My Sins...
For Yom Kippur I have to apologize for all my sins. One of my rabbis told us we had to apologize for ALL sins, because by say not stopping W. from sending our troops over to Iraq- are we not all guilty of the deaths there( I’m paraphrasing as we weren’t AT WAR at the time, but you get the idea).
This year, I’m breaking my ‘own’ rules. See, you are suppose to NOT work for the holidays( sort of the 4th commandment- keeping things holy), so as I’ve ‘celebrated’ Yom Kippur on my own- I don’t answer the phone, I don’t use my computer or television, or use money- thereby forcing others to work. I really cut out the television and computer as I realized how easy it is to fast IF I watch TV and play vidgames- and I feel fasting shouldn’t be too easy- as the point of the fast is to cleanse the body and stuff.
HOWEVER on Saturday I plan to have a bit of fun, not sure how much fun it will really be by playing Heroclix. I’m playing in Heroclix because… Well they have an ‘event’ at the game store and if I play I get a member of the Silver Age Justice League with a Starro’d face. I really want the 4 members of the JLA that they’re doing this with- well 3 as I want Barry- Flash who hasn’t appeared in Heroclix YET, Aquaman and Green Arrow… and for the set I’ll get Hal as well ( though I would have MUCH preferred J’onn). So even though I plan NOT to work on Saturday, I will be at the game store and might end up kibbutzing- esp. as the guy who will be working there on Saturday is a newbie. Likewise- I just said I try to decrease my footprint by not doing anything that might force others to work- well I figure if I’m doing heroclix- I can take the train to a friend’s house. I’m doing that because he’s going to a anime convention for the weekend and wants me to feed his cat. And I don’t think the cat should have to fast because I am.
So I figured to help me get over feeling bad for ‘bending’ the rules- I’d post here the 10 Commandments( most of which I remember by heart) and whether or not I have broken them.
I am the Lord your God
1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Since I consider myself to be agnostic with atheistic leanings (I find it depressing to believe in a God and him to allow what’s going on in the world). Thus I have NOT broken this commandment- this year or any other
2) Thou shalt not worship graven images
Ok- never had a problem with this- save for baiting some Christians, as I often feel that the cross is a graven image.
3) Thou shalt not take the name of the lord, thy god’s, in vain
Another no brainer- as while I occasionally curse and say GDI, or GFDI- I’m not using the big Y’s name. Same with me saying Jesus F’ing Christ- I don’t consider J to be God- so using his name isn’t taking G-d’s name in vain.
4) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
And here’s where we hit the first speed bump. I regularly break this one EVERY year, because working retail there’s NO WAY to avoid working on the Sabbath. I suppose if I worked in an office- in spring and summer I’d be able to get home before sunset- but I’d still use my tv and computer… which to orthodox Jews is considered work… so this I break constantly and will continue to break- sorry.
5) Honor thy Father and Mother
Nope. Don’t do that. While I honor my Mom more now then I did as a kid… I’ve been making fun of her recently for trying to get me to go on Jlist- I mean Jdate ;-) and hooking me up with a nice Jewess as now that I’m sort of in shape- she thinks I can snag a girl…
As for my Dad, I consider him a schmuck. He doesn’t honor me or my older brother and I see NO reason to honor him.
6) Thou shalt not murder
And we’re back to- nope never. While I have THOUGHT how cool it would be to kill people- I have never ACTUALLY preformed the deed… and chances are I never will. This would be tested ONLY if I felt I had an actual chance to take out W. or Rumsfeld.
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery
Nope, Never. Not this year, not ever. Granted I am NOT married but I would like to think considering my contempt for my Dad (see 5), I never would… and usually when I find out a female is ‘taken’ I consider her off limits…
8) Thou shalt not steal
Ok- another one I’m guilty of. I mean I’m not stealing a) huge wads of cash or b) from the game store- but I will admit that I have stolen from the gift store… Little things that hopefully won’t get me fired (as I haven’t been yet).
I also will admit that I have been downloading comics- now most of the comics I download are ones that I would NEVER buy or just want a computer copy which takes up less space… But downloading comics I haven’t bought is prolly considered stealing and I’ve done more of that then taking trinkets from the gift store.
Oh and I sneak into movies at the theater because I feel $11 for the crap Hollywood is dumping at the multiplex is WRONG.
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness
Hmmm… No. I have not born false witness. I have lied, but a) haven’t done it in court and b) haven’t done it to get someone ELSE in trouble. I usually lie by omission with my parents, as I don’t think they NEED to know everything… and have lied to help people or, again with my folks, just make the conversation a little smoother. Like pretending a give a damn about my father’s current wife.
10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor thy neighbor’s wife.
Ok, this is the biggest one. I covet A LOT. Now part of my coveting might be considered lust; I mean really why would you covet your neighbor’s wife unless you wanted to boff her?
So that’s 4, 5, 8, and 10 for a total of 4 out of 10. On the one hand breaking 40% of the commandments SEEMS bad- but when you look at them- I think I’m batting about average to slightly below average. The one that bothers me, and I truly feel sorry for is 8- again I’m not stealing anything BIG or taking money out of the mouths of widows and orphans… but occasionally I do feel pangs of wrongness from stealing; while I ask for forgiveness for the others- I really don’t feel ashamed about NOT keeping the Sabbath, Honoring my parents, or coveting a sweet young thing at the gym( though I feel a tad like a dirty old man).
This year, I’m breaking my ‘own’ rules. See, you are suppose to NOT work for the holidays( sort of the 4th commandment- keeping things holy), so as I’ve ‘celebrated’ Yom Kippur on my own- I don’t answer the phone, I don’t use my computer or television, or use money- thereby forcing others to work. I really cut out the television and computer as I realized how easy it is to fast IF I watch TV and play vidgames- and I feel fasting shouldn’t be too easy- as the point of the fast is to cleanse the body and stuff.
HOWEVER on Saturday I plan to have a bit of fun, not sure how much fun it will really be by playing Heroclix. I’m playing in Heroclix because… Well they have an ‘event’ at the game store and if I play I get a member of the Silver Age Justice League with a Starro’d face. I really want the 4 members of the JLA that they’re doing this with- well 3 as I want Barry- Flash who hasn’t appeared in Heroclix YET, Aquaman and Green Arrow… and for the set I’ll get Hal as well ( though I would have MUCH preferred J’onn). So even though I plan NOT to work on Saturday, I will be at the game store and might end up kibbutzing- esp. as the guy who will be working there on Saturday is a newbie. Likewise- I just said I try to decrease my footprint by not doing anything that might force others to work- well I figure if I’m doing heroclix- I can take the train to a friend’s house. I’m doing that because he’s going to a anime convention for the weekend and wants me to feed his cat. And I don’t think the cat should have to fast because I am.
So I figured to help me get over feeling bad for ‘bending’ the rules- I’d post here the 10 Commandments( most of which I remember by heart) and whether or not I have broken them.
I am the Lord your God
1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Since I consider myself to be agnostic with atheistic leanings (I find it depressing to believe in a God and him to allow what’s going on in the world). Thus I have NOT broken this commandment- this year or any other
2) Thou shalt not worship graven images
Ok- never had a problem with this- save for baiting some Christians, as I often feel that the cross is a graven image.
3) Thou shalt not take the name of the lord, thy god’s, in vain
Another no brainer- as while I occasionally curse and say GDI, or GFDI- I’m not using the big Y’s name. Same with me saying Jesus F’ing Christ- I don’t consider J to be God- so using his name isn’t taking G-d’s name in vain.
4) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
And here’s where we hit the first speed bump. I regularly break this one EVERY year, because working retail there’s NO WAY to avoid working on the Sabbath. I suppose if I worked in an office- in spring and summer I’d be able to get home before sunset- but I’d still use my tv and computer… which to orthodox Jews is considered work… so this I break constantly and will continue to break- sorry.
5) Honor thy Father and Mother
Nope. Don’t do that. While I honor my Mom more now then I did as a kid… I’ve been making fun of her recently for trying to get me to go on Jlist- I mean Jdate ;-) and hooking me up with a nice Jewess as now that I’m sort of in shape- she thinks I can snag a girl…
As for my Dad, I consider him a schmuck. He doesn’t honor me or my older brother and I see NO reason to honor him.
6) Thou shalt not murder
And we’re back to- nope never. While I have THOUGHT how cool it would be to kill people- I have never ACTUALLY preformed the deed… and chances are I never will. This would be tested ONLY if I felt I had an actual chance to take out W. or Rumsfeld.
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery
Nope, Never. Not this year, not ever. Granted I am NOT married but I would like to think considering my contempt for my Dad (see 5), I never would… and usually when I find out a female is ‘taken’ I consider her off limits…
8) Thou shalt not steal
Ok- another one I’m guilty of. I mean I’m not stealing a) huge wads of cash or b) from the game store- but I will admit that I have stolen from the gift store… Little things that hopefully won’t get me fired (as I haven’t been yet).
I also will admit that I have been downloading comics- now most of the comics I download are ones that I would NEVER buy or just want a computer copy which takes up less space… But downloading comics I haven’t bought is prolly considered stealing and I’ve done more of that then taking trinkets from the gift store.
Oh and I sneak into movies at the theater because I feel $11 for the crap Hollywood is dumping at the multiplex is WRONG.
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness
Hmmm… No. I have not born false witness. I have lied, but a) haven’t done it in court and b) haven’t done it to get someone ELSE in trouble. I usually lie by omission with my parents, as I don’t think they NEED to know everything… and have lied to help people or, again with my folks, just make the conversation a little smoother. Like pretending a give a damn about my father’s current wife.
10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor thy neighbor’s wife.
Ok, this is the biggest one. I covet A LOT. Now part of my coveting might be considered lust; I mean really why would you covet your neighbor’s wife unless you wanted to boff her?
So that’s 4, 5, 8, and 10 for a total of 4 out of 10. On the one hand breaking 40% of the commandments SEEMS bad- but when you look at them- I think I’m batting about average to slightly below average. The one that bothers me, and I truly feel sorry for is 8- again I’m not stealing anything BIG or taking money out of the mouths of widows and orphans… but occasionally I do feel pangs of wrongness from stealing; while I ask for forgiveness for the others- I really don’t feel ashamed about NOT keeping the Sabbath, Honoring my parents, or coveting a sweet young thing at the gym( though I feel a tad like a dirty old man).
Labels: Jewish Holidays
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