The Al Chet,
the omnibus confessional prayer said repeatedly by worshipers during
Yom Kippur, includes atonement for speaking ill of others and otherwise
not controlling one’s tongue. In this regard, it’s good to note some
prominent members of my tribe acting on their need to repent.

There’s the New Republic‘s Martin Peretz, who made an on-line apology
for suggesting earlier this month that Muslims don’t merit the
protection of the First Amendment. And there’s Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who has sent
a conciliatory letter to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak implying that
he’s sorry for wishing death on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and
his people a few weeks ago.

Blogging is by definition the electronic antithesis of controlling one’s
tongue, and to apologize for it while doing it can only amount the sin
of insincere confession. But I do repent of any untrue or unfair words
I’ve written here and elsewhere over the past year, and ask your
forgiveness if I’ve offended or injured you by them. And may you all be
written in the Book of Life.