Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Next Wednesday climaxes the Jewish high holy days with Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.

"At one ment."  To atone.  To be at one with the Creator, among others, I imagine.  Cleansing, examining, renewing rapport and relationships that are authetically mindful of one's roots and religion. Being congruent, I suppose, amid converting, morphing and mending.

The Jewish new year began with Rosh Hashanah, the start of a ten-day period that aims at reparation and repairing of relationships, and, things broken, I was told.

The in-between days didn't seem to be a big deal as I inquired yesterday at a meeting in Detroit with Jewish people, among others.

"Oh, it's like Catholic Lent for you," I stammered as the gal with the keys wanted us to go so she could close the building.

It seemed to be no big deal was my point.

Catholic Lent became Lite for some, I meant.  Perhaps like these high holy days for our older brothers and sisters in the faith.

But it is important. At least one writer thinks so.

Really.

In the 1800s, Walt Whitman noted that "a well contested American national election" was "the triumphant result of faith in human kind," Eric Rosenberg wrote in today's Wall Street Journal, "Houses of Worship" column.

Rosenberg ended his piece with the admonition of Samuel who said that the people will "buckle under a king."

"He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants.  He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants.  He will take your male and female slaves...As for you, you will become his slaves."

That's the exchange of political managing: Judges vs. a monarchy.  With it came the predilection of kings for tyranny and over-taxation, the author of the WSJ piece concluded.