Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this 2018 I happened to hear this heartbreaking yet heartwarming story told by Steve Osborne at TheMoth.org in 2009. It’s 13 minutes long, but well worth a listen, especially if you hang on until the end. Hearing him tell it, in his veteran NYPD officer way, in his first-person voice adds a lot to this true story.
First, hear the story titled “The Mug Shot” at this link at TheMoth.org. Then afterwards, we have two high holiday messages below. But first hear him tell the story!
Heard the story? OK, now for the High-Holiday messages:
Often in the High Holiday Machzor liturgy, both on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur, we repeat this line: “As a father has compassion for his children, so too, G-d be compassionate with us.” And the parent-child analogy is a thread that runs throughout the service. This story teaches us something extreme (and extremely beautiful and reassuring) about that relationship. No doubt, mom would prefer there wouldn’t be any rap-sheet, no mug shot, no cops banging down the door, no death in the streets. But believe it or not, she even cherishes that mug shot.
We all have some negative pictures of ourselves. I don’t mean where we don’t look pretty or when we’re looking away from the camera or something. And I’m not talking about actual mugshots with this nice present company. We’re talking about negative images, whether in perception or reality, when we look at the way we are and we’re not happy about it. Maybe it’s our academic standing or our religious observance, some choices we’ve made, slipping in our values or what social-scene or social-pressures we fell into. It is important to remember that G-d is like that Hispanic mom with the pink fluffy slippers in Steve Osborne’s story. No matter how disappointing or upsetting our images may be, G-d (and great Jewish leaders like the Rebbe) will always find the child in that image and cherish it anyways. So don’t be afraid or too ashamed to show up this Yom Kippur. No matter what, we’re still family.
And let’s make sure we take/make more pictures and better pictures. Let’s be sure that the images of our life this year can bring honor and dignity, pride and Nachas to G-d, our parents, and even our future children. Let’s be aware that every slice of life creates an image, and in some ways these images are permanent. It doesn’t stay in Vegas, and it doesn’t stay in your UAlbany college years. As it says, “all our deeds are inscribed in a book.” May we each create more positive images today, the types of images that we will be comfortable and proud our children to see of us tomorrow.