Yom Kippur often gets a bad rep. But it’s actually my favorite holiday, and the beauty of Yom Kippur lies in its unconditional love and acceptance. It is a day dedicated to returning to God, community, and the best versions of ourselves, no matter what the past year brought us. 

After the dramatic opening of Kol Nidre, a kind of clean-slate-making from any unfilled vows, we get what I believe are the most important words of the entire holiday, a quote from Numbers 14:21: 

:וַיֹאמֶר ה׳ סָלחְתִּי כִּדְבָךָ  

And God, said “I have pardoned them as you have asked.” 

This holy day begins with God forgiving all of us! God says, “I have forgiven you. We can start with a clean slate!” What an incredible form of love and acceptance. To paraphrase my teacher Rabbi Ebn Leader, “We are forgiven right at the beginning of Yom Kippur, the rest of the time is couple’s therapy between us and God.” 

Imagine the beauty of such a relationship that begins with loving forgiveness. This doesn’t ignore the real pain that might have been a part of last year, either caused by us or done unto us, but it does allow us to move forward with love and grace. At its core, Yom Kippur is a day that should be celebrated, and it is a model for what it means to build our own relationships of love, acceptance, and trust. 

How can you step into Yom Kippur this year with a bit more love? 

How can you bring more love into your community?