“…Yom Kippur is a day to lift the spirits...”
—The Talmud
Cecile prepared another fabulous traditional meal for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (At-one-ment), to conclude the Jewish new year which ended on Thursday evening of September 16. Our son Jason, daughter Michelle and husband Kyle and our granddaughters Lyla and Emmy joined us.
Yom Kippur is considered one of the most important religious days in Judaism that follows Rosh Hashanah which we celebrated just over a week ago. It is accompanied by a fast that begins the eve the day before and ends at sundown for those who are observing. The intention is to begin the new year with a fresh start. The "break the fast" meal normally consists of eating dairy products and light foods to gently ease out of the fast. Of cause we may have pushed the envelope a bit.
We indulged ourselves with a wonderful, tasty, and plentiful assortment of food including blintzes, latkes (potato pancakes) with apple sauce, and seasoned smoked salmon, lox and bagels with variety of fresh tomatoes, red onions and capers and fresh vegetables with avocado dip. For dessert we had fresh fruits and a homemade berry crisp.
Our granddaughter Emmy entertained us by her attempt to eat soft solid food (apple sauce, etc.), and Lyla coaxed me to go out to our back yard patio with her. “Papa lets go outside,” she said after dinner. She inquired about our mechanical decorative water fountain. I told her the water basin was dirty. She responded with “Maybe we should clean it.” Out of the mouth of babes, I thought:) Since it was on my "to do list," using an old plastic Tupperware bowl I scooped out several quarts of standing water and leaves. I guided Lyla's hand on the handle of the water hose and filled the fountain back up with clean water (her favorite thing to do). Then, I lifted her up with outstretched arms so she could press the switch that turns the fountain back on circulating the water from the lion's mouth, over the cherubs and back down to the catch basin.
Though a child’s life is innocent, cleaning and refreshing the fountain seemed to me to be an apt metaphor for becoming cleansed and purified by owning up to one's past misdeeds by atoning for them which is at the very core of Yom Kippur.
