YOM KIPPUR SERMONS - MESSAGES
REPENTING WITH MORE THAN WORDS
"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, My Rock and My Redeemer.
These words uttered throughout the year, during our services, carry a special meaning during Yom Kippur.
We ask God to take for granted the sincerity of our prayers, our requests for forgiveness, and our hope to be inscribed for a year in the Book of Life.
We fear that if God does not accept our pleas, that great harm will befall us and our loved ones.
Yet, are we truly sincere?
Do our prayers carry more meaning and commitment than the hurtful words which we utter all too often, throughout the year? Than our acts of infidelity, gossiping, cheating, maligning, abusing, stealing, or lying?
We promise to love and to cherish our spouse. We promise to work diligently. We promise to raise loving children, in a loving atmosphere. We agree that our parents deserve our respect, our time, and our love. We agree that we are all 'brothers and sisters'.
Yes, we promise so much, to so many, and we fail so often.
When we search our hearts, how frequently did we do the opposite, with fore-thought? By making excuses? By promising ourselves that we will do differently, when next we are in a similar situation?
Why should God believe our Yom Kippur prayers of repentance and promises to be a better person, if only He blesses us... Allows us just 'one more' opportunity to do His will?
Have we not shown great disrespect for Him and the many blessings that He has given us, over our lifetime?
Words do have meaning.
And, actions also convey a picture of who we are at that moment in time.
Our choices might, in fact, be difficult ones. Or seem impossible. Or appear to be controlled by others.
Yet, we always have choices. And, so while our words have impact, our actions have more meaning.
Have we truly acted as one created in His image?
So, when we pray that on Yom Kippur, God finds the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts to be acceptable, may we also promise ourselves, those whom we love and cherish, and our fellow man, that we will act in accordance with these words.
May we beseech God and promise Him that we will act differently... Better, if blessed with another year.
May we truly let God know that we understand how much more our actions mean to Him, than mere words.
May we realize that God blesses the mute, the one without a formal education, and the one without a gift of gab, because He observes their actions. Because He knows that true sacrifice comes from giving or refraining from actions, appropriately; not from words, alone.
This Yom Kippur and beyond, may the actions of our being be acceptable to Him, the Almighty One, blessed be He.
Amen.
SOME REASONS FOR WHY WE MUST REPENT
AT LEAST YEARLY
That God did not destroy a man and woman after disobeying Him in the Garden of Eden. That Adam and Eve were punished for their actions and (not, 'but') were allowed to live elsewhere and multiply, is proof of God's willingness to accept repentance and to offer us another opportunity to live and to prosper.
Like a parent, God sets limits. He establishes
rules. He grants blessings.
That we might not understand His commands, or why
some good people seem to suffer, while evil folks seem to prosper, is
'okay'. We are created in God's image. We are not God.
If we focused on His teachings more than we do on
why our prayers appear to go unanswered, we would probably live
happier lives. And, thus, some of our prayers would, in fact, be answered.
Do we do wrong? Of course we do. - Do we punish ourselves as harshly as we want to punish others? Usually not. - Do we have some of our most ardent moments of goodness when we want something of another, or of God? Absolutely. - Do we worry about offending God before we suffer negative consequences for our actions? Usually not. - Do we treat our spouse or child with the patience, understanding, or forgiveness which we want from God? Too often, no.
These questions, with seemingly obvious answers, are worth repeating. - Especially during Yom Kippur. For repetition is a key to true repentance.
A child asks her mother why we seek forgiveness
from God and others, each year, when our sins are often the same as
they were the previous year. "Doesn't God and our friends know
how sorry we are after we do wrong?"
"Of course,
Sarah", says her mother. "But don't you want an apology
each time your brother hits you? Or your best friend excludes you at playtime?"
Just as when we are aggrieved, we seek affirmation of the regret felt by the wrongdoer, so does God seek that affirmation from us. For it is a symbol of respect and sincerity, and it takes effort. Sometimes, great effort.
It is easy to insult or to ignore a spouse, believing that they know it was not intentional and that we feel badly for doing it. But by the great effort of apologizing, we show them our sincerity. For it is often easier to aggrieve, than it is to make amends.
And repetition is the key. With each request
for forgiveness, the sin becomes more difficult to commit again.
Our friends might easily forgive our bad behavior
once, but repeated bad behavior is more difficult to wave away, with
each successive time.
But why do we need to repent so, each year, at the
same time, and in such a fashion, before God?
Perhaps, because God understands how easy it is to
postpone formal repentence.
How many of us would put off such action until our
deathbed or other tumultuous occasion if
we were left to our own devices? Without a ritual or specific time to
do so?
Yom Kippur is also a time of 'permission'.
God let's us know that He is open to hearing our
prayers, our requests, and our desire for our Father to forgive us.
Too often we fear conversing with our Creator
because He is almighty... And we are mere mortals.
Yet, God makes the time and the effort to hear each
one of us.
God cares enough about you and I, to hear our
prayers... Read our soul, if you will... And to make the decision as
to whether or not we are inscribed for blessing in the Book of Life.
May this Yom Kippur, you seek forgiveness from
those whom you have wronged, from yourself for not living up to your
true potential, and from God.
And may the Lord inscribe you and yours for a year
of life and of blessings, in the Book of Life.
Amen.
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