(Grogger sound....) What? Why are you all looking at me funny? I don't have the wrong holiday, do I? No, it says right here...A Hasidic master taught that Yom Kippur is supposed to be like Purim. In playing with the Hebrew names of the two holidays, he taught that we should not read Yom HaKippurim as the Day of Atonement, but rather as Yom ki-Purim, a day like Purim. To compare Yom Kippur with Purim? It sounds absurd. Why would our tradition compare these two radically different holidays with one another?
For our Hasidic teacher, he imagined that Yom Kippur would become like Purim; that is, in the world to come, when there would be no more sin, there would only be cause for rejoicing. His comparison, though, offers a significant message for this world as well. Yom Kippur is a day of
severity, of discomfort, and self-denial. On the other hand, Purim is a day of merriment, of pleasure, and excess. Judaism contains both of these days to teach us that we may only live in such extremes on these two days during the year. Judaism is neither a religion of asceticism nor of unrestrained gratification. According to the Jewish perspective, life is not a party 24-7, but neither do we have to check ourselves into a convent. We are instructed to live a life of balance.
American society, however, communicates a different message. American culture pushes us to live a life of excess. Corporate America, the media, even our schools and our peers send the message to overindulge. Today, as we recite the Al Chet, the litany of sins that we have committed during the past year, we will acknowledge the multiple ways that we are each guilty of
indulgent behavior. These sins, phrased in the plural, also point to our collective responsibility for tipping the balance toward excess.
The fact that we mention these sins, and, that we chose to be here today, is the first step toward righting the balance. Judaism is counter-cultural. Yom Kippur is a response to the excess and overindulgence of our society.
Yom Kippur provides the space to move our thoughts and behaviors away from the societal pressures to indulge. I do not imagine that too many of us actually look forward to Yom Kippur. We are hungry and uncomfortable, and for some of us, that caffeine headache is probably setting in right about now. In the Book of Leviticus, it is written, "teannu et nafshoteichem," on this day, "you shall afflict your souls." The Talmud teaches that there are five specific categories of "enui nefesh," "afflictions of the soul." On Yom Kippur, from sundown to sundown, Jewish tradition calls us to refrain from eating and drinking, from washing, from anointing (putting on perfume or cologne), from having sex, and from wearing leather shoes. Of course, those who are sick, pregnant, or under the age of thirteen are excused from these rituals.
Some say that these five afflictions correspond to the five books of Moses, or, to the five senses by which we keep the commandments or commit transgressions.
A midrash teaches that the "enui nefesh", the five afflictions of our souls do not really afflict our soul. Rather, they afflict our bodies so that our souls may become free. It is precisely these five afflictions of the soul that are a response to the slothfulness of our society and that allow us today to begin to tip the balance back the other way. Without the concern for food and bodily pleasure, a person is more likely to turn from his transgressions. All of the afflictions require a degree of self-control, which will hopefully stay with us beyond this day and carry
over into all the affairs of our lives. Whether we observe all or some of the five afflictions, by being here today we have created the space necessary to reflect on these "al chets" of indulgence that plague our lives the rest of the days of the year. Three "al chets" in particular draw our attention to the indulgence that colors our society.
Al chet shechatanu l'fanecha....for the sin we have committed against You by gluttony. From the dawn of time, as the Bible tells it, the forbidden fruit was just what the first people had to have. In our consumer culture today, food is an extremely attractive commodity. Food producers, valuing profits over health, target impressionable consumers with the latest flavors, colors, and slogans. In our time-driven society, faster is better, and this goes for food as well. Just open the book Fast Food Nation to find out how detrimental fast food is to our health. According to Wendy Mogel, author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children, in today's world, teaching children to eat in a healthy way and to demonstrate self-control and good judgment about food is tantamount to holding an AA meeting in a bar.
I learned this lesson first hand last year. As the Educator for our religious school, one of my responsibilities is to join a dedicated group of parents who make up the religious school board for their monthly meetings. I could not figure out why a significant portion of our meeting time for a
few months was taken up by discussion about snack. No matter where we were in the agenda, somehow the conversation always seemed to turn back to snack. As the debate ensued, it became apparent that a group of parents felt strongly that the religious school should not be selling kids candy and other such unhealthful snacks. After hearing them out, I realized that I
whole-heartedly supported their position. Since then, we have changed the type of snacks we offer to our children.
A Jewish institution should lead us to treat our bodies as holy vessels. A Jewish institution should promote the values of health, self-restraint, and good judgment. Judaism is counter-cultural.
Al chet shechatanu l'fanecha....for the sin we have committed against You by greed. Food is by no means the only commodity that we long for. In our consumer-driven society, the pressure to desire more is enormous. The greed of corporate America targets our children, who in turn target their parents, in one vicious cycle of overindulgence. The corporation's own greed is masked by advertising schemes that promise results. We all know, though, that wearing a certain brand of jeans will not give us more energy, owning a cell phone with a new text messaging
feature will not gain us more friends, and no matter how many products we buy we will never achieve the plastic, airbrushed look of the model.
My many years of being an Educator and working with kids have taught me that our youth today desire more and live with fewer limits to this desire than kids did ten years ago. The latest issue of Newsweek featured an article, "How to Say 'No' to Your Kids - Setting Limits in an Age of
Excess." "The stakes have never been higher," the article suggests. Recent studies show that kids who've been given too much grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life's disappointments. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge may actually be setting kids
up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. "The risk of overindulgence is self-centeredness and self-absorption. You sit around feeling anxious all the time instead of figuring out what you can do to make a difference in the world."
These findings suggest that setting clear limits on indulgence actually create a stronger sense of security and empowerment. If this is true for our children, how much more is it true for our entire society? If our society teaches that it is what we have that makes a difference, Judaism
teaches that it is not what we have, but what we do that makes for a meaningful life.
Al Chet shechatanu l'fanecha....for the sin we have committed against You with half-truths. In today's world, we overindulge in partial truths that invite our minds to fill in the gaps with tabloid like fantasies that are overwhelmingly false. No doubt, television and the internet make a good medium for the voyeuristic experiences on which our society has come to thrive. To turn on the screen is to dive into the half-truths of the lives of people we don't even know. If that's not enough, the newspapers and radio continue where they left off with the disclosure of more sordid details of other people's lives.
The appeal of a good scandal preys on the peeping tom in us all. Janet Jackson, Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart, we indulge as long as it takes for the next fresh face to take the stage. Their deeds clearly put them in the spotlight, but the media indulges our fascination in such details
blurring the lines between news and entertainment. Although these people are total strangers, we continue to crave more partial truths about theirlives. And, as long as we continue craving, the success of the next reality TV show is guaranteed the moment the cameras switch on.
The forthcoming season will contain over 20 reality shows. Apprentice 2 ranked at this week's top show for adults in the 18-49 demographic. Millions tune in to see people compete, be humiliated, or hurt physically. My brother-in-law even auditioned to be on Survivor! Why do so many indulge in this form of entertainment? The message of reality TV is that ordinary people can become so important that millions will watch them. Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame. But, the producers of these shows manipulate the truth and only show us what they want us to see.
Critics argue that "reality" programming actually has little in common with reality. The shows often feature a carefully selected group of people, confined in an artificial environment. They are often steadily monitored and constrained by a range of arbitrary rules. Some ask whether television is even capable of conveying reality - does human behavior change once under scrutiny of a camera?
Reality TV needs a reality check. You never hear the people on Temptation Island or Trading Spouses, for example, make remarks that maybe the whole setup is unethical from the start. Maybe that stuff is cut by editors or maybe the cast is selected in order to avoid anyone who thinks that way. How many of us after viewing the popular show "Renovate My Family," actually stop to take a look at the real truths inside the windows of our own homes? The reality is that a quick renovation will not address the true needs of any family. We, too, need a reality check. We need a better filter for the fantasy worlds of our society in order to uncover the real truths underneath.
The picture of what is real and what is false will hopefully become clearer as we sit here in the synagogue today and actively engage in teshuvah. Whether it is the recitation of the al chet for gluttony, the al chet for greed, or the al chet for half-truths, each speaks to the great need to struggle against the overindulgence and disturbing levels of excess in our society.
The five afflictions that we take upon us today offer a counterpoint to such excess. We afflict our souls to teach us that it is possible to say "no" to indulgence in the days that lie ahead. The prophet Isaiah, the author of our Haftarah, recognized that the fast is not only for the sake of
self-deprivation alone, but that it should have direct consequences. "Is not this the fast I look for," Isaiah cried out. "To unlock the shackles of injustice, to undo the fetters of bondage, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every cruel chain? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house? When you see the naked, to clothe them, and never to hide yourself from your own kin?"
The experience of self-denial should motivate us to right the balance by giving Tzedakah, food, and clothing to those who are in need. It should motivate us to raise our tables to the level of a sacred altar, to bless our food, and make eating a holy act. It should motivate us to express gratitude for the many gifts that we have. It should motivate us to see ourselves as we really are, not clouded by the fantasies of other people's lives. It should motivate us to exercise
self-control and to make choices that lead to a more meaningful life. Yes, our society, the media, and advertising industry are at fault. But, ultimately we choose what we allow into our lives.
In the Jewish calendar, Purim does not come around for quite some time. But, in our Purim-like society, our task in the days ahead is to hold on to the mood and the spirit of Yom Kippur.
Al chet shechatanu l'fanecha....Oh God, we come before You today. Give us the strength to reject the indulgence of our society and to indulge in making choices that will lead to a life of balance, holiness, and greater meaning in the days ahead.
Amen.
