Modeled after the traditional Yom Kippur confessional prayer, this modern call-and-response reflection explores the many ways we miss the mark—not only through our actions, but through our imbalances, blind spots, and good intentions gone astray. Perfect for group readings and Yom Kippur discussions. Try to read this with some call and response group interaction. Like the men can read the italics and the
women read the non-italics, or everyone under 35 read italics and over 35 read the non-italics. You get the idea. The content of this reading is a little “damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” but really, isn’t that how much of life is?
(Call and Response:)
For the sin we committed by not serving our community.
And for the sin we committed by serving our community and neglecting ourselves and our families.
For the sin we committed by chasing after material possessions.
And for the sin we committed by thinking we are unworthy of owning nice things.
For the sin we committed by saving the world and ignoring our own people.
And for the sin we committed by saving Jews and ignoring the rest of the world.
For the sin we committed by being too busy for our children.
And for the sin we committed by indulging our children.
For the sin we committed by ignoring the past.
And for the sin we committed by living only in the past.
For the sin we committed by being selfish.
And for the sin we committed by not loving ourselves and not caring enough for ourselves.
-Adapted by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins