-Orthodox Judaism and are often considered together under the rubric, \u201cSecular Humanistic Judaism<\/a>.\u201d This tradition does not invoke or accept the concept of an eternal, transcendent God. During the High Holy Days, emphasis is placed on how all people \u2013 Jews and non-Jews \u2013 can become better human beings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this secular humanist tradition, Rosh Hashana is seen as a time for self-evaluation and self-improvement<\/a>, without reference to God. Instead, emphasis is placed on the cultural, historical and ethical aspects of Judaism.<\/p>\n

A common ceremony in the secular humanist tradition is \u201cTashlikh,\u201d which involves symbolically casting off one\u2019s sins by throwing bread crumbs into the water.<\/p>\n

Tashlikh allows Humanistic Jews<\/a> \u201c\u2026to reflect on their behavior; to cast off behaviors they are not proud of; and to vow to be better people in the year to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, although Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are quintessentially Jewish holidays, their ethical values transcend any one religion.<\/p>\n

[ Like what you\u2019ve read? Want more?<\/em> Sign up for The Conversation\u2019s daily newsletter<\/a>. ]\"The<\/p>\n

Ronald W. Pies<\/a>, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, Lecturer on Bioethics & Humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine [through Dec. 2019], Tufts University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ronald W. Pies, Tufts University My most vivid adolescent memories of the Jewish High Holy Days are the painful rumbling of my empty stomach as I fasted on Yom Kippur, and the sharp blasts of the shofar \u2013 the ram\u2019s horn \u2013 sounding from the synagogue pulpit. I was one of millions of Jews the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":18028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2450],"tags":[196,1831,6992,1237,3104,6990,6610,6991],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18034"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18034"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18039,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18034\/revisions\/18039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}