Dear Chevreh,
During this month of Elul, we are each called to do Teshuvah, to do the work of returning to our best selves by turning to each other and to God. But Teshuvah is not one thing; it takes different forms. Specific sins, mistakes we make and opportunities we miss, require specific kinds of repentance.
For sins between people and God, we ask forgiveness of God, pledging through Tzedakah (righteous giving) and Tefilah (sincere prayer) to reach higher and do better.
But even God does not have the power to forgive the sins we commit against other people. Only through acknowledgement of wrong by a person to a person can the sins between people be forgiven.
And so I turn to you, my holy community, and I apologize. I know there are things that have gone right this past year and I know there are mistakes I have made, more numerous than I wish were true. If I have wronged you, I can only do Teshuvah by asking you personally your forgiveness.
It certainly isn't easy to apologize, and I know it isn't easy to say to someone "you've hurt me." But this is the work we are called to do this month leading up to Rosh haShannah. And it is a blessing to have relationships worth fixing.
My email is rabbicreditor@gmail.com. I do hope that, if there is something that I have done that has hurt you, you'll find a way to let me know, so that I can apologize to you personally. B'Ahavah, Rabbi Creditor
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