is a prerequisite to Yom Kippur. The holiday atones for our sins against G-d, not against people. The sins against people, we need to fix. We need to seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. On its face, forgiveness is straightforward. Not always, but almost always, we know whom we’ve wronged. We work up the courage to apologize, to ask that person for forgiveness. And that person forgives us. If only it were that simple. Forgiveness can be tricky. Think of the politician who announces, “If I offended anyone with my remarks (or behavior), I am sorry.” This is an evasion, not an apology. It would not qualify for Yom Kippur. This supposed request for forgiveness shifts the onus from the offender to the person […]
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