Rabbi David's Yom Kippur sermon good for everyday:

When  G-D created  the world and its  inhabitants he created a special creature, the pride of his creation, a human being. He made it in his own image.

The phrase “in his image” has  always  been a mysterious term. Certainly, it does not mean  a physical image.  G-D  has no physical shape. He is not flesh, blood  and  bones.

So what is the image that  we  are  sharing with G-D ?

The  story of the creation of  Adam  gives us a clue.  It is  said  that  after  G-D  fashioned  Adam  from  the  dirt of  the  earth  he  blew life into him. 

In the Jewish  tradition, the  act of blowing life  into Adam means instilling  Adam with a special soul, with G-D’s holiness. That soul is the divine image of G-D himself in us. It is what makes us holy to G-D. It reflects  God’s  attributes in us. 

While G-D is holy he is also perfect. G-D said "You are holy, for I am holy." But he did not say, "You shall be perfect" 

Today, recognizing that we are only human and not perfect, we come to renew and reaffirm each of our own divine image of G-D within us. By re-evaulating, we return back to the holiness within each one of us. We recognize that being holy does not mean having everything together, never losing our temper, never making mistakes, always having the right answer. 

Today, we have the courage, the fortitude to face our imperfections, to reconnect with G-D's gift of holiness, to reflect on our deeds and to improve whenever we can. This is holiness. 

Recognizing our imperfections and resolving to improve ourselves is what holiness is meant to be. And that is why Yom Kippur is such a profound gift. 

G-D does not say, "Pray to Me when everthing in your life is in order." G-D says, "Come as you are. Come with your mistakes. Come with your regrets. Come, and let us begin again."

Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, all the prophets made mistakes and had difficult days. Just like them, we have can have the courage and the integrity to say, "I was wrong. I am sorry. I need to change."

Yom, Kippur the Day of Atonement, Day of At-One-Ment, reminds and helps us to spiritually cleanse ourselves so we can reach our core holiness of G-D. We recognize our imperfections not because we are hopeless, but because our inner strength and our courage allows us to scrutinize and evalulate who we as Jews and as human beings. 

Today we understand that G-D did not create us to be flawless, he gave us  the  wisdom, a strength and the courage to keep improving. 

To be honest, to love more deeply, to forgive more generously, to listen more carefully. To help when help is needed. 

It is said that the most courageous thing we can do is to admit that we have made mistakes, to always strive to be worthy of the Divine Holiness within us. 

May this Yom Kippur bringus the courage to face ourselves honestly, and with humility, to ask forgiveness, to forgive others, and the strength to begin with an empty slate.

May we leave this sacred day knowing that we are worthy of another beginning.

And may our lives, with all their imperfections, become holy through the choices we make. 

Amen. 

Rabbi David

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