by HaShomer staff
Yom Kippur is a “Day” every year when our Jewish people afflict their souls, usually by fasting personally and as a nation. This is a time to repent and seek G-d’s forgiveness for the past year, imploring Him to forgive and cover our sins until the next Day of Atonement.
King David, who sinned against Adonai, wrote Psalm 51, which is read in synagogues during the Neilah service, the closing service on Yom Kippur. In this Psalm, David pleads with Adonai to “have mercy” on him and to “blot out” his transgressions. This begs the question from where are his transgressions blotted out? God records both good and evil deeds in different books for the final Day of Judgment. “Fear God and keep His mitzvot! (commandments) For this applies to all mankind. God will bring every deed into judgment, including everything that is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14 TLV)
“Adonai said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.’” (referring to the Book of Life – Exodus 32:33 TLV)
May your sins be blotted out, not your name! This is a good time to ask God to search our hearts and show us those things that are keeping us from a relationship with Him, or from growing closer to Him. By faith, we receive Messiah Yeshua’s eternal blood sacrifice, which blots out all our transgressions, and gives us a clean slate eternally and grants us the gift of eternal life. It is available for all; we only have to ask. “He forgives ALL our iniquities…”
גמר חתימה טובה G’mar chatimah tovah which literally means, A good final sealing. Idiomatically it means “May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for Good”.
TZOM KAL – May you have an easy fast!