Tonight, at sundown, begins the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar.
When the sun goes down, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, begins, and it also begins a period of fasting, to show Jews' dedication to the Jewish way of life.
You are not supposed to wash, drive your car, shave, or do much of anything that day, but you are supposed to "doven,"or pray, in your synagogue.
Believe me, it is much harder to fast when you are in synagogue, and all the getting up and down makes it that much worse.
The fasting, and the praying, is to show God that you are worthy for another year, and you are showing your devotion to God by your participation.
As I said during Rosh Hashanah, my family does not currently belong to a synagogue, but yes, I do fast, and I honor the holiday and God my own special way.
I am the only one in my family who can actually get through the fast, so I continue to do it, although I really shouldn't do it, because I do take pills for my cholesterol on a daily basis.
But I do get through it the best I can, and yes, I have to say that I do feel better after the fast is broken, as not eating kind of clears my body, and soul, of a lot of stuff I don't really need.
And it is only until sundown on Saturday, when the holiday ends, so it really isn't that bad.
This year, with the beginning of the holiday on Friday and the bulk of the holiday on the Sabbath on Satruday, it really is the "super holiday," if you will. When this happens, extra passages are added into the ceremony, and I do remember days in synagogue where I would hear women crying because they could not eat. Having the holiday on Saturday will make the fast more difficult for some.
Anyway, we traditionally break the fast at my sister's home, and she usually has all sorts of goodies to fill my stomach after 24 hours of having nothing in it.
To all my Jewish friends, have a good holiday and an easy fast.
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