The great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva, was taken captive by the Romans on Tishrei 5 of the year 3894 from creation (134 CE). His subsequent torture and execution is recalled in the stirring Eleh Ezkarah poem of the Yom Kippur service.
The 10-day period beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur is known as the "Ten Days of Repentance"; this is the period, say the sages, of which the prophet speaks when he proclaims (Isaiah 55:6) "Seek G-d when He is to be found; call on Him when He is near." Psalm 130, Avinu Malkeinu and other special inserts and additions are included in our daily prayers during these days.
The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below for today's three Psalms.
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Links: About the Ten Days of teshuvah; Voicemail; more on teshuvah
How does forgiveness work?
How does a whole mess of fallout from the past get swept away in a single day?
Through at-onement.
Like two close friends who have slowly fallen apart, as one slights the other, arguments break out, matters escalate…
But then one day they find themselves together again, simply enjoying one another’s presence.
As though nothing was ever wrong.
Only that if this at-onement is going to last, they need to deal with all those issues—without disturbing the bliss.
Like, “I was really stupid for saying those things I said when I so much value your friendship.”
“And it was so rash of me to do what I did when I really like you so much.”
So that out of the at-onement, all is atoned.
This is Yom Kippur,