Yom Kippur 5785 ~ Leonard Cohen and Who by Fire

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, began at sundown yesterday and goes till sundown tonight. This object is a shofar, a ram's horn, which is blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to call people to repentance. 

Leonard Cohen's "You Want it Darker," is inspired by the Rosh Hashanah / Yom Kippur prayer, "Who by Fire, Who by Water" ..

Who By Fire, Who By Water

According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah God surveys all of humanity and writes the fate of each of us in The Book of Life. But that fate isn't final until ten days later on Yom Kippur. Then, depending on whether we've repented or not, our fates are sealed.

On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed
How many shall die and how many shall be born
Who shall live and who shall die
Who at the measure of days and who before
Who by fire and who by water
Who by the sword and who by wild beasts
Who by hunger and who by thirst
Who by earthquake and who by plague
Who by strangling and who by stoning
Who shall have rest and who shall go wandering
Who will be tranquil and who shall be harassed
Who shall be at ease and who shall be afflicted
Who shall become poor and who shall become rich
Who shall be brought low and who shall be raised high.


May you all be inscribed for a good year.  ~ Brian

It's Yom Kippur 5784

Ezekiel's vision from the Leipzig mahzor {prayer book for the high holy days}

On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed – how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time and who before time, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague  …

-         From the high holidays machzor

 May you all be inscribed and sealed for a good year, a healthy year, and a happy year.

Yom Kippur 5779

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, began at sundown yesterday and goes till sundown tonight. This object is a shofar, a ram's horn, which is blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to call people to repentance. 

Here's my synagogue, the Junction Schul, more formally known as Beth Knesset....

It's latest claim to fame is as a setting for the movie IT, based on the Stephen King novel. Here's a tip ... there's a sequel coming.

A good fast to everyone who's fasting, and for everyone, g’mar chatima tova, may you cinch a good page in the book of life.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur begins this evan Friday at sundown and continues till tonight at sundown. In the meanwhile, I'm going to be hungry.

On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the shofar is blown to call the people to return to God, to the ways of kindness. Except we won't hear the shofar this Yom Kippur, because this year it happens to fall on Shabbat.  But that's okay, because we did hear the shofar on Rosh HaShannah last week.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown today and goes till sundown on Saturday



On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the shofar is blown to call the people to return to God.
Except not this Yom Kippur, because this year it happens to fall on Shabbat.  But that's okay, because we did hear the shofar on Rosh HaShannah last week.