Elul is coming which means that the Teshuva season is about to begin. If we want to have a successful Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur, seforim strongly advise us to start early in the month. It’s a tremendous opportunity for growth and we’d be foolish not to take advantage of it.
Most of the current day Rebbeim advise us to pick something small. Maybe saying Asher Yotzar with Kavanna, or pausing before we speak on occasion or perhaps starting an extra 10 minute seder in Mussar, Mishnah or Tanach. The sky is truly the limit, but we have to start reaching for it when Elul begins.
Being that our goal is to get closer to Hashem and we’re doing mitzvos to accomplish that goal, it might make sense to try to do the mitzvos with a little more Kavanna. There are three simple thoughts we can have before doing any mitzvah:
1) Hashem commanded us to do the mitzvah
2) We are the ones being commanded
3) And the specific mitzvah, whose commandment we are fullfilling is …. (whatever mitzvah you are doing)
It’s really pretty simple and it will help us get so much more mileage out of the mitzvos we already do.
Here’s a few resources for extra motivation:
Stepping Stones to Repentance: A thirty-day program based on Ohr Yisrael the classic writings of Rav Yisrael Salanter By: Rabbi Zvi Miller here’s an excerpt
DAY ONE: “BOUNDLESS BLESSINGSâ€
“There is no enterprise that yields profit like preparation for the Day of Atonement. Through studying Mussar and reflecting on how to improve one’s ways, a person is inspired on Yom Kippur to make resolutions for the future. Even the smallest, most minute preparation to enhance one’s Yom Kippur experience is invaluable, bringing boundless blessings of success. It saves one from many troubles — and there is no greater profit than this.†(Ohr Yisrael, Letter Seven, p. 193)
Rebbetzin Tzipora Heller – Three Steps to Genuine Change. An excerpt:
In the course of our lives, we close doors to higher and deeper selves and sometimes forget that we, too, are more than earners, spenders, and travelers through life. Our thoughtless enslavement to mindless routine can leave us without much of a relationship to our souls. In a materialistic society, it is all too easy to view others as competitors. As toddlers we observed that when you have three cookies and give one away, all you have left are two. From that point onward we are afraid to give.
R’ Dovid Schwartz – Rabbi Yonah of Gerona – Guilt is Good – mp3
R’ Daniel Stein – Hilchos Teshuva Introduction – mp3
R’ Moshe Schwerd – Din V’Cheshbon – mp3
R’ Yakov Haber on Rosh Hoshana and Hirhur Teshuva according to Rav Soloveitchik can be downloaded here.
R’ Yakov Haber on Rosh Hoshana davening can be downloaded here.
Originally posted August 14, 2007
One more plug for the new Mesillas Yasharim is that it’s only 9×6 inches. The Daf Yomi editions of the Artscroll Tamud are 10×7.
This is a major plus for me, since the following seforim are favorites of mine, but just too darn big to fit in a tallis bag:
The Complete Mesillas Yasharim (Ofeq Institute)
Bridging the Gap- R Avi Fertig
Ohr Yisrael-collected letters of R Yisrael Salanter (translated by R Zvi Miller)
The new Artscroll publication is just over 500 pages and the still kept it really compact.
Yeah, Ron, two volumes.
For the past few years I’ve learned Emunah U’Bitachon between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (I also have the translation.
Just yesterday someone gave me a copy of the newly re-translated Artscroll Mesillas Yasharim (with a variety of commentary). It’s a impressive work and shows a major investment of time and money on Artscroll’s side (getting it underwritten helps some).
Gosh, Neil, I have to laugh! Two volumes!
I actually do have a couple of things I look at this time of year (usually to keep me from going out of my mind during shul): Strive for Truth! and Emunah U’Bitachon (with translation).
I like the lean works.
Ron,
I totally hear you. I have found, over the years, that picking a specific sefer to learn every day helps get me in the mood.
Rav Moshe Weinberger’s commentary of Rav Kook’s Oros HaTeshuvah (just 2 volumes have been published) is something I like
I am in envy of the author of the post and the commenters here.
Sometimes it feels as if the challenge of Elul and Tishrei is merely surviving them. We have so many responsibilities, so much stress, and they all increase over the years. The challenge of doing teshuva in such circumstances is, as I have mentioned before, at least alluded to in the Tefilla Zaka.
That seems appropriate since that prayer or meditation is, to some extent, an expression of frustration that we have so much on us, and it is so hard for us to continue growing and improving, and nonetheless we are going into the Yomim Noraim which implicates all these high spiritual aspirations.
I take great solace in the knowledge that Hashem understands this; that He does not place on us more than we can handle; and that He knows the raw material with which we are working — having, after all, provided it to us. And I try, during this period, not to forget that, and to hope that this realization will maybe bore a hole in the wall between my stubborn heart and my Maker.
That’s the best I can do these days. I’m amazed at what you guys tackle.
To Bob Miller #13: Once a BT or Gair/Giyores realizes that Chazaras HaShatz means the repetition of the Amidah by the guy leading the services, then figuring out any other Roshei Teivos is a snap. Maybe we should post a Guide to Frum Abbreviations on this website, BS”D.
Good for you, JR!
I personally had more problems with the English acronyms WADR and FWIW and IMHO used on this blog, until I deciphered that these terms meant, respectively, the following: “with all due respect,” “for what it’s worth,” and “in my humble opinion.” I’m used to decoding bureaucratese, so these weren’t too difficult. I even managed to figure out that RYBS meant the great HaGaon HoRav Yosef [Dov] Ber Soloveitchik zatzal. After that, RH for Rosh Hashanah and YK for Yom Kippur was child’s play. Now I acronym and Ivrit and abbreviate and Yinglish and yeshivishe-sprach away, and if you don’t understand me….that’s your problem!
The intent of Beyond BT is as Bob stated, to help BTs who have already passed the initial stages.
We do recognized there are other categories of Jews who read and we welcome them all!
It might make sense to accommodate as many people as possible and write all articles and posts with an eye toward those who are not familiar with Judaism, but I think that would be burdensome and would cause many articles and comments to lose some of their flavor.
My suggestion to our writers and commentators is to use your judgment.
Shua,
That’s an interesting point about the scope of this blog.
I think the idea was to form an online support group for Baalei Teshuva (BT’s). Many institutions were guiding the BT’s under their wing, but only up to a point, after which the BT’s now out in the world had to fend for themselves. This initial target group might be able to understand really basic acronyms but not the more arcane ones.
Now, Beyond BT might be attracting a wider audience, as you suggest. If so, that would put a greater burden on us not to write in code, and even to translate Hebrew words not generally understood.
I invite the moderators to comment on the above points.
Bob:
Yesterday, an intermarried woman wrote in that her assimilated Jewish husband was not even aware that intermarriage is prohibited. This was a good reminder that there are people out there who know almost NOTHING about Judaism! This being a website for the uninitiated, it is reasonable to assume that these are the very people who peruse the essays and comments found on Beyond Teshuva.
For those people: RH = Rosh Hashana, YK = Yom Kippur
In all fairness, the context makes RH and YK easy to decipher.
> “One cannot begin to understand the unique challenge and opportunities of the Yamim Noraim without at least getting a basic comprehension of the Tefilos of RH and YK, which encapsulate the Kedushas HaYom in so many ways.”
>> One cannot begin to understand who the heck you’re referring to when you write “RH” and “YK.”
Reb Brizel, I googled your name and the word “acronyms” and discovered that many people in the past have commented on your heavy use of the same, and erroneous belief that there is some sort of universal understanding of them.
As Bob Miller wrote FOUR YEARS AGO: “As part of our Elul introspection, let’s try to cut down on acronyms. The casual reader who wades into this alphabet soup must be puzzled.” Like, who knew that “Robin Hood” and “Yoko Kanno” were even Jewish.
One cannot begin to understand the unique challenge and opportunities of the Yamim Noraim without at least getting a basic comprehension of the Tefilos of RH and YK, which encapsulate the Kedushas HaYom in so many ways.
FWIW, there is a new volume of the excellent Noroaos HaRav ( Vol.16) that contains three drashos of RYBS.
Where I am I wonder why Av is in winter and Tishrei is in spring.
Rbtzn Heller has an excellent shiur up at na’aleh.com on practical steps to teshuva. My personal plan is to finally finish all the Machzor HaMikdash for Yom Kippur, with the hope of knowing where we’re aiming, personally and nationally. Plus, I’m treating myself to Rav Zev Leff’s new book on the shmonah esrei. It’s beautifully organized and well-edited, and they typesetting is a pleasure to behold. Of course, nobody puts deep Torah ideas in such a sane, sensible framework as Rav Leff.
Beginning with the 2nd day of Rosh Chodesh Elul until the eve of Rosh Hashanah, four sounds are blown from the shofar daily at the end of the Sacharis service. The shofar is sounded during the entire month to warn the people of the approach of the Day of Judgment and thereby arouse them to repent.
Amos 3:6 If a shofar is sounded in the city, will the people not tremble?
And now I sing…..
Loudly but tenderly, the Shofar is sounding
Calling for Yidden to repent
Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, and tekiah
Awaken, you sleepers…. repent
Return, return,
Yidden that are slumbering, return
Loudly, but tenderly, the Shofar is sounding
Awaken, you sleepers…repent
Why should you tarry, the Day of Judgment is approaching
Search your actions and return in penitence
Forsake the sin you are committing, regret and confess it
For HASHEM has mercy and pardons.
Return, return,
Yidden that are slumbering, return
Loudly, but tenderly, the Shofar is sounding
Awaken, you sleepers….repent.
Thanks for the great links, Mark. This is my third Elul using (I’m not your)STEPPING STONES. I highly recommend it (the program, not the song. Although there have been some great Punk band that did some cool versions).