This Shabbat, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is called Shabbat Shuva. Shuva means return, and since this time of year we are focused on returning to the true essence of ourselves, we dedicate this Shabbat, as we prepare for Yom Kippur, to that pursuit. This year, I keep coming back to the notion of clarity. So much of what many of us seek during these days leading up to Yom Kippur is clarity. We seek to clarify what we want our goals to be in the coming year, and clarity around what the best choices for us are.
One of the ways we try to embody that on Yom Kippur is by wearing white. We focus on the Godliness inside of each of us, and like the angels in the heavens who we imagine wearing white, we, too, wear white. This sets Yom Kippur apart from many other social gatherings or synagogue functions. Yom Kippur is about casting off the external and focusing on the core of who we are. Sometimes focusing on ourselves is the most complicated task, so we wear white, hoping the external changes can assist the internal ones. On Yom Kippur, the focus is you. Nothing external.
The simplicity of my white garment reminds me of the single-minded focus I hope to cultivate on this holiday and the clarity I’m working towards. I invite you to join me in this practice of wearing white on Yom Kippur, and I’d love to hear what it might mean for you.
I’m looking forward to spending this meaningful day with all of you, and may we and our loved ones be sealed for a year of happiness, health, and blessing.
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chatimah Tovah, Rabbi Sarit
