Slowing Down To Fast
Tonight marks the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement when we are not meant to eat or drink anything for 25 long hours while atoning for our sins. Catholics may pray for forgiveness every week, but we Jews like to save it all up for one big bash once a year.
For those of you going about your daily business as usual, do spare a thought for us as you buy your morning Starbucks or sit down to dinner.
To be honest, the hardest thing is not the fasting, its the fact that we are not meant to do anything but go to synagogue and pray.
Although I'm quite sure there were no computers, cars and the like in biblical times, over the centuries rabbis have translated "not working" into not doing anything much at all.
Grumpy and I keep the day as strictly as we can, which means we will not be switching on lights, watching TV, using our phones or logging on to the computer until tomorrow evening. Addicted as I am to the internet, I fear I'm going to miss the last one more than the food.
For those of you going about your daily business as usual, do spare a thought for us as you buy your morning Starbucks or sit down to dinner.
To be honest, the hardest thing is not the fasting, its the fact that we are not meant to do anything but go to synagogue and pray.
Although I'm quite sure there were no computers, cars and the like in biblical times, over the centuries rabbis have translated "not working" into not doing anything much at all.
Grumpy and I keep the day as strictly as we can, which means we will not be switching on lights, watching TV, using our phones or logging on to the computer until tomorrow evening. Addicted as I am to the internet, I fear I'm going to miss the last one more than the food.
posted by Hilary at
3:17 PM
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