A central theme of the High Holidays – a set of Jewish festivals that include Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – is that doing right by God begins with doing right by others. During Passover, Jewish families begin their Seder meal with a child asking, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Similarly, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, worshippers might reflect, “Why is this closing service different from all other services?” These questions highlight the significance of the High Holidays, a 10-day period of introspection, prayer, and repentance. Throughout these days, Jews pray to be “inscribed” in the Book of Life, a symbolic record that determines their fate for the coming year. This tradition holds that God grants people life, health, and moral growth, and the High Holidays culminate in Yom Kippur, a day of fasting, reflection, and reconciliation. On this day, the focus is on repairing relationships with others, believing that such reconciliation strengthens one’s relationship with God. As Yom Kippur ends, it is said that the Book of Life is sealed, and the final service, known as Ne’ilah, or “the closing,” reflects this moment. The service is held just before sunset, with the Torah ark left open, and many worshippers remain standing in a final plea for forgiveness. Yom Kippur is a day of repentance, expressed through confession and reflection. The confessional prayer is repeated multiple times throughout the day, asking for forgiveness for various ethical transgressions, especially those involving harmful speech like slander or gossip. A key Jewish teaching is that humans are made in the image of God, so wronging others is seen as wronging God as well. This idea underscores the belief that to be right with God, one must first be right with others. The Ne’ilah service adds a unique prayer that focuses not on specific sins but on the broader process of repentance. It emphasizes the idea that one cannot fully reconcile with God without reconciling with others. This prayer echoes a passage from the biblical Book of Jonah, urging people to return what they have wrongfully taken from others, whether emotionally, spiritually, or materially. The service also highlights the importance of returning stolen goods or making amends for past wrongs. It begins with a reference to God’s outstretched hand, symbolizing the invitation to reconciliation, but notes that this can only happen after people have reconciled with those they have harmed. The message is clear: true repentance involves not just confession but also action to repair relationships.