As we approach Yom Kippur, the culmination of this period of self-reflection on the past year and where we may have gone astray, it is worth remembering that this is more than a time of regret and fear and self-censure: it is also a time of growth, and joy, and love,.
With that in mind, I wanted to share two versions of Ahavnu, a "positive viddui" that I recently encountered — a complementary "confession" alongside the traditional Ashamnu viddui (the litany of wrongs that we confess as a community).
G'mar chatima tova; may we have a Yom Kippur of meaning and balance, and a good final sealing in the Book of Life.
Rav Kook, Ayn Aya commentary (tractate Maaser Sheni, Chapter 7, Mishnah 10): ... Therefore, just as there is great value to the repair of the soul by the confession of sins ... there is also great value by the confession of mitzvot (our positive deeds), in order to gladden the heart and strengthen the paths of life in the way of God.
