Before G-d, 354/24/7

There's a story about the Chossid Reb Shmuel Munkes where he approaches a man sitting in shul right before Kol Nidrei and wispers something very inappropriate in his ear. A vulgar word, perhaps. The man is shocked, and calls out "in ah shul, un nuch dertzu mamesh fahr Yom Kippur?!" Reb Shmuel obviously was waiting for that response, and tried to tell the man that agantz yohr tohr men oych nit... Not that there's anything wrong with going the extra mile during AYT, as is specifically mentioned in the Code of Jewish Law, but I guess the idea was no to leave it at that. Not to say that during the 9 days I won't speak Loshon HoRah between 2 and 3pm, and after that it's business as usual, but to internalize the teachings of the Chofetz Chaim and to refrain from speaking ill of any Jew. Ever. So too, when the RaMoh (IIRC) speaks about not eating pas palter during the AYT the point is that even those that are forced to eat it throughout the year, whether because they lived in small villages or for whatever other reason, should refrain from doing so until after Yom Kippur, not that it becomes muttar for the rest of the year. א דקות'דיגע חילוק. Which brings us to our next point:

There are those communities that have special rules for the High Holy Days, they disallow practices and customs that are allowed all year round, for reasons of extra purity, I assume. These laws and rules pertain particularly to women, and were instituted many years ago by the founders of those respective communities. One such rule is that no form of synthetic head covering is allowed; only kerchiefs/turbans are to cross the threshhold. In other words no sheitels, even if covered by a hat. The point is to appease G-d and to show him that not unlike the men, who may wear white - that's not to say that women don't, they surely do in those communities - so too, the women also need some special act to show the Holy One blessed be he that they too are serious about the whole Tshuveh thing - at least until YK passes, oand maybe Hoshanah Rabboh as well. In other words proper tshuveh in your heart is not enough, dressing differently for 3 days is, despite the fact that after that it's business as usual. There also is no rule pertaining to the men; men are not told they're not allowed to trim their beards, for example, from RH to YK, or that they must wear a Shtreimel for those days, to use a comparable rule that could be instituted. That's usually the case in those communities; it's never the mens' fault....

There's a story they tell about the Chuv, the Brisker Chuv, whose 50th Yohrtzeit is to be commemorated this Yom Kippur. The Rov went for this daily walk on EYK and on this walk began to "bash" (for lack of a better term) a certain Jewish politician/askan. His attendant was surprised to hear these words from the Chuv on such an auspicious day, and asked him if it wouldn't be better if they postpone this conversation until G-d has sealed the book of life. The Rov was quite surprised to hear this young man's question and had a very simple answer: I'm saying this because I believe that this man needs to be attacked verbally, and I believe so because I believe this is what Torah demands of me, so why should I not do what the Torah tells me to do davka on this day?! The comparison may seem far fetched, because in the BR's case he said he was doing what Hashem wanted, and in the women's case what they wear on their heads is not exactly a mitzvah, at least not a positive one. But still he saw no need to show Hashem that he was being extra careful, because G-d - in his opinion - didn't need this "good deed" from him, he was good without it, and the BR would have a good year without it. In the meantime I wish you all a Gmar Tov Chasimah Tovah and a Gut Gebentched Yohr. And may our women's tefillos be accepted, tichel, sheitel, or both.