Last updated 7:40 a.m. ET on 20 August 1999.

Yamim Noraim - the Days of Awe

Where did the term "High Holy Days" come from? That's a somewhat rhetorical question, one I don't intend to answer at this time. But "High Holy Days" has never been a term I liked. I do like the Hebrew term for this season, Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. I am always awestruck as I contemplate Rosh Hashanah as the Birthday of the World. No matter how you believe the world came to be, its very existence and variety is pretty awe-inspiring.

And the major themes of this season are big ones and deserving of respect -- repentance and forgiveness. Every year we are given the obligation to spend time thinking about the direction of our lives and how we can improve our relations not only with G-d, but with the people with whom we share our lives.

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