In a few days, millions of people who observe the Levitical laws (mostly Jews) will focus on the consequences and costs of wrongdoing. Many Jews don’t like to use the word “sin” because it’s so overused and misused by congregations who claim to be Christian, but for the sake of my Christian friends, Yom Kippur is a day to reflect on the consequences of sin.

Don’t misinterpret or misunderstand what happens this day. Traditionally, in ancient Israel, this was the big day for sacrifices – the Sabbath of Sabbaths. Yom Kippur is literally translated as the day of atonement. It was likely around this time, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that Jesus gave His famous sermon on heavenly rewards and the famous “Lord’s Prayer” (noted in Matthew 6). This is the time of year when we are more united in spirit than any other, and people would want to know how to pray so it makes sense that prayer is on everyone’s mind.

Fasting is a central part of Yom Kippur. For about 25 hours no food or drink is taken – even water. Nothing in this world is to distract us from contemplating how each action and spoken word is a catalyst that sets a series of good or evil in motion and how God commands us to be aware. Even today some Jews will use this opportunity to bring attention to themselves rather than to God. They make a childish scene about how much pain they’re in (either from the fasting or how terrible they feel from some menial act).

This year, I choose to remember that this is God’s time we’re stepping into, and that there’s nothing we do – good or bad – hidden or in public – that escapes His eyes. In retrospect, this is very much the same purpose of the kippot (or yarmulke for my Yiddish friends). The small skull cap is worn to remind us that in the same way in which it rests upon our heads – whether we feel it or not, whether we see it or not – God is above us, watching what we do. It serves as a conscience booster to draw in us a desire to be better.

It’s more than a coincidence that Kippur and kippot look so much alike. Kippur is: כּפּוּר and kippah is: כּפּה – at the risk of over-interpreting the root, Kaph and Pey (כ and פ, respectively) together they could mean “completely redeem”, though I haven’t consulted a learned Rabbe on this matter. I do know, however, that Kippur has several meanings, one of which is frost – frost is a substance required for life (water) that covers everything white (Isaiah 1:18). Another meaning for Kippur is “freezing”, which might have some reference to how the records in the book of life are supposedly frozen on this day as the the book is closed and sealed.

One day out of the year to reflect on the consequences of our inappropriate behavior does not undo our wrongs. The scripture is even clear in Leviticus 16 that without blood there is no atonement. As a believer in the Messiah, I see a direct link between Yom Kippur, God’s righteousness, my wrongdoings, and the Blood needed to atone for them (Matthew 27:51 – Yom Kippur involved the room behind the veil of the temple). The fasting, praying and repenting are more than lip-service, but less than actual compensation for the affects of my sin. Nevertheless, there is a redemptive quality in solemn repentance. We recognize our need for God to show us the way to righteousness and to forgive us. Recognizing that we are made in the image of God, we also reflect on the need for us to forgive others and lead others towards the path of salvation. This is reflected in the book of Jonah, which is traditionally read on this day.

Although this day is filled with heaviness, the premise is to draw us towards the liberty and freedom of forgiveness, peace and love that only God can provide.

Gmar Chatimah Tova (May your name be written in the Book of Life)

For the past decade I’ve been responsible for cooking the Seder dinner. It’s gotten more elaborate over the years – particularly the desserts because we get invited over to a friends house for one of the Seder meals.

Last year I created rosewater meringues dipped in rum syrup. It was delicate, light, kosher and surprisingly good. This year I made two deserts. One to bring to our friends’ Seder and one for fun. The one to bring to their Seder is the famous François Payard’s Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies. To keep completely kosher, I had to grind my own sugar. Although the soft white powder looked good in the food processor when I was done … it was still very coarse. Other than that, the recipe was followed to a “T” (as in “Tanuch”) and came out very, very good. Our hostess will be pleased.

The second dessert I made didn’t turn out so well – Crème brûlée. The cream over-boiled, the custard didn’t set (even keeping it in the oven an extra 1/2 hour didn’t help), and because there was less custard (I lost about a cup of cream to it over-boiling), the sugar ratio was too high and made it too sweet. The ramekins were too small, so the extra 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar spread amongst the 2-inch tops was too much and I didn’t have a torch.

Surprisingly, the top sugar melted perfectly in the oven at the high broiler setting. And other than it being to sweet, the flavor was spot-on. And they looked cool. At least they’re kosher. So I learned the following – watch your cream carefully … once it starts to boil, it can overflow or burn within seconds. I used 5 yolks … next time I’ll use 6 or 7 to help it set better. Some potato starch would have helped it to set, too. Finally, when adding the sugar on top, skip what the directions say and make the portions fit the ramekin size. A thin layer of sugar is better than a thick one.

And now for some uplifting, once famous, quotes brought about by and for the educational system of a world superpower.
These are core values and morals that should be clearly taught in all schools.

“Live Faithfully, Fight Bravely…”

“Be Faithful, Be Pure…”

“He who serves … [their country] … serves God.”

“[To] my magnificent youngsters! Are there any finer ones in the world? Look at these young men and boys! What material! With them, I can make a new world. This is the heroic stage of youth. Out of it will come the creative man…”

“…youth must be slender and supple, fast as a greyhound, tough as leather, and hard as Krupp steel. He must learn to do without, to endure criticism and injustice, to be reliable, discreet, decent, and loyal.”

What happened to faithfulness, bravery, purity, grace, dependability, responsibility and loyalty? They should certainly be taught, but parents are mistaken if they think the school, typical Sunday school or material synagogue/schule takes this effort. Let me shed some light to the aforementioned quotes by filling in their ellipses.

“Live Faithfully, Fight Bravely, and Die Laughing! We were born to die for Germany!”

“Be Faithful, Be Pure, Be German!”

“He who serves Adolf Hitler, the Führer, serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany, serves God.”

“I begin with the young. We older ones are used up. We are rotten to the marrow. We are cowardly and sentimental. We are bearing the burden of a humiliating past, and have in our blood the dull recollection of serfdom and servility. But my magnificent youngsters! Are there any finer ones in the world? Look at these young men and boys! What material! With them, I can make a new world. This is the heroic stage of youth. Out of it will come the creative man, the man-god.”

“The German youth must be slender and supple, fast as a greyhound, tough as leather, and hard as Krupp steel. He must learn to do without, to endure criticism and injustice, to be reliable, discreet, decent, and loyal.”

Oops! Doesn’t sound so Utopian, anymore, now that we know the source of the statements.

Hitler certainly had a masterful influence over people. He convinced them through his charisma, education, grace, talent and diplomacy to unite and wreak havoc on the world, not excluding attempted genocide. Many politicians looked to him, his influence and his failures as examples of how to control the masses. People were dazzled and blinded by the hateful intent and destructive force this leader was spewing… not least of them were teachers.

So what makes teachers, or anyone for that matter, think they are impervious to the same forces taking power in America and across other world power governments today? All adults from the past three generations have been raised and educated in such a way that it systematically strips our independence and self-sufficiency, making us dependent on the government. Furthermore, it’s been done in a way that, for the most part, we don’t know what we’re missing.

Education – TRUE education – isn’t about reading or writing or arithmetic. Those aren’t goals. Those are tools and we should think of them as such. True education is about exploring, experimenting on our own, making mistakes and learning from them. It’s about acknowledging the individuality of people, respecting them and respectfully disagreeing with eloquence. It’s about mastering graceful behavior on our own bodies as an outward expression that we are elite creatures by creation and can master other things as well. It’s about knowing your ground, debating civilly, and assisting others gallantly. It’s about becoming the best person you can be.

The government thinks the best you can be, in the government’s system’s point of view, is a resource … a tool. If the government needs more waiters and waitresses in the future, guess what kind of education you’re children are going to be given. I heard of an interesting society – another experimental system – that molded the western culture. But this system had real education as its underpinnings. They would drop the names of all civilians in a bowl and have lottery-esque drawings for careers. This was not a lottery of children to determine what career to train them for, as the Soviet Union’s communistic government donned out, but a lottery of adults. It was expected of all adults to be completely capable and self sufficient of any task that if the city needed a new army captain or master chef any adult had already risen to that capability and only needed to exercise it. This was ancient Greece.

Hitler, as much a beast as he was, was right about the power of government managed education. If you send your child to Caeser, Kaiser, or der Führer… don’t be surprised when they come home as Romans, Germans or Nazis. Start by being surprised at what the leaders are saying.

Look through history at all the greatest inventors … even at the wealthiest people today … they either didn’t finish public school or they didn’t go to public school at all. Schooling does not equate to education. It is mostly for government indoctrination. Teachers have been used as pawns and most don’t recognize it. The same could be said for any American (or anyone raised under a Prussian-inspired school system).

What should you do to break away from this indoctrination? Put yourself through the type of elite schooling that our politicians and other powerful world leaders receive:

Hone your skills and learn skills that really matter:

• Educate yourself by reading classic literature, philosophy, poetry.
• Exercise yourself through puzzles.
• Expand what you’ve learned through practicing debate, reason and logic.
• Execute your skills by critical examination of the media (they’re mostly wrong … and on purpose, too) and by listening carefully to what world leaders are saying.
• Know what makes people tick.
  • For those who want to learn, show them the way.
  • For those who don’t want to learn, know how to control/seduce/entice their desires to direct them to do justice and righteousness.
  • You’ll find more people want to learn as the unrest continues.

Prepare for the worst, but work for the best:

• Just like the boy scout motto.
• Prepare your hearts – Master your world view. Get right with God
• Prepare your mind – learn survival skills … at least learn to milk a cow
• Prepare your pantry – store food for yourself and others
• Prepare your arsenal – get ready to hunt for and defend your family
• Prepare your finances – save and invest in hard goods and precious metals

Start now. Time is running out. If you have these skills then you can question the world around you to recognize the signs. The red stallion is ready.