The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1940-10-11
YOM KIPPUR
The Holy Day
CONTINUED from Page One)

ICES every possible failure, as
would be Immediately apparent
with slight changes in the terml-
no,ogy in order to specify current
usage. The ideas are still vallo;
though the form of language
changes somewhat. Among the
sins it brings to the mind OF the
worshipper are those OF the be-
travail of trust, the disregard OF
the faith that others place In u.s.
the violation of confidence, the
abuse of friendly offices, taking
advantage to seek unreasonable
personal favors, the failure to live
to the fullness of our knowledge
and the unwillingness at times TO
live up to our best. These are mod
ern sins of major consequence;
they are stated in language that
we speak but the ideas come dl-
rectly and without change from
the AL Het with it's definite re-
minders of failures which reach
into the marrow of life.
The Bible readings at Yom Kip
pur are very significant in person
al address. When and where and
by whom, the particular sections
were chosen is no longer ours to
know. Many ancient records tes-
tify to the association of these
texts with Yom Kippur for over
1000 wears. Some of the passages
from Leviticus were selected, pre-
sumably, because of their refer
ences to the High Priest whose
day Yom Kippur once was, upon
which he entered the Holy of Ho-
lies to offer his prayers upon the
people. But the other sections in
Leviticus &c 16 following) deal
with the various real temptations
in the intimacies of life. Some
modern congregations have pre-
ferred to read instead Leviticus
10 and Deuteronomy 80, because
they state so explicitly and so
vigorously the noblest and sturd-
lest elements of Jewish ethics.
This was done, as more conson-
ant with Isaiah SO which from
earliest times has been read at
Yom Kippur, as one of the high
water-marks of prophetic Juda-
ism and for its affirmative pre-
sentation of the values to be
sought in the Yom Kippur fasting
and worship. Make thy voice to
be heard as the shofar'' as it sure
ly can when it is voice of truth
and friendship.
Fear and trembling should
seize us on these Holy Days. More
than ever, the logic of our eXis-
tence is open to serious question.
We make our business the be-all
and the end-all of our existence;
our daily tasks have become too
often the most important fact in
life. So devoted are we to our bus
mess that we think it cannot get
along without us for single day,
and we are slaves to its grind.
Follow that logic to its next step,
and inevitably it leads-aS already
it has in other lands-to the gov
eminent taking over our business
and we remain in business as hum
BILE functionaries who must take
every order. That logic therefore
results in making us wards of the
state, and the state which is so all
powerful becomes impersonal and
inhuman. No longer are we free
men, and children of God.
Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kip
pur remind us that life is vaster
and deeper and truer as business.
The purpose of business is to serve
life. Rosh Hashonah asks to look
within and pry out the blemish;
Yom Kippur asks us to look up
ward in hope and inner power. AS
we understand the highest purpos-
es Of life, we are better prepared
for business and for life. Stripped
of prayer, our lives remain shall
low and lose their real significance
| and y111rnoco