Ask the Rabbi

As the High Holy Days approach I’m paying closer attention to the list of “al cheyts” I’ve amassed this year:  losing my temper over macaroni and cheese; interrupting constantly;  not returning movies in a timely fashion to Netflix; talking on the phone while driving; reading e-mails on conference calls; not calling friends often enough; feeling envy; acting selfish; not listening well enough…and the list goes on.  This month of Elul and the high holy days which follow are the way Judaism calendars personal and collective renewal.  It’s an opportunity for each of us to reflect on where we’ve been, who we are and where we’re going.

In our tradition, the only public confession we make is a scripted and communal one called the Al Cheyt:

• The sin we have committed against you under duress or by choice
• The sin we have committed against you openly or secretly
• The sin we have committed against you with our words…

But some of us feel the need for a more personal public confession.  So recently, in the spirit of reality television and our technology dominated culture, a few forward thinking Jewish organizations have provided a forum for individuals to make personal public confessions.  Last year, the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, operated a Repent it Forward website program, where people could make confessions like:  “playing with my Blackberry but acting like I am reading important emails”, or “justifying littering by saying my trash is biodegradable.”  The National Jewish Outreach Program launched a projectforgiveness.com website a few years ago, in which people could post their wrongdoings (although the website seems to have expired – have the gates of forgiveness closed?!).

Our tradition teaches that repentance is only complete when we directly approach a person we have wronged to ask for forgiveness.  But for “sins” committed against ourselves, or some would say God, there is no reason why technology shouldn’t be harnessed to encourage spiritual reflection.  Nothing can replace face to face community, but cyber-community can also be holy space.

Is there something you’d like to confess publicly, not-quite-anonymously?

Consider this a safe space.  Post it here.