In case you hadn’t noticed it’s been extremely hot lately. 
When making a choice about what to wear in the heat, I instinctively reached out for a white outfit. 
And then…I remembered!
No white after Labor Day. 
This was a real rule in my Mom’s book. 
In the fashion world, trends come and go, but apparently the most Googled question remains regarding wearing white after Labor Day. 
A little research reveals that the upper class wore white during the summer, but refrained from doing so after Labor Day to distinguish themselves from the  the working class people who apparently continued to wear as long as it was practical. 
On that note, the snobs of fashion actually touched on a deep truth. 
Wearing white clothes strips away all the status symbols and represents the idea that we are all equal before Gd. 
If you attend services on Yom
Kippur, you may see many people in flagrant violation of the Labor Day rule - dressed in white. 
This is a custom, not a requirement, but it does put one in the proper frame of mind. 
White reflects purity. 
White is angelic. 
White makes us think of holiness. 
White reminds us it’s possible to make a clean slate - free of sin. 
White harks back to the linen garments worn by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, who wore white for the service done in the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies we hen the Temple stood. 

The wearing of white connects us to a verse from the Prophet Isaiah “Though your sins are like scarlet thread, they shall become as white as snow”. 
The Talmud relates that during the Yom Kippur service in Temple times, a piece of scarlet wool was tied to the main entrance of the Sanctuary. When the Jewish people achieved atonement and were absolved of sin, the red thread would miraculously turn white. 
(When my daughter was in kindergarten, she learned that verse as the teacher made a song out of it. But she did not quite catch the words properly and I tend to sing it her way
“Your sins are like garlic bread…”)
Our clothing becomes a reminder to us of the purpose of the day. It’s a time to shed all the trappings and come in contact with our truest selves. 
Many have shared that the most painful struggle they experience on Yom Kippur is feeling hypocritical. On Yom Kippur they say they will return to their true selves but they feel that it may not happen and after that day they will once again engage in a behavior that is not acceptable. 
Rabbi YY Jacobson teaches that when a Jew wishes on Yom Kippur, “even for one fleeting second, that they could be free of a certain negative behavior, that second is their absolute truth. The struggle they experience tomorrow doesn’t make it a lie; it just means they are a human being living in a fractured world. Yom Kippur is not about pretending we are perfect; it is about validating the spark of goodness within us that wants to be better”
It’s not all or nothing. 
Now we get a lifeline. 
The lifeline is called a Kabbalah, an action you accept upon yourself. 
The trick with a Kabbalah is to make it so very small, you actually have a chance for success. 
Narrow the focus. 
If speaking negatively about others is a challenge, don’t promise never to do it again. 
Don’t promise not to to it for a week, a day, even an hour. 
Try to set aside 10 minutes a day to not speak negatively about another. 
I suggest you take a small piece of paper or an index card. 
Spend some time before Yom Kippur thinking about your Kabbalah. 
Strategize. 
And then - write it down on the paper. 
If you are going to services, take it with you. If you are not, keep it with you on Monday. 
Look at it periodically. 
This is a lifeline. 
Why?
Because a negative judgement that might go out against someone who practices this activity without thought. 
You are not that person anymore. 
Your absolute truth is someone who is strategizing to become their true self. 
So, that negative judgement is not yours. 
You want to be better. 
That changes everything. 
It changes you. 
Yom Kippur is this coming Sunday night and Monday. 
However you mark the day, don’t lose the chance to experience the fleeting moment which is your essence. 
And know
#it’s kinda chic to wear white after Labour Day when it’s Yom Kippur. 
Gmar Chatima Tova!
May we be sealed in the Book of life. 
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!
PS We ask forgiveness from each other before Yom Kippur, because before we can ask Gd to treat us with love we must act with love to one another. 
Asking for forgiveness in this forum feels artificial. “If I’ve hurt you in any way, please forgive me”
But I actually mean it. 
If there is some action I need to repair, I would hope you would reach out privately so I can make amends. And even though it sounds a little too easy, I forgive anyone who hurt me! 
And I mean it. 
Love
J