Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Tuesday, 22 September 2015 (Erev Yom Kippur)

I got up early this morning on got in my full, beautiful walk, still going up the stairs when I arrived home.

I had no Berlitz lessons today, since I am never available on Tuesday morning (due to the WIZO meeting which actually didn't happen today because of the holiday) and since Berlitz treats the day before a holiday like a Friday, in which I don't work in the afternoon.

I ate lunch at home because I knew, from past experience, that all the restaurants would be closed by the time I wanted to eat. I had chips and salsa, plums, and a piece of apple honey cake.

I cleaned the kitchen quite thoroughly today. I cleared everything off the counter and cleaned it and then did the same for the table. Finally, I moved the table, the chairs, the trash can, and the recycle can out and then swept and mopped the floor. This is WAY more cleaning than I've been able to get myself to do for AGES, so I'm kinda proud of myself. In the same way, I hope to manage to get the rest of the apartment cleaned over the next several days.

As the sun faded today, Yom Kippur began. This is the one day of the year when EVERYTHING shuts down here in Israel. NOBODY drives except for serious emergencies. The majority of adults fast, even most non-religious people (I'm not fasting this year, though). Children, and some adults, too, ride bikes in the streets and even on the highways! Many people, of course, spend most of the day in a synagogue (i'm won't be doing that, either). All this lasts for a full 25 hours, until well after dark tomorrow evening.

So, I wish a צום קל (easy fast) to those who are fasting, and a גמר חתימה טובה (a good sealing in the Book of Life) to everyone!

I close with this important quote from the Machzor (the High Holy Day prayer book):
ויאמר יי סלחתי כדברך
And the Eternal One says, "I have forgiven you, according to your word."

No comments:

Post a Comment