As we approach Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, we are given a unique opportunity to reflect on our lives, to seek forgiveness, and renew our commitment to living with compassion and integrity.
We all make mistakes because, as human beings, imperfection is in our nature, it is a natural state of humanity. However, these missteps are not the conclusion of our life story; they are the very foundation upon which we can grow, learn, and ultimately become better versions of ourselves.
The journey from mishap to enlightenment is one of resilience, where we rise stronger and more self-aware. In this process, forgiveness plays a crucial role, not just in forgiving ourselves, but in extending grace to others. When we champion the people around us, encouraging them to rise despite their past, we in turn create a community that prospers on compassion and understanding.
This theme of personal growth, forgiveness, and renewal resonates deeply with the essence of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal, where individuals seek forgiveness, striving to start anew with a clean slate. It is a sacred opportunity to ascend above our faults, the faults of others, and to become closer to the best versions of ourselves, similar to the themes found in the beloved story, and a personal favorite, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
In The Secret Garden, we witness the transformation of Mary Lennox, a young girl who starts out frail and fractured from a glamorous society yet encompassed with loneliness and abandonment. In the story, Mary relocates to her uncle’s estate, a property filled with sadness and mystery. As she discovers a hidden garden nestled deep in the manor, she begins to nurture this natural and organic space back to life, unknowingly healing herself in the process. The once deserted garden becomes a place of beauty and hope, mirroring Mary’s own journey toward emotional and spiritual renewal.
This story is a powerful symbol for the process of teshuvah that we undertake during Yom Kippur. Just as Mary must confront her emotions of anger, spite, and sadness, we are invited to face our shortcomings and mistakes on a personal and broader level. In a time when wars mar our world, we hastily find blame in hopes of healing the wounds, but we must encourage ourselves to nurture compassion over hate, even in the darkest of times, if we are to build unity in a divided world.
Yom Kippur teaches us that, like Mary, we can restore the gardens of our souls by tending to them with care, reflection, and authenticity. When we make the earnest effort to learn to do better, there is comfort and the power of community around us to be found.
Forgiveness, as I have always taught, comes from the heart, a most vulnerable space. In the novel, Mary learns to forgive her family’s adversity, altering her once mischievous behavior to a state of warmth by welcoming the garden and its magical essence to her cousin and uncle. The influence of the garden fortified a newfound family love once overshadowed by bitterness and pain. The garden, like Yom Kippur, reminds us to not fall victim to our faults, rather to learn and forgive ourselves so we may move humbly into new chapters.
The novel, The Secret Garden had a major impact on my life when I was just eleven years old. I was an angry and frustrated child, and this novel had the power to open a new path for me to a happier life. I learned to believe in magic. You can read the story about my childhood experience by clicking here.
As we embark on this sacred journey of Yom Kippur, let us remember the lessons of The Secret Garden. Let us tend to our inner gardens, nurture the seeds of hope, and allow the power of forgiveness to transform our lives and the lives around us.
May this Yom Kippur bring us all closer to our renewed self. May this Yom Kippur encourage our hearts to blossom like a rose radiating compassion, and may this Yom Kippur remind us to flourish in our community with loving-kindness for self and others.
G’mar Chatimah Tovah,
Rabbi Merle E. Singer
