Yom Kippur 5785

As we prepare to begin Yom Kippur, I'm thinking about the last three verses of the Haftarah for Mincha, Micah 7:18-20, added on to the book of Jonah:

Who is a G!d like unto You, that pardons the iniquity, And passes by the transgression of the remnant of G!d's heritage? G!d retains not G!d's anger for ever, Because G!d delights in mercy.

G!d will again have compassion upon us; G!d will subdue our iniquities; And You wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob, lovingkindness to Abraham, As You have sworn unto our ancestors from the days of old.

In the opening words of Tomer Devorah, Rabbi Moshe Cordevero makes the point that because we are made in the image and likeness of G!d, our actions must imitate G!d's actions as well. He goes on, in the first chapter of that work, to expound the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy contained in these three verses and consider how we might imitate them.

May we, on this Yom Kippur, reflect on how we have fallen short from imitating G!d's attributes in all of our actions and may we be given the strength to let these attributes shine forth in all of our deeds in the coming year.

G'mar chatimah tovah!