Blog/October 2016/Oct 14th
From RonWareWiki
< Blog | October 2016
October 14th
We hope you had productive and easy fasts; ours were relatively easy despite the heat-wave which hit just in time for the fast-day. We’ll see whether or not our fasts were productive. In any event, Yom Kippur was quiet and we were pensive.
I’ve always been troubled by the description of the High Priest’s offering on Yom Kippur. In particular, I found the idea of “sending a goat to Azazel” problematic and difficult to understand. But as I thought about it this year, I think I came upon something of an answer.
According to halakha (Jewish Law), the goats selected must be as nearly identical as possible. Their fate: to be offered as an elevation offering to God, or to be “sent to Azazel”, is determined by lot. Given that the entire point of Yom Kippur is to bring atonement to those who repent, the odd process of the goats’ selection and dispatch must have something to do with atonement. But what?
Rambam says in Laws of Repentance 5:6, that were it the case that God predetermines that a person be righteous or a sinner, it would make no sense for Him to command us to do His commandments and to send His prophets to guide us, and it would be unjust for Him to judge us if, in fact, our way in life was predetermined and out of our control. Which leads us back to the goats…
Goats have no free will. They are not moral agents, capable of deciding to do good or evil. So their fate is determined by the casting of lots, so to speak. But just as the goats are nearly identical, so too we humans are nearly identical in God’s eyes. We, however, are moral agents. We do have the ability to choose our path and to do good or evil. That is the point of the High Priest’s service: that while we are not like the goats in our inability to change our path in life, we can choose to behave like stupid beasts.
Which leads to a short discussion of current events: the USAn elections. The two candidates are both exceedingly deeply flawed. HRC is an inveterate liar, choosing to lie even when there is nothing to be gained thereby. She’s an enabler (if not active participant) in her husband’s adulterous liasons. “The Donald” is a repugnant braggart, boor, bully, and serial adulterer. Their respective partisans think these moral flaws are “just the way they are”. That is not the case, and “we the people” should demand more of our prospective leaders.
The fact that these two are the frontrunners in American politics says more about the moral State of the Union than any river of ink ever could.
<heartfelt sigh>
On a completely different note: I spent two days this week at my new client’s place. Then at the end of the week, the second Israeli client settled on terms and we’ll be starting there after the Sukkot holiday is over. Good news!
We’re preparing for the upcoming (this coming Sunday night!) Sukkot holiday. The sukkah is mostly ready, just needing some final touches. The menu(s) is (are) under consideration. Guests have been invited. We’re looking forward to a week of relaxation, B”H!
Wishing all of you who celebrate this holiday, a calm and relaxing and enjoyable one!
This shabbat will be the quiet before the (holiday) storm:
potato kugel,
braised leeks,
rice,
meatballs,
salatim,
fried tofu,
veggie cholent,
and dates.
Until next time,
shabbat shalom and ḥag sameaḥ!
| Top: Blog | Prev: Oct 7th |