I don't know if I like it so much because it is set apart from the rest of the service, or because of the beautiful melody. I think its because I feel like it is a powerful and compelling moment; the entire congregation, and the entire Jewish population, pleads to God together to be remembered, and to be inscribed in this mythical Book of Life we discuss every year. I personally don't feel so united with everyone around me as when we are chanting those words.
I think the High Holy Days are interesting because they are so oriented towards the individual, but also focus on humanity in general. The reflection on Rosh Hashanah, and the repenting during the ten days of Awe that culminate in Yom Kippur, are there for us as individuals to think about our deeds and the wrongs we have done to others and then strive to not repeat those actions in the coming year. Its a very personal time, which can be a difficult one as well, since we need to ask forgiveness of others, and, in turn, forgive them ourselves. But when I was reading the confessional prayer we recite on Yom Kippur, Vidui, I realized how simply human the holidays are, too. Everyone makes mistakes and hurts others in some way, and the holidays provide us with an opportunity to step back and think about this. They allow us to attain a level of self-awareness and reflection we may not otherwise experience during the year. Each of us has not personally done every sin listed in the prayer, but as a community we are atoning for the things we have done. Unlike other religions, we do not confess our sins alone in a private room to one clergy member, but instead come together as a congregation and confess together, with and to each other, creating something bigger, a catharsis for not only ourselves, but our entire community, and Jewish people in general.
That may be why the Zochreinu is so powerful to me. It reminds me that the holidays are not just about me, although I definitely appreciate the opportunity for self-awareness and the chance to grow as a person. We ask God to not remember "me", but remember "us". We are all trying to repent and be better people. During a time in which I am so focused on my own life and my own actions in the past and the future, the Zochreinu grounds me and reminds me that everyone is attempting to do the same. The Jewish community is all in this together, even on the most important and personal days of the year.
In the play-within-a-play during Jeff Talbott's new play "The Submission", a child threatens his brother with a knife. Their mother sees them and takes the knife away from her son, but puts it right back into the drawer where he got it. The boy asks his mother why she did not hide the knife from him, or put it somewhere he could not reach. She responds "its important to know what you're capable of". The High Holy Days help us to ponder what we are capable of, as individuals and as a larger community. The give us a time for personal contemplation and growth, but remind us that we are never completely on our own on our journey to improvement, as we are always connected with the Jewish community as a whole. Hopefully this year everyone, not only Jews, will realize what they are capable of, and strive to use their capabilities to create a positive impact.
