Guided Writing - Yom Kippur Cheshbon HaNefesh Journal

(יב) לֵ֣ב טָ֭הוֹר בְּרָא־לִ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְר֥וּחַ נָ֝כ֗וֹן חַדֵּ֥שׁ בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ (יג) אַל־תַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥נִי מִלְּפָנֶ֑יךָ וְר֥וּחַ קׇ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ אַל־תִּקַּ֥ח מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

Psalms 51:12-13

(12) Fashion a pure heart for me, O God;
create in me a steadfast spirit. (13) Do not cast me out of Your presence,
or take Your holy spirit away from me.

If you clear away all the judgement, criticism, negative talk, what is in your pure heart?
Write a letter as if your heart is speaking directly to you.

משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה ג׳:ד׳

(ד) לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיִּרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ כְּאִלּוּ חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי וְחֶצְיוֹ חַיָּב. וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָם חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי וְחֶצְיוֹ חַיָּב. חָטָא חֵטְא אֶחָד הֲרֵי הִכְרִיעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לְכַף חוֹבָה וְגָרַם לוֹ הַשְׁחָתָה. עָשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת הֲרֵי הִכְרִיעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת וְגָרַם לוֹ וְלָהֶם תְּשׁוּעָה וְהַצָּלָה

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 3:4

(4) ... It is, therefore, necessary for everyone to behold themselves throughout the whole year in a light of being evenly balanced between innocence and guilt, and look upon the entire world as if evenly balanced between innocence and guilt; thus, if they commit one sin, they will overbalance themselves and the whole world to the side of guilt, and be a cause of its destruction; but if they perform one mitzvah, behold, they will overbalance themselves and the whole world to the side of virtue and save it.

What is one thing you have done this past year that has the tipped the scales to destruction?
And one that has tipped the other way?

Every year as we enter Yom Kippur, we take a step out of our death-denying culture and peer, for one day, into the deep. Every year we talk about how the rituals and liturgy of this day create for us a deathscape: we fast, we wear white, we say Yizkor, immersing in the memories of loved ones who have died. We sit with the terrible realization that we are—all of us—standing at the edge of the abyss. That some of us will be here next year and some will not.
Rabbi Sharon Brous - Kol Nidrei 5780

Imagine tomorrow was the last day of your life. Write down 3 important things you need to do, whether a task or something on your bucket list. Next to each, write why this is important to you. Now write down 3 people you need to speak to. What would you say to them?

Dig into yourself; look at your desires, longings and goals. Which one would need to be changed or fine-tuned and in what way?

דברים י׳:ט״ז

(טז) וּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עׇרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעׇ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד׃

Deuteronomy 10:16

(16) Cut away, therefore, the thickening about your hearts and stiffen your necks no more.

What keeps your heart closed? Write a farewell letter to that thing explaining with love and gentleness why it needs to be let go of.

איכה ה׳:כ״א

(כא) הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

Lamentations 5:21

(21) Take us back, Eternal, to Yourself,
And let us come back;
Renew our days as of old!

While we look forward, and make change, there are important parts of us that might have gotten lost. These we need to re-member. What do you need to recall, return to?
Write an invitation letter to call this back into yourself.