On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, And on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
How many shall pass away and how many shall be born,
Who shall live and who shall die......
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My friend Amos, who is Jewish, sent me a utube video last week....where this prayer- poem.....called U'Netaneh Tokef ....is set to haunting music. It's the High Holy Days, the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the time when the Unetenah Tokef is read.
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Ever since I watched the video...the prayer has been running through my head.....
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Who shall reach the end of his days and who shall not,
Who shall perish by water and who by fire,
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My father-in-law died right after I posted my last blog.
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Who shall have rest and who shall wander,
Who shall be at peace and who shall be pursued,
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My husband's parents......both have died within the last 6 months.
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Who shall be exalted and who shall be brought low,
Who shall become rich and who shall be impoverished.
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It is strange to think of them being predestined to die ....to think that God said last September........Ted and Eleanor.....I'm writing your name down.
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But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severe decree
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Such sweet people....Eleanor so religious....Ted so full of intelligence and good humor....did they not repent? ....were they not righteous enough to erase their names and change their fates?
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I searched the web to see if others felt questions about what this prayer meant...... and found a very beautiful interpretation of this reading...by a Rabbi from California. He was lecturing on the predestiny aspect of this prayer .
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He said....that the poem is not about others.....but about ourselves.....that we should change the
"Who" ....into "I".......
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I shall live and I shall die, I shall reach the end of my days and I shall not, I shall perish by water and by fire, I shall experience famine and thirst, and feel the earthquake.... and rest and wander, and be peace ......and be tormented.......
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In other words....in the course of a year....I will experience so many trails and so many opportunties...so many hardships....so many moments of peace....
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but if I can strive to be kind.......generous.... treat others well......show compassion....look for chances to serve...... continue to grow......I will change my fate.......because I will move beyond just experiencing these things.....I will be more than an inscription.....of what can happen ....in a life.....I can move into becoming a better person in spite of and because of my experiences.
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And when the Rabbi finished his video sermon....and the audience applauded.....I found myself .....
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quietly saying......
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Amen
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