Today concludes our High Holy Days. Over the generations, some of our rabbis have taught that on Yom Kippur one’s fate is sealed as to whether you are inscribed into the Book of Life or not. Others teach that one has until the end of Sukkot to offer amends. And for still others, one may have until Chanukah. No matter. For me, the question is not when the Book of Life is closed for us; rather, it is the curious proximity of two Yizkor services in our High Holy Days observances.
For those who were with us in the afternoon of Yom Kippur and its memorial Yizkor, have you ever wondered why our tradition provides a second Yizkor observance less than two weeks later? I do have an answer of my own, but for today I would just like to speak about what is special about today.More