Todd E. Carton, 32°, K.C.C.H.
11222 Watermill Lane, Wheaton, Maryland 20902–3438

The message of Yom Kippur is choice, atonement, and pardon.

To many around the world, the Jewish people are also known as the "Chosen People." The holiday of Yom Kippur provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of this often-misunderstood phrase.

Jewish people understand the twofold meaning of being the Chosen People. It connotes not only that God chose the Jews but that they chose God as well. As God chose the Jewish people to receive, study and understand His Law, so, too, did Israel choose to accept the Law and all of the responsibilities that entailed. Israel Zangwill points out that, "Not idly does the Talmudical legend assert that the Law was offered first to all other nations and only Israel accepted the yoke."

This choosing begins with Abraham who was first chosen by God and whom Jews refer to as Avram Avinu or Abraham, our Father. Abraham and his descendants were chosen by God to worship Him and follow His commands even before the entire Law (Torah) was revealed to Moses generations later at Mt. Sinai. It was here that the second choosing occurred as we learn in Exodus 35:1 "And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them." And later, at Verse 29: "The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Here we see the Jewish people choosing God and accepting the Law. Thus we see the duality inherent in both being passively chosen and in actively choosing.

In the English speaking world, Yom Kippur is translated as the Day of Atonement. In Spanish, the holy day is called Dia de Perdon (the Day of Pardon). Though they do not mean the same thing, both meanings are correct and contained in the Hebrew. It is at this time that the sinner makes expiation of his transgressions, and God chooses to pardon those sins. It is important to understand, however, that God has authority to grant pardon of only those sins as committed by man against God.

God does not forgive us the offenses we have committed against our fellowman until the person against whom the sin was committed has first forgiven those sins. Thus it is at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and in the ten Days of Awe that intervene between that holy day and Yom Kippur, that Jews have the opportunity to reflect on the choices they have made in the past year and to seek atonement and pardon not only before God but before our fellowman.

Even as God has given us His Commandments as a rule and guide for our lives, He has also given us the free will to choose whether we follow any or all of those laws. He understands, therefore, that we will sometimes make the wrong choices, but He has also given us a way to atone for our transgressions and to grant us pardon not only as individuals but as a community. As Michael Asheri points out, "We ask pardon on this day for violating the commandments of the Torah, but typically we do not ask for ourselves alone but for all Israel. The Viddui, or confession, that forms such an important part of the [Yom Kippur] services, lists all manner of sins, many of which we might personally never dream of committing, yet we still ask God to pardon us those sins, since we speak in the name of all Jewry, not just ourselves."

Jews cannot seek atonement for the other nations of the world because of the concept of Jews as the Chosen people. A violation by a non-Jew of the dietary laws, for example, does not constitute a sin because the non-Jew has not so chosen.

We must keep in mind, however, that it is not alone before God that we have sinned. Therefore, we should also seek the forgiveness of those whom we have wronged, for only when that forgiveness is granted can God forgive us those transgressions as well. Equally important, we must choose to forgive those who have transgressed against us when they seek our forgiveness. This is a part of the responsibility we accept when we choose to follow God's Commandments and is, perhaps, the most important message of Yom Kippur.

Todd Carton assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer for the Supreme Council in April 1999 after working nearly 20 years in various areas of public and private accounting in fields as diverse as electronics manufacturing and medical practice management. He also serves as a member of the Finance Committee for the Valley of Baltimore, Orient of Maryland, of which he is a member. In November 1999, he was appointed Treasurer of the Scottish Rite Research Society. Brother Carton's home Lodge is Cornerstone No. 224 in Rockville, Md.