The Anthropologist in the Jewish New Year

A One Shot in Honor of the Jewish High Holidays in the English Year 2013 (and the Hebrew Year 5774)

In my Bones Universe, Brennan is ethnically Jewish. Although she is an Atheist, she learns, as she gets more in touch with herself, to find meaning in certain rituals, in particular, the ritual of "Tashlich". The word Tashlich is derived from the Hebrew root meaning to "send forth". The ritual consists of throwing bread crumbs (which symbolize one's sins) into a flowing stream and is traditionally performed at the Jewish New Year, in preparation for the Jewish Day of Atonement, 10 days later.

It was the Jewish New Year, and Brennan was feeling off-kilter. Her relationship with Booth, which had sustained and supported her for years (with the exception of that horrid period when he was involved with Hannah) seemed to be unraveling. No, they didn't fight. Maybe that was the problem; they were too polite to each other. Brennan remembered that too much politeness was a really bad sign. Further, the spark seemed to be gone from their relationship. They seemed to be little more than work partners and partners in parenting Christine these days. Brennan remembered that her rabbi had said that this time of year was a particularly appropriate time to make apologies to those one has wronged and to forgive those who have wronged one, and decided to try to have an actual conversation with Booth.

So one night after dinner she confronted him. "Booth, is this a good time to talk?"

"Sure Bones. What's on your mind?"

"Ritually, this is the time of year that I'm supposed to ask forgiveness of those I have wronged this year. I want to apologize for my competitiveness about Christine, for not listening to you originally about the asteroid mining colony, for leaving you for three months (although that was last year), for...

Booth interrupted her. "For crying out loud, I forgive you for all these things, Bones."

"I must have done something to make you unwilling to marry me, Booth".

"You're making too much of this Bones. I'd just rather wait until we can get all this Pelant stuff straightened out."

"There's something you're not telling me Booth, something big enough to harm our relationship."

"Do we have to discuss this now, Bones? I'm tired."

Brennan knew she wasn't going to get anywhere, and getting into a fight with Booth had the potential for her to sin even more. So slightly before sundown the next day, she took a bag of breadcrumbs to a stream not far from the house. As she dropped each breadcrumb in the stream, she named a sin she wanted to be rid of.

"Pride" The first smidgen of bread fell.

"Competitiveness" Another dropped from her slender hand.

"Envy" (of those with a happy family life).

"Ingratitude" (for her inability to just be happy that she had her daughter).

"Insensitivity" (especially to those less intellectually gifted than her).

"Stubbornness"

"Cowardice" (which had kept her from realizing that she wished to be married until perhaps it was too late"

"Hard-heartedness" for leaving Booth last summer.

"Closed-mindedness" to viewpoints that were inconsistent with her "logic"

Brennan knew that she would not be able to rid herself of all of her flaws by the next Jewish New Year, but she was resolved to try, and the "irrational" ritual actually made her feel lighter...

Wishing those who celebrate the Jewish Holidays a Shana Tovah u'Metukah (a good and sweet New Year) and a happy fall to everyone.