Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, falls ten days after Rosh
Hashanah. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the High Priest
effected atonement for the entire people through an elaborate
ritual. Today, in the absence of the Temple, each of us stands,
alone, together, naked as it were, before God. Some find the Yom
Kippur liturgy, with its litany of sins, onerous, particularly
for women. This text serves as a counterpoint to the traditional
Al Chet (confession) affirming our goodness alongside our sins.
[more]