This is the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time when we want to look inside ourselves - and look to others - and ask the questions:

•What is it that I need to change?

•How can I change these things?

•Who are the people in my life that I’ve hurt?  

It is interesting that as long as we realize it is a part of our correction, we can change.  For instance, there is a story from Rav Israel of Salanta who was once walking late at night in the streets when he noticed a shoemaker. He walked into the man’s shop and the candle he was burning was just about to burn out. So Rav Israel said, “Go to sleep already, why are you working so late? It’s time to stop your work.”  

And the shoemaker replied, “as long as the Light is still burning, I have time to correct, I have time to fix.” Obviously he was talking about the Light of the soul!  And therefore, as long as the Light is still burning inside of us, we have the right to change and to connect to the Creator.

The main thing I want to discuss is the idea of forgiveness.  There are several kinds of forgiveness.  One kind is the forgiveness we ask for ourselves from the Creator.  We ask the Creator himself not only to help us forgive what we have done, but to help us find a way to not do it again.  So we are asking not only, “Help us because I messed up that time around because of A, B, or C.”  We are also asking for the energy, direction and ability to motivate ourselves inside so we don’t go back to that place.  Not only are we asking to forgive what was, but we are asking for the help to fill ourselves with energy so we don’t go there again.

The second kind is the forgiveness we ask for that which we have done to others, like from someone with whom we have messed up.  We need to go to that person we have hurt - because our ego was involved - and find the place where we can change that attitude towards them, and others.  We want to go to the people, not that we know for sure will forgive us, but exactly the ones who may not.

The third – and most important kind of forgiveness - is the forgiveness we ask of ourselves.  All of us have our own life story that brings us to where we are. Some of us have had difficult childhoods, some of us have had difficult relationships, some of us have had all kinds of difficult things in our lives that were put there to help us develop into the kind of person we are today.  The reason that we have gone through the things we have gone through is because they were a way of teaching us, and challenging us, and pushing us forward to become who we are.  

But, we usually don’t see it this way.  We see it as a ‘negative’, or from a victim mentality, or as a reason why we are not smart or good enough.  

What I would like you to do is take a piece of paper and write down all the things in your nature which you feel bad about.  For instance, “I was neglected as a child,” or, “I was spoiled as a child,” or, “my mother didn’t love me.”  Write down all the things you feel are keeping you back, things that make you a victim.  Put the letter in an envelope - and burn it!  Literally.  

Forgive yourself.  Allow yourself - from tomorrow on - to not be stuck, to not look backwards and to only go forwards.  Tell yourself, “I am not ashamed of who I am.  God created me with my Light so I can share with others.  The level of my Light is not yet known to me, but, whatever I do know is more than most because I am walking on a spiritual path.”

We want to go into Yom Kippur with this consciousness.  Let’s open this New Year with blessings, happiness and all good things.  

Shana Tova – A Good Year!