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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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