Elul and the High Holy Days
The month of reconciliation and renewal, Elul
As we come to the finish of this year, we enter into a very special period, the month of Elul in which we restore the love between ourselves and our Maker. It is a love that, in the hurly- burly of life, has become confused.
Like any couple who want to reconcile, we look at what went wrong, we own up to it, and, accepting our humanness, we say we are sorry.
On God's part, it is at this time of the year that He shows us His love more clearly This is the month when God is known as the "Beloved." It is the time of year when He becomes our "Friend."
Join Yedidah in an inner exploration of the work of the month of Elul. We iwll be working in a small group with a strong focus on our own inner work.
We will be using Rabbi Ayal Vered's book Rimzai Elul Hints of Elul as our starting point, and we will also look at selection s from Al Hateshuvah of Rav Soloveitchik , Orot HaTeshuvah of Rav Kook and Rav Ashlag
The emphasis of the shiurim will be to approach ourselves with love and compassion, understanding that Tehsuvah is a gift given to the human being before the Creation.
Topics we will be exploring:
The Relief of Confession: Stopping hiding from ourselves and from God.
The garments of the soul
What about the excuse we didn't mean it? Why is a misdemeanor also something that needs to concern us, after all it was only a mistake?
As we come to the finish of this year, we enter into a very special period, the month of Elul in which we restore the love between ourselves and our Maker. It is a love that, in the hurly- burly of life, has become confused.
Like any couple who want to reconcile, we look at what went wrong, we own up to it, and, accepting our humanness, we say we are sorry.
On God's part, it is at this time of the year that He shows us His love more clearly This is the month when God is known as the "Beloved." It is the time of year when He becomes our "Friend."
Join Yedidah in an inner exploration of the work of the month of Elul. We iwll be working in a small group with a strong focus on our own inner work.
We will be using Rabbi Ayal Vered's book Rimzai Elul Hints of Elul as our starting point, and we will also look at selection s from Al Hateshuvah of Rav Soloveitchik , Orot HaTeshuvah of Rav Kook and Rav Ashlag
The emphasis of the shiurim will be to approach ourselves with love and compassion, understanding that Tehsuvah is a gift given to the human being before the Creation.
Topics we will be exploring:
The Relief of Confession: Stopping hiding from ourselves and from God.
The garments of the soul
What about the excuse we didn't mean it? Why is a misdemeanor also something that needs to concern us, after all it was only a mistake?
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Forty days of love: From Elul to Yom Kippur
It’s a time for repairing relationships whether they are relationships between ourselves and our fellows or ourselves and God. It is a time of Teshuvah, a time of coming back. listen now |
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Enjoying the month of Elul
So many people dread the run up to the high holy days. They feel guilty about what they didn’t do all the year and anxiety about the year to come. But it needn’t be like that at all. The month of Elul is the opportunity for a good inner spring-clean and there is a real joy in that! listen now |
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Shame is a precious feeling
Our Sages saw the feeling of shame as a positive step. They understood it arises from the person's felt discrepancy between his behavior and what he really feels about himself. This means he is in touch with the most essential aspect of himself, his soul, and thus can improve. Listen now |
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The Shofar, the sound of compassion
What do we hear when we blow the shofar? Do we hear a cry to battle or do we hear a call for repentance? The Zohar teaches us that the shofar, in its essence, is the sound of compassion. listen now |
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The language of Rosh Hashanah is derived from the Kabbalah
We don't usually appreciate just how deeply the language of the Kabbalah penetrates our prayers and traditional customs. In this talk we are going to examine the true meanings of the terms,"life:" and "judgement" and the role of the Shofar in bringing blessing and compassion to the world. listen now |
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