Shabbat Shuva and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur starts tonight; yesterday was one of the reflective moments in the Jewish calendar: *Shabbat Shuvah*, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Shabbat Shuvah takes its name from the opening words of the Haftarah, *Shuvah Yisrael* – “Return, O Israel.” The word shuvah comes from the Hebrew root meaning “to return”, and it captures the essence of these Ten Days of Teshuvah: an invitation to pause, reflect and consider the direction of our lives.
I am from Liverpool, but I now live in Manchester, and that reflection feels particularly poignant this year. Manchester is a city with a large, proud and vibrant Jewish community, yet recent events have reminded us that we cannot take our sense of security, community or togetherness for granted. The terror attack in Manchester last year left a deep scar, and as we approach Yom Kippur, I find myself thinking not only about those who lost their lives and those affected, but also about how we, as a community, respond to difficult times.
Perhaps this is another meaning of teshuvah, returning to one another. In times of uncertainty, we need community, compassion and connection. We need to look out for one another and ensure that nobody feels alone. Being Jewish in Manchester, or anywhere, is not simply about where we live; it is about the community we create and the responsibility we have towards each other.
Yom Kippur is traditionally a day of fasting, prayer and repentance, but Shabbat Shuvah reminds us that teshuvah is not simply about saying sorry. It is about recognising where we may have fallen short, taking responsibility and, where possible, putting things right. It is also about thinking about the person we want to become in the year ahead.
There is an important distinction in Jewish tradition between sins we commit against God and wrongs we commit against another person. Yom Kippur can atone for the former, but when we have hurt another person, we must seek their forgiveness ourselves. Shabbat Shuvah therefore provides an opportunity to begin that process before Yom Kippur arrives.
Is that why Shabbat Shuvah is so powerful? In the midst of the preparations for Yom Kippur, it asks us to stop, take stock and look honestly at the past year but not with endless guilt, but with the intention of learning from it.
As we move from Shabbat Shuvah towards Yom Kippur, we should ask ourselves three simple questions:
- What do I need to acknowledge?
- What do I need to repair?
- And what do I want to change?
Yom Kippur gives us the opportunity to draw a line under the past and begin again. But teshuvah reminds us that a new beginning is not achieved simply through prayer. It comes through action, through repairing relationships, changing our behaviour and returning to the values that we want to guide our lives.
As I look around at our Jewish communities and think about the year that has passed, I am reminded of the resilience of our Jewish community and the importance of standing together. It is important that Jewish and non-Jewish friends and allies stand together. Shabbat Shuvah gave us the opportunity not only to reflect on ourselves, but to think about the community we want to build for the year ahead.
I hope that this Shabbat Shuvah gave us the courage to reflect honestly, the humility to ask for forgiveness, and the determination to make meaningful changes.
And as we enter Yom Kippur, may we all be written and sealed for a year only of good health, happiness and peace.
Shana Tovah and G’mar Chatimah Tovah.
