“Without forgiveness, there could be no allowance for human frailty.”
— Dr. Elliot Malamet
All relationships depend on forgiveness, from the personal to the professional to the intimate. In fact, the closer you become to another person, the more robust a role forgiveness must play in your relationship, as the strongest bonds can lead to the strongest hurts.
But how far does forgiveness really extend? Are there acts that are too difficult to forgive or atone for? And is it even possible to truly move past a discretion for which no apology has been given?
This episode of the Living Jewishly Podcasts is a special Yom Kippur instalment of Crossing the Sea, a podcast about Judaism and mental health. Dr. Elliot Malamet explores the dynamics of forgiveness from a Jewish perspective, and how these themes are linked to our observance of Yom Kippur.
“The apology is second and forgiveness is third. What’s step number one? Communicating the hurt.”
— Dr. Elliot Malamet
This episode discusses:
Highlights:
00:52 Intro
02:10 Forgiveness & liberation
03:04 The martyr syndrome & Maimonides
05:32 Why don’t we communicate?
07:52 Forgiveness without apology
11:22 Types of forgiveness
14:38 “Forgiveness as understanding”
15:55 What is your expectation?
16:25 Yom Kippur & atonement
18:53 Is forgiveness ever owed… or toxic?
20:50 Forgiveness & the Talmud
25:12 Conclusion
Links:
Strange Piece of Paradise: A Return to the American West to Investigate My Attempted Murder—and Solve the Mystery of Myself by Terri Jentz
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/strange-piece-of-paradise-a/9780312426699-item.html
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Shalom!
