Podcasts about shabbat shuva

Rebbe thanks Rabbi Gershon Chen for his brief report on the Chai Elul gathering and expresses hope that detailed minutes of the discussions were recorded. He encloses a recently published booklet for Shabbat Shuva and Yom Kippur, encouraging its dissemination among the community. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/tishrei/774

En este audio comentamos los escritos de los profetas relacionados al Shabat Shuva

En la Parte II de nuestro estudio discutimos el significado de Isaias 56 y la pregunta: deben los gentiles observar Yom Kippur?

Today we have Zeke and Zach Williams giving the haftorah message and the Torah message. They talk about how the experiences of Hosea and his unfaithful wife relate to God and Israel.

Today we have Zeke and Zach Williams giving the haftorah message and the Torah message. They talk about how the experiences of Hosea and his unfaithful wife relate to God and Israel.

Rabbi Peggy Michalchuk 0:00

A Mishna is brought from Ohalot and Nazir which seems to have measurements of burial caves that don't match either Tanna Kamma or Rabbi Shimon’s opinions in our Mishna. The Gemara tries to figure out how to connect the opinion in the Mishna with one of the two opinions. If someone sells a field and specifies the size but some of the field is not worthy of planting, is that space included in the size of the field? On what does it depend?

A Mishna is brought from Ohalot and Nazir which seems to have measurements of burial caves that don't match either Tanna Kamma or Rabbi Shimon’s opinions in our Mishna. The Gemara tries to figure out how to connect the opinion in the Mishna with one of the two opinions. If someone sells a field and specifies the size but some of the field is not worthy of planting, is that space included in the size of the field? On what does it depend?

Rav Milston's Shiur Klali for Parshat Haazinu

Midrash (Devarim) Rabba 10:1- Chatam Sofer explains the uniqueness of Shabbat Shuva regarding the rabbi giving Mussar

We're up to our 9th pasuk of Shofarot in our special Rosh Hashanah Musaf series. It's from Zecharya 9,14 וַֽיהֹוָה֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יֵֽרָאֶ֔ה וְיָצָ֥א כַבָּרָ֖ק חִצּ֑וֹ וַֽאדֹנָ֤י יֱהֹוִה֙ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֣ר יִתְקָ֔ע וְהָלַ֖ךְ בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת תֵּימָֽן׃ Hashem will appear upon him and will come out like lightning, His arrow , and Hashem will blow a shofar and it will go like a whirlwind to the south. Four words from the next pasuk are added, יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֮ יָגֵ֣ן עֲלֵיהֶם֒ Hashem will protect them, ( referring to the Jewish people) So at the time when Hashem is bringing punishment upon the goyim with His shofar , He will protect us. And we add another two stanzas. יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֮ יָגֵ֣ן עֲלֵיכם֒ Hashem, God of hosts should protect you. יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֮ יָגֵ֣ן עֲלֵינו Hashem should protect us . So Hashem will protect them , you and us - in other words, everybody . That's the simple reading of this. The Gemara in Masechet Rosh Hashanah 32B tells us that when a person says pesukim on Rosh Hashanah (they do not prescribe exactly which pesukim but there are some suggestions), you cannot choose a negative pasuk. All the pesukim of Malchuyot/Kingdom, Zichronot/Remembering and Shofarot have to be positive. Positive remembrances, positive kingdoms, positive shofar. But when we reference the goyim , it can be a negative pasuk. The example the Gemara uses is our pasuk , when Hashem is going to blow the shofar and come with a whirlwind against the south, referring to Esav, then it's going to punish the goyim , but God's going to protect us. So this is a shofar of punishment . But in this case the punishment to the goyim is really a protection for us. How so? Rabbenu Bachye tells us something very interesting on Parashat Bereshit 25,25. Esav is described like a כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר / cloak of hair . He was a very hairy being when he was born. That's why he's called Ish Seir. It's not only the land of Seir , but it also means He was a se'ar /he was a hairy man. (The word Seirem , like the Seir L'Azazel , is also connected to him.) Rabbenu Bachye goes on to tell us something very fascinating, which is that Esav's angel has hair opposite his heart. That means it has a hairy chest, so to say (of course, this is figuratively) . Yaakov was an Ish Chalak/a smooth man. He wasn't a hairy man. But Esav's angel had a lot of hair on his chest, a sign of strength. At the time of redemption, the hair will fall out with the blowing of the shofar, which is read into our pasuk יֱהֹוִה֙ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֣ר יִתְקָ֔ע וְהָלַ֖ךְ בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת תֵּימָֽן׃ God will blow the shofar It's going to go through בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת תֵּימָֽן the hair of Teiman (which means Esav) and his hair will fall out. This is the punishment, and obviously it's good for us. But what exactly is going on? We have two points. Number one is that Esav is hairy, which we'll explain in a moment. He's also red , and the sefer of Rav Avigdor Katz in Shir Hashirim 5,10 tells us that red , in Esav's case, is a symbol of sin. That's why when they pushed the Seir Azazel off the mountain, the red string in the Holy of Holies turned white. So red is a sign of sin, and red is a sign of Esav. What is the hair all about? The Maharal, in his essay on Shabbat Shuva, tells us that the pasuk that says Yaakov is smooth and Esav is hairy, means that when something is smooth , nothing sticks to it. It's like Teflon, things comes right off. Whereas when something is hairy, things get caught in it. Esav symbolizes the concept that sins become part of the person, sins become part of the essence, whereas Yaakov's smoothness symbolizes that his sins do not become part of him, they roll off of him; they're not his essence. His essence is good. His essence is pure. The force of Esav represents getting stuck and tangled in sin. That's why the midrash tells us that at Akedat Yitzhak , the ram's horn stuck in the tangles of the bush. That symbolizes how we get stuck in Esav, so to say, through the times of Galut , but in the end, when the shofar (the ram'a horn that got stuck)blows, we're going to be freed from that clinging and that tightness, that we're connected to sin (even though we're really smooth). We're going to be totally redeemed. That redemption is going to happen with the shofar, as the evil forces disappear and we become the true beauty of our Jewish people. This is symbolized with the shofar blowing and the hair of Esav's angel's chest falling out. That's a bit of a deeper background on this pasuk. When the shofar blows and it goes through the south, this is a negative for the goyim , but it is a positive for us.

We are now in Perek Shira and we are up to the song of the dew. It's a pasuk in Hoshea 14,10 הטל אומר: אֶהְיֶה כַטַּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִפְרַח כַּשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה וְיַךְ שָׁרָשָׁיו כַּלְּבָנוֹן: (הושע יד ו) The Dew says, God says I will be like dew for the Jewish people, they will blossom like a rose and its roots will take root like a cedar tree in Lebanon. There's another pasuk in Hoshea ו where we tell God, " God should come down to us like rain," but the Gemara in Taanit 4A says this is one of the cases where the Jewish people asked something in the wrong way, and God answered them in the right way. They said, We want God to come down to us like rain, and God said, My daughter, you're asking for something that is sometimes wanted, and sometimes not wanted, sometimes there, sometimes not; I'm going to be for you like something that's always wanted and is always there . As it says," I will be like the dew. " The Midrash adds that the dew is constant whereas rain is not a constant. In Vayikra 26,12 the Tiferet Yonatan, by Yonatan Eibeshitz explains (and this is a fundamental in many works), that rain symbolizes something that needs an arousal from below. Rain comes from the ocean, goes up and then comes down from the heaven. So too, we, down here, need to cause God, through the rain, to come from above. We have to merit it. That's why in the Torah, whenever someone doesn't do anything right, the warning is always, I'll stop the rain, while dew is something that just comes, out of the goodness of God without us needing to merit it at all. In Shoftim ו , the prophet Gidon asks for a sign from God that he'll be successful in his war. He says, I'm going to put some wool on the floor in the granary. If I come in the morning and there's dew only on it and not on anything around it, then I'll know that God is going to save us. When he gets up in the morning and checks, the wool is soaked. they squeezed it out it and it filled up a bucket of water. The Malbim, in Shoftim ו says that the message is this concept, that God says, I'll be like dew, which means even if you're not deserving, even if you don't merit, I'll give it to you. Gidon was trying to say, Even if we might not merit it, God should still give it to us. The Radak explains that Bnei Yisrael is compared to a shoshana / rose because there is a beauty to a rose, but as beautiful as it is, it doesn't have strong roots. So we want the beauty of the rose, but with the strong roots of the trees of the Lebanon, that have very deep roots. The Ahavat Yonatan adds a beautiful point. He says that this pasuk, אֶהְיֶה כַטַּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל is brought down in connection to Teshuva in the reading of Shabbat Shuva . He says that God says that He's going to force us to do Teshuva. The question, if it's against our will, what is it worth? And he explains with the famous Rambam that says when a Jewish person doesn't want to divorce his wife, we whip him until he says, I want , because deep down, he wants. He just needs the whipping to bring out his real desire and to get rid of the Yetzer Hara that's interfering. Once we get rid of the Yetzer Hara, his true self is revealed. He says, similarly, roses are sometimes tight, but when the dew comes down on them, they open up, revealing their true beauty. We can see what was always hidden there as well. That's what it mean when God says , I'm going to be like the dew. It means the dew will come down and reveal what is already inside of you. It just was hidden. Finally, the Ben Ish Chai in his sefer Ben Yehoyada on Taanit 4A explains that we have two Mitzvot- Tefillin , which is not a constant, and tzitzit , which we have every day. [It says, the reason why the the one who chopped (or gathered) wood on Shabbat sinned, was because there was no tefillin on Shabbat. And right after that, we bring in tzitzit, which is every single day.] He compares tefillin to rain , and tzitzit to dew , which is a constant. The zechut of the tzitzit , which is the constant remembering of God, brings down the Beracha of the dew. Furthermore, we have 39 wrappings of the tefilin, corresponding to the numerical value of Dew טל which is 39, and symbolized with the constant mitzvah of the tzitzit which brings the constant beracha of the dew down. So God says. I will be like dew to the jewish people. I will bring constant beracha, whether you're worthy or not . That is the song of the dew.

We're now in Tehilim 71,5, where David Hamelech says, כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה תִקְוָתִ֑י אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱ֝הֹוִ֗ה מִבְטַחִ֥י מִנְּעוּרָֽי׃ You are my hope, Hashem my God, my reliance from my youth. The Ibn Ezra says, ‘ You are my hope ,' means there's no one else that I count on besides You, from the day I set foot on this earth, The Malbim says, ‘ Tikvati/hope' means in the future and ‘Reliance from my youth' means in the past, which means David Hamelech is saying, based on past performance, I know that Hashem is going to give me future success. That's contrary to the typical disclaimers following stock advertisements, such as, “ Past performance is not an indicator of future success.” When it comes to God, past performance is an indicator of future success. This is one of the fundamentals that Hovot Halevavot tells us. In Shaar Bitachon perek ב , the fifth of the seven fundamentals that are needed in order to rely on somebody is that this person is somebody who was exclusively taking care of you from the beginning of your existence throughout your development until your old age. Obviously, there are very few people who have such an intimate knowledge of you. When you find such a person, you can rely on him, based on what he did up until now, that he'll continue to do so. Obviously, this is God. That's what David Hamelech is telling us in this beautiful pasuk. Ki Atah Tikvati/You are my hope. Why? because מִבְטַחִ֥י מִנְּעוּרָֽי /I relied on You in the past and that past reliance gives me hope for the future. There's another pasuk that comes a little bit later in the same chapter where David Hamelech says, פִּי יְסַפ ֵּר צִדְקָתֶך ָ כָּל הַיּוֹם תְּ שׁוּעָתֶך ָ I will speak of your justice all day of how You saved me, כִּי לֹא יָדַעְת ִּי סְפֹרוֹ ת / There is no end. And then he says, אָבוֹא בִּ גְבֻרוֹת אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה אַזְכ ִּ ירצִדְקָתְך ָ לְבַד ֶּךָ: I'll come to my old age (my eighties) and will mention the righteousness that You did, alone . What does this mean? The Chatam Sofer, in his derashot , his sefer of sermons, Shabbat Shuva , when discussing this pasuk, says that anyone that understands Hashgacha Pratit realizes, “ The killing of Vashti was like the splitting of the sea, just nobody recognized it. That's what it means in this pasuk when David Hamelech says, “ When I get old, when I reach my eighties, I'll look back and mention the righteousness that You did alone. That only you know, that I don't know.” He adds, “ It's a mitzvah on every person, when he gets older (we'll say from 60 and) to go and look into all the things that happened from his youth until the point he's at now (source included below) and see how different causes brought things about, and tell your children . And they'll also realize the greatness of God in their lives. That's what David Hamelech is saying here. “ God, don't forsake me in my old age, I'm going to tell the future generations. I'll tell my children.” This is extremely important. I'll share a little personal anecdote. Not long ago, my granddaughter in 10 th grade called my wife. She said was given a homework assignment to interview her grandmother about how high school was in the olden days. I didn't think that I was that old nor that was my wife was olden . But believe it or not, we're a little older than we think. We have children, we have grandchildren, we have life experiences, and we can share it with them. My wife spoke about how much homework they had, and I jokingly added, “ Remember, it was very hard in those days because we only had quills. We didn't have pens in those days.” She actually took us seriously for a moment! But we're older than we think. We have more experience than we think. If we look back, we have enough stories to tell our children and grandchildren. And we can say this pasuk with confidence, Ki Atah Tikvati/ You are my hope. Why? מִבְטַחִ֥י מִנְּעוּרָֽי Because I've been relying on You from my youth. You have a track record. And past performance is an indicator of future s uccess. Have a wonderful day.

The final chapter of Hoshea, and one of the most famous chapters in the Tanakh on the topic of teshuva (so much so that it is even the haftara of Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat inbetween Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur). Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.14

This is the Haftara for Shabbat Shuva, a beautiful to and from between God and Israel that is filled with love, repentance and blessing. But where does it belong inn Sefer Hoshea?

The regular Torah portion now includes the very last few in the Book of Deuteronomy, the life of Moses himself, and thus some of his final admonitions, including the second, and final, "Song of Moses," in parsha "Ha'azinu," chapter 32 of Debarim. This week is also the Sabbath that falls between the sounding of the shofar, Yom Teruah, that begins the Fall Feasts of Yah, the the tenth day of the seventh month, and "holiest day of the year," Yom Kippur, of the Day of Atonement...sometimes called "Shabbat Shuva," or the Sabbath of Return. It's also a time of GREAT 'Misunderstanding' for most of 'xtianity,' that has been taught one of the Biggest Lies in all human history - that the Creator of the Universe and Author of Scripture 'did away with' His own Written "law" (actually, 'Instruction,' - His Word) and didn't mean it when He said - repeatedly - to keep MY feasts (moedim, and Appointed Times) "forever" - wherever your end up. The Erev Shabbat reading and overview is about that Song of Moses itself, chapter 32: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SSM-9-22-23-Ha-azinu-Yom-Kippur-Deut-32-teaching-podcast-xx.mp3 The "Shabbat Shuba" teaching addresses that misunderstanding, and the whole point of the Sabbath of RETURN directly. And this year, even more than others before it, given the Evil now rampant in the world, is a particularly poignant reminder of why He has told us to remember His "Appointed Times." There is, however, one question that always seems to come up regarding the commandment to observe the "Day of Atonement,' Yom Kippur, by "afflicting our souls." Most of us have been told that might mean to fast for the entire day. But why not just say that? Could there be more? And - just MAYBE - does an understanding there start to tie literally everything together? "Ha-azinu: Yom Kippur, Shabbat Shuva, - and 'afflicting our souls' " https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WT-CooH-Ha-azinu-Shabbat-Shuva-and-Anah-our-Nefeshkem-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part teaching is here:

Rabbi Rebecca Schatz's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, September 23, 2023. (Youtube)

Shabbat Shiva Rabbi Stiel 09/22/23

Scriptures From Rabbi Ken's Message:  Hosea 14:2-10, Zechariah 1:3-4, 1 John 4:10; 19, Lamentations 5:21, Song of Songs 1:4, Psalm 80 4; 8; 10, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Psalm 50:23, Luke 15:1-3; 11-32, Hosea 2:8-9, Isaiah 65:24, Isaiah 61:3, 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, Ephesians 1:7. Be sure to check our Digital Bulletin often to keep updated on our announcements, events and more! https://koldodi.updates.church/?fbclid=IwAR2SzjT96MW2vACmNdw6V4uIcvNVMZ9rDfMV2CJUY2dxMYzDL9o-I9OK-bo

Pastor Amer Olson teaches at Olive Tree Congregation in Prospect Heights, IL.

Pastor Amer Olson teaches at Olive Tree Congregation in Prospect Heights, IL.

Rabbi Peggy Michalchuk 0:00

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shuva – the Shabbat of teshuva. We know we don't repent for our sins on Shabbat, so why is it called the Shabbat of Repentance? The Yesod v'Shoresh HaAvodah brings the Chazal which says, whoever keeps Shabbat according to halacha will be forgiven for all his sins. At this time, we all need forgiveness. Our avonot have been piling up over the course of the year. If we will keep this Shabbat with all of its details, abstaining from melacha and business talk, sanctify the day with Torah study and enjoy the Shabbat the way it is meant to be enjoyed - that will be our zechut and that will give us mechila. During these days, teshuva is the mitzvah at hand. We need to think about what we did wrong and sincerely repent. As we know, in Hashem's infinite mercy, He cleanses us from our sins through different forms of yissurin. Every little inconvenience we experience in this world helps us remove the blemishes from our souls. It's called kapara. The best way to remove those blemishes without yissurin is by doing teshuva. But there are certain averot that require more than teshuva for the sins to get erased. Yissurin come and finish off the job. We know yissurin help us immensely, we would much rather experience the temporary hardships in this world, rather than the eternal ones in the Next World. But we would also prefer to be cleansed without having to experience any pain at all. Rabbenu Yonah, in the fourth chapter of Sha'areh Teshuva gives us wondrous advice on how to avoid yissurin in this world and still get full atonement. Everyone wishes they could just end all the hardships they are experiencing, and this advice will help. First, he writes, giving tzedaka saves from yissurin and if a person can't afford tzedaka, getting others to give will accomplish even more. Acts of kindness also take away yissurin. If someone invests his own time and energy into helping other people, that will take away from the suffering he was supposed to have. Whether he spends his time visiting a sick patient or helping someone organize an event for charity, or helping others with shidduchim and the like, every moment invested in chesed wards off yissurin. Torah study also takes the place of yissurin. Look at how kind Hashem is! Not only is learning Torah enjoyable, not only do we get rewarded for it, it even takes the place of suffering a person was supposed to get. Then Rabbenu Yonah writes further, if a person is already experiencing different types of hardship, but instead of complaining about it, he says, “Hashem I know this is best for me, I accept what you are doing to me with love.” That is a segula to prevent, in his words, “היסורין הרבים הראויים לבוא עליו - the abundant of afflictions that should have befallen him.” And he quotes a pasuk in Tehilim to prove it. This is an amazing segula. If someone, let's say, has been out of a job and suffering tremendously from it, it might very well be possible for his own good that he needs to be out of a job for a few more months, but if he'll say, “Hashem, thank You for putting me through this. It must be I needed this to cleanse myself. And in Your infinite kindness, You're allowing me to purify myself in this world.” Those words, with sincerity, can remove the necessity for the additional months of being jobless. Those words are so powerful, they take the place of the potential suffering that should have come. Then Hashem will open his eyes to find a job to work at. The same is true for all yissurin. Accepting them with happiness stops the remainders from coming. The main thing is, we want to be the pure children of Hashem we are supposed to be. If we could make teshuva, keep Shabbat properly, do additional good deeds and be satisfied with the way Hashem deals with us, we'll become purified and we will be able to enjoy this world and the Next. Shabbat Shalom.

El shabbat entre Rosh Hashana y Yom Kipur.

Short inspirational insights into the weekly Torah portion and Jewish festivals.

Shabbat Shuva -

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As we know, part of Teshuva is working on our bitachon, as we mentioned in the haftara of Shabbat Shuva, Hoshea chapter 14, where it says (14,4) אַשּׁ֣וּר לֹ֣א יוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נוּ עַל־סוּס֙ לֹ֣א נִרְכָּ֔ב וְלֹא־נֹ֥אמַר ע֛וֹד Assyria won't save us. We are not going to ride on horses, and we will no longer say, אֱלֹקינוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֵ֑ינוּ ‘Elohenu/Our God, ׳ to our handiwork. Firstly, the simple explanation: Maaseh Yadenu/our handiwork means an idol (which was was made by hand). It can also mean our business, what we do with our our hands , So “ we won't say to that handi work- ‘Elohenu'” Meaning, we're not going to point at that idol and say, “You are my God.” So simply, we will no longer say the three words - “Elohenu” leMaaseh yadenu/to these handiworks. But there is a different way of reading the pasuk, which is not the simple way. V'Lo Nomar/we're not going to say Od Elohenu/ also our God leMaaseh yadenu /to our handwork. Which means we aren't going to say that ‘ God will be helping me also,' to our handiwork. What's wrong with saying ‘ God Also?' ‘God Also' means ‘ I'm basically doing it. I just need a little help.' But of course, that is not the way it happens. What really happens is God's doing it totally. And if anything, I'm just covering it up with my actions; I'm not doing anything. To say God is helping is really not a proper description. And in fact, when I was working on the sefer Bet HaLevi , in the commentary section we quoted from a source that said It's not the best thing to say, “B'Ezrat Hashem”/with Hashem's help because it sounds like Hashem is only helping . It's better to say “ Im Yirtza Hashem/God willing, ” If God wills it. But the editor of the project, my esteemed father in law, Rabbi Nosson Scherman took that line out. He said, “ The Jewish people say ‘B'Ezrat Hashem,' you can't now say it's the wrong thing to say. ” Not everything that you say, do you print. So it's not in the book, but nonetheless, we can explain what it means a bit more. And after I mentioned this, someone said, “ What do you mean? Every day in the Amida,we say “Melech Ozer U'Mashia U'Magen/ King, Helper, Deliverer and Shield.” So how can we say that God helps, if we're not supposed to say that? The Gaon of Vilna says that these three terms, Ozer, Mashia and Magen are three different levels of bitachon. Magen is the level where God shields you, referring to Magen Avraham . He jumped into the fiery furnace and God shielded him. He actively did something that was detrimental and God saved him, and there was no question in the world that God saved Avraham from Ur Kasdim . He was saved from the fiery furnace– that was not something that Avraham did. That's actually a lower level of bitachon because it's quite clear that God did it all. The next level's called Moshia , which refers to it Yitzhak Avinu, where it says in the second beracha Rav L' Hoshea- Hoshea means You saved me Yitzhak Avinu didn't put himself into trouble. At the Akeda , Avraham put the knife to Yitzhak's neck, and God saved him. This is not as clear (as the fiery furnace) that it was Hashem, but it's fairly clear that God said, “ Stop Avraham.” So again, we know God was involved. The highest level is level of Ozer, where we say Ezri M'Im Hashem/ my help is from God , which is what Yaakov Avinu said when he was working in the house of Lavan. Yaakov was doing all the work. He was cutting up the the sticks for working with the sheep, and doing all kind of tactics and all different types of Hishtadlut / effort in order to outsmart Lavan. And God helped him. That's the highest level- to actually do it with your own hands, but realize you're not doing it. As was revealed to Yaakov in the dream, the angels were coming in the middle of the night and switching the sheep. It had nothing to do with his handiwork. He was just covering up the miracle. God was doing everything . Could putting spots on sticks actually make sheep give birth to spotted sheep? That doesn't happen in a science lab. That was just a way to cover it up. Hashem did everything and Yaakov realized that. That's the highest level- to say Ozer and really understand what it means and that's what it means. So don't say ‘ B'Ezrat Hashem,' thinking Hashem's going to help - understand what it really means. Hashem is doing it all. There is another famous explanation in the Midrash about four kings: David Hamelech said, “ I'm going to chase the enemy down and catch him.” Yehoshaphat said, “ I'm not going to catch them. I can't do that. I'll just chase them.” The next king said, “ I don't need to chase them. I'm just going to sing songs of praise.” And the final king said, “ No, I'm just going to go to sleep.” Whose is the highest level? They say the highest level was David Hamelech, because he was able to chase the enemy, catch him and kill him and still realize it was God. The other kings knew that if they had put in that much effort, they would take the credit. So they did less and less and less. Of course, we're going the other way around. When we do our efforts, it's not because we're on a higher level, like David Hamelech. It's because, as it goes, we work and realize it's Bitachon, then we do less and less and less. But then we're at the point where we can't even do less, because we don't think it's going happen with less, so we do more and more…. But still, we think we're doing it. So don't think we're holding at David Hamelech's level. We have to realize, at the time that when we're doing our efforts, that God's doing it. There are all kinds of levels of what B'Ezrat Hashem really means. Does B'Ezrat Hashem mean I'm doing it and God's helping a little bit ? Or does B'Ezrat Hashem mean God's doing everything and I'm only covering it up? B'Ezrat Hashem , we will reach that highest level of understanding what it means when we say B'Ezrat Hashem. And according to one way of reading the Haftara, this is an important part of our teshuva process, to realize Hashem is doing everything , and He's not just helping us out. Have a wonderful day.

Pastor Amer Olson teaches on Shabbat Shuva.

Pastor Amer Olson teaches on Shabbat Shuva.

Rabbi Peggy Michalchuk 0:00

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shuva – the Shabbat of Returning to Hashem. During these Aseret Yemei Teshuva , every good deed that we do and every little bit of teshuva that we do will positively influence our upcoming year. Besides for making teshuva for sins that we did between us and Hashem, we must also ask our friends for forgiveness for anything negative we may have done to them as well. Furthermore, if we are asked to forgive, we should not be harsh, but rather, we should forgive easily because Hashem deals with us mida k'neged mida – the easier we make it for others to be forgiven, the easier it will be for us to get forgiven by Hashem. We should always keep in mind, people do not have the power to harm us. Whatever happened due to the actions of others was going to happen anyway. The more we internalize this, the easier it will be to forgive. I read a story about a well-respected family with the father serving as a rebbe at one of the local yeshivot and the mother a well-known teacher in a local Bet Yaakov. They had also started a chesed organization and their activities became world renowned. One of their sons, who learned in one of the best yeshivot in America, was extremely successful there. He learned with great diligence and fervor and had the most wonderful middot . He was so sensitive when it came to others. He was very careful with his speech and was so modest about his good qualities. Yet, several boys in his shiur were envious of him and they started spreading lies about him to prove to everyone that he wasn't as great as they thought. They claimed that he did a terrible averah . The rabbis in the yeshiva knew it was a lie, but as the rumor spread more and the situation got worse, they had to ask him to leave the yeshiva temporarily. The boy's parents were furious. When they asked their son about it, he said, “I have never done such a thing, but I am not going to try to prove my innocence because if I do there will be a big machloket in the yeshiva.” Several weeks later, he was allowed to return to the yeshiva and when he came back, some of the other boys were giving him dirty looks, but he didn't pay any attention, he just kept learning with the same diligence as before. Then came shidduchim . This boy was looking for a girl with superlative middot who valued learning. But every family to whom the boy was suggested heard the story about the false accusations and declined. Months, then years passed this way. The boy was not overly concerned, he just kept learning with enthusiasm. One day, a talmid chacham , who also happened to be very wealthy, walked into the yeshiva and asked the Rosh Yeshiva to recommend a boy for his daughter. The Rosh Yeshiva didn't think twice and offered him this boy, who was still waiting for his zivug . The talmid chacham was very impressed with what he heard about the boy, but then he found out about the terrible rumor. He met with the boy, looked him in the eye, and asked, “Please be honest. Did you do it?” The boy said he was completely innocent, but he did not want to go into detail, so as not to speak lashon hara or cause machloket . He then said, “I have emunah in Hashem that when I find my kallah , she will believe me without the need to ask about it any further.” The talmid chacham was even more impressed and not too long after that, the couple was engaged. The wedding took place in Tishrei of 2017 when the boy turned 25. But the story did not end there. Every single boy who had falsely accused him was also not married. Four boys from the shiur that were not involved were married. The other boys realized they were having trouble with shidduchim because of the terrible thing that they did. And before this boy's wedding, they went to his house and asked for forgiveness. He forgave everyone on the spot and shook each one of their hands. And after that, spontaneously, they all danced together. They also asked forgiveness from the boy's parents. And slowly, the boys started to become engaged. This boy's attitude was truly inspiring. He knew the entire time that only Hashem was in charge of what would happen to him and he forgave all of those boys so easily for such a terrible thing that they did to him. May we all have the merit to make shalom and attain full teshuva . Shabbat Shalom.

El shabbat entre Rosh Hashana y Yom Kippur.

Shabbat Shuva - the novelty of Hoshea's call to Teshuva

Welcome to a special Shabbat Shuva edition of Embrace Shabbat. A close friend of over 20 years related the following story about how he became Shomer Shabbat: This man had a very successful retail store and, while he was religious at heart, he struggled with the nisayon of closing his store on Shabbat. During the busy season, he would pray at the first minyan, go to work, and then return to shul for mincha. However, this man was makpid to not accept an aliyah on a Shabbat that he was later going to work. How could he stand by the sefer Torah if he was going to be mechalel Shabbat later that day? He truly had a relationship with G-d and said to himself, “If I am messing up today, I cannot get an aliyah.” One Shabbat Shuva, the gabbai came over to him in shul to give him an aliyah. This man refused, explaining that he was going to work later that day. The Gabbai responded that he could not refuse an aliyah! The man finally gave in and accepted. When he got up to the sefer Torah, he started to cry. How could he go to work now if he was getting an aliyah?! And so, he didn't go to work that Shabbat. Or any Shabbat afterwards. We cannot judge those people. Halevai , we should feel a relationship with G-d like this man, despite keeping his store open on Shabbat. Part of the process of doing Teshuva is trying to fix one's sin. Sometimes the rectification is easy. For example, if a person stole money, he just needs to pay it back. But sometimes it is much harder. What happens if a person used faulty scales in his store and charged everyone a little more than he should. How can he pay everyone back? There was a grocer who had this problem. He went to Rav Elyashiv, who told him to donate toilet paper in shuls all around Yerushalayim. When a person is stuck without toilet paper, he would pay a lot to get out of his situation! By donating toilet paper, the man would be able to pay back the masses for what he took from them. How does a person do teshuva for being mechalel Shabbat and causing a lack of Shabbat in the world? By enhancing Shabbat for others. Last week, we made a pitch about giving out books on Shabbat to children and adults. I was very impressed when a man who watched the video took me up on the offer and emailed me that he wanted to place an order for his grandchildren's schools. He is sponsoring for each family in the school to receive a Living Shabbat for Kids , Volume I and Volume II, and each staff member to receive a Living Shabbat and Embrace Shabbat for Adults. This man enhanced the Shabbat of so many families! You can do that too! You can either send me an email at rabbisutton@gmail.com or send money via Zelle to rabbisutton@gmail.com and leave a note that it is for the Shabbat Project. What a great way to fix a lack of Shabbat in the world, by helping other people increase their enjoyment of Shabbat. Be'ezrat Hashem, we should all be zoche to a happy and healthy year. תזכו לשנים רבות . The zechut of Shabbat should stand for us all- כִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה שַׁבָּת קל יִשְׁמְרֵנִי .

What is our challenge on Yom Kippur? What is Hashem's role?

We are now in Aseret Yeme Teshuva, and it's important to realize that part of the Teshuva process is strengthening our Bitachon. The sefer Keren Ora, in Mesechet Taanit 15 B explains the Gemara that talks about different prayers they would make when they fasted for rain. They would add the following beracha , that started with chapter 121 in Tehilim: אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים I lift my eyes to the mountains מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי Where is my help going to come from ‘ עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם ה My help is going to come from God… אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ ….Don't let your legs falter. And then it ended off with, “ The One that answered Eliyahu HaNavi should answer us ,” which is something that we mention in our Selichot. What is exactly the connection between this chapter in Tehilim and Eliyahu HaNavi? And he says, Go back to the story of Eliyahu HaNavi, when the people were fluctuating back and forth between idol worship and God. Eliyahu HaNavi tells the people in Melachim א ( 18,21 ) עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם־יְהֹוָ֤ה הָאֱלֹהִים֙ לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃ How much longer are you going to be jumping back and forth? You're jumping from one to the other, you're prancing ( or as they say, you're dancing at two weddings) . If God is the God, follow Him. If Avoda Zara is the god follow him And he explains that the main attack of the Yetzer Hara, especially in the end of times, is when Esav attacked Yaakov's legs . It says Yaakov Avinu was limping. What does that mean? He says that legs refers to the support that we give. We support Torah institutions, or other causes, and that's where the Yetzer Hara comes to attack- trying to convince us not to support what we're supposed to support…. Because maybe we can't give the money out… maybe we need it for ourselves…etc. But if a person has Emuna and Bitachon, he's not going to falter. He's not going to waver back and forth. He's going to stand strong. Bitachon is what causes his legs to be able to stand strong and not limp, so he'll be able to support what he needs to support. Furthermore, he says that that is what it means in the Tehilim when we saying that we look up to God . If we look up to God, God is not going let our legs falter. We'll be able to stand strong. We'll be on solid footing and solid ground, realizing that Hashem is in charge and He's the only one that we need to count on. And he says, in beautiful words: “The main Teshuva is to annul any false refuge and any false reliance, and to realize that from God alone our helps comes, and only to Him do we pray and thank.” We don't have idol worship today, but we say in our Shabbat Shuva reading, ” V'Lo Nomar Elohenu … We won't say “God” to our handiwork.” In other words, we won't call our business our God. That's how the commentaries explain that statement. We won't call our business our God. That means sometimes we think our own handiwork is what's bringing our blessing, and we don't realize Who's really bringing the blessing. That's why sometimes, people might cut corners, or do things they shouldn't be doing, because they don't realize or fully appreciate Emuna and Bitachon. Therefore, working on our Emuna and Bitachon is one of the fundamentals of Teshuva. That's why, in many, if not all, communities, we end off our Yom Kippur prayers with the words, Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God. And throughout our Selichot, at least in the Sephardic communities, every single day for 40 days, we say Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God. Who said that? The people at Har Carmel thought the false gods could bring the the fire, and the fire didn't come down. Then Eliyahu HaNavi poured buckets of water all over the Mizbe'ach , to make it clear that there were no shenanigans going on, and that it would be a miracle of God. Then the fire came down from heaven and everyone screamed, “ Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem Hu HaElokim Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God.” Hashem is the only One in charge. T hat was their Teshuva, and that's our Teshuva, to realize that Hashem Hu HaElokim. That's part of the Teshuva process, and therefore the more we work on Emuna and Bitachon, the more we are working on our Teshuva. Have a wonderful day.

Seldom does Rabbi Steve Berkson do a “timing teaching”, but it seems the Ruach put this one in front of him (at the behest of Rabbi Tom) to bring to you today. This teaching series is based on a tradition called “Shabbat Shuva” or the “Shabbat of Return” which by tradition falls between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (Day of Trumpets and Day of Atonement). The text for this tradition is Hoshea (Hosea) chapter 14 and begins with, “O Yisra'el, return to Yahweh your Elohim…”So, after having gone through the Spring Feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Shavuot, which are types and shadows of the Hebrew's exodus from Egypt and journey to Mt. Sinai, have you maintained a faithful, straight walk in Torah? Or, have you gotten “off the path” a little or a lot? Do you sense a call to return to the path, to Yahweh?• What is meant by “crookedness”? What does crookedness cause you to do?• Regarding the call to return – return to what?From there, Rabbi Berkson takes us into Leviticus chapter 26 to look at the reasons to return to the Covenant. In Leviticus chapter 26 the blessings and the curses associated with Yahweh's Covenant with His people are listed.• How is it that you will be able to walk in Covenant with the Creator?From Leviticus, we go to Deuteronomy 4:25 where we can see that Yahweh has an issue with His people and their idol worship. How can we today relate to them in that time regarding ‘idol worship'?Rabbi Berkson then takes us to Deuteronomy chapter 30 to show us one of the final exhortations of Moses to the people as they are about to cross over into the Promised Land. Interestingly, Yahweh through Moses told the people that in their future they would stray from the path they were supposed to walk and be taken from the Land by their enemies, but as they were living in a foreign land, their hearts would turn back to Yahweh and they would return once again to possess and live in their Promised Land.• In this chapter we see the phrase, “circumcise your heart” – what does that mean? Isn't that just a "New Testament" concept? What is it doing left of Matthew?And then we are taken to Romans chapter 10 where Rabbi Berkson points out that the apostle Paul is clearly writing about Torah observance, and indeed substitutes the word ‘Messiah' for the word ‘Torah' as he quotes Moses in the section from Deuteronomy chapter 30.• What does Romans 10:4 really mean?• What is “the righteousness of belief”?• What is “the good news of the good”? • Was there “Good News” before the New Testament?Verse-by-verse and step-by-step Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us on the journey of discovery and learning how to covenant with our Creator and Father which from time to time requires us to turn around and return to His Word so that we can have a sure entrance into His Kingdom.Don't miss out on new teachings every week. Please click on the "LIKE" button if this podcast has been a blessing to you.For more information about MTOI (Messianic Torah Observant Israel), visit our website, https://mtoi.org.Join us on Social media!  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwideFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtoiworldwide/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtoiworldwideWe are located in Cleveland TN. If you would like to know more about us, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to visit us on our website, https://mtoi.org, email us at admin@mtoi.org or call us at 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services & Torah Study LIVE Streamed on our Main YouTube Channel every Saturday at 1:15 pm (EST) and every Tuesday for Torah Study Live Stream at 6:30 pm (EST).

Pastor Dan Strull teaches on Shabbat Shuva at Olive Tree Congregation in Prospect Heights, IL.

Pastor Dan Strull teaches on Shabbat Shuva at Olive Tree Congregation in Prospect Heights, IL.

The famous Haftara read on Shabbat Shuba – the Shabbat in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – comes from the Book of Hoshea, and begins with the prophet calling to the people, "Return, O Israel, unto Hashem your G-d, for you have stumbled through your sin" (14:2). Hoshea then instructs us how to embark on this road of repentance: "Kehu Imachem Debarim Ve'shubu El Hashem" – "Take with yourselves words, and return to G-d" (14:3). Rav Aharon Kotler (1892-1962) explains that these "words" are the words of the Torah. In order to properly repent, one must devote time to the study of Torah. In truth, this is stated explicitly in the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, 935), which teaches: "If a person stumbled upon a sin for which he liable to death at the hands of G-d, what shall he do so he may live? He should involve himself in Torah. If he was accustomed to reading one page, he should read two pages; to learn one chapter, he should learn two chapters." The Midrash tells us that one can avoid the repercussions of his wrongdoing by increasing the amount of time he spends learning Torah. Why is Torah learning a crucial component of Teshuba? The Rambam famously lists the four elements that comprise the process of repentance – discontinuing the sinful behavior, remorse, confession, and committing not to repeat the sin in the future. All these stages are readily understandable, as they relate to the sin itself. But how does this additional component – Torah study – relate to the process of Teshuba? The answer can be found in a well-known Mishna in Pirkeh Abot (3:6) which teaches that whenever somebody learns Torah, the Shechina (divine presence) is with him. Each and every time we open a Torah book, or listen to a Torah class, G-d is present. We are all very enthusiastic when we have the privilege of meeting with a famous Sadik for five minutes; but in truth, every time we learn Torah, we are together with G-d throughout the entire period we spend learning. He is right there with us each and every time we study Torah. Sin creates distance between us and G-d. It severs the connection between us. We all become frazzled when we are somewhere without a Wi-Fi connection, or without cellphone reception. But losing our connection with G-d is much more serious. G-d is the source of all blessing and goodness in our lives; when we lose our connection to Him, we lose our connection to everything that we need and want. Teshuba literally means "return." As we cited earlier, Hoshea calls to us and pleads, "Return, O Israel, unto Hashem your G-d." Teshuba is the process of rebuilding our connection with Hashem after having severed that connection through our misconduct. As we think about the way we need to grow and improve during this period of repentance, let us include as well as resolution to increase the amount of time we devote to Torah learning. Our efforts to "return" to G-d, to rebuild and enhance our connection with Him, must include a commitment to Torah learning, which brings Hashem into our lives and brings us closer to Him. Let us make Torah study an important part of our Teshuba process during this season, and we will, please G-d, be worthy of being inscribed in the Book of Life and of being blessed with a year of joy, success and prosperity, Amen.

Shabbat Shuva Returning the Heh through Balance and Admission. The lower Heh of Malchut expanding into the upper Heh of Binah. The wake up call of the shofar. Hayom harat Olam Today the world was conceived. Adam's sin and the mixture of good and evil. Bringing balance to the world. Modeh VeOzev Yerucham. Admitting is the hardest thing to do.

Rav Shlomo Hoffman, zatzal , told, during the early days of Yeshivat Chevron, he was walking in the hallway during the Aseret Yameh Teshuva and the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yechezkel Sarna, saw him in a depressed state and asked him why he was so sad. The young Rabbi Hoffman replied, “It's the Aseret Yameh Teshuva and I'm thinking that my teshuva is not sincere enough because the Rambam says a complete teshuva is when Hashem can testify that the person will never go back to his sin again.” The Rosh Yeshiva told him, “Why are you being so strict? We hold like Rabbenu Yonah who says if you put yourself on the right path to stop doing the averah , that's true teshuva . And that you are doing. Be happy! On Aseret Yameh Teshuva , we are also supposed to be happy.” If somebody has, let's say, spoken lashon hara and feels bad and wants to change, he needs to do something that will put him on the right path to change, such as accepting to learn the halachot , or putting himself in a better environment. If we truly want to be better and take the steps necessary for improvement, Hashem will help us achieve it. Recently, a boy going into 8 th grade heard speeches from many Rabbis about the ill effects of smartphones and how they have destroyed people's lives. After hearing the speeches, the boy decided that he would never use one. A few days later, his mother took him and his siblings to a Walmart in New Jersey to buy school supplies. They all attend school in Brooklyn, but since they were in New Jersey for the summer, they went to a Walmart near them. This boy had forgotten his school supply list and he did not know exactly what he needed. His mother told him she had the list in an email and she would give him her phone to take into the store with him. The boy then told his mother about his kabbala not to use a smartphone and she understood and told him, “Okay, try to do your best to find what you think you need.” While they were in the store, one of his siblings picked up a loose-leaf off the shelf and a piece of paper came flying out onto the floor. They picked up the paper and were in amazement to see that it was the boy's yeshiva school supply list for his grade. Somebody else must have left it there, and it was waiting for him to be used. He felt like he got a smile, kavayachol , from Hashem, appreciating his efforts and giving him his school supply list without having to use the phone. Our spirituality is up to us. Of course, we are never in full control and there are times where mishaps can happen, but when Hashem sees how careful we are in doing His will, He protects us from sinning in those situations that are beyond our control. The sefer Vavei H'amudim told a story about a young man who experienced such an occurrence. The young man said, every morning he gets to shul early to make a coffee before he learns so he'll be more attentive during his learning. One day, he made the coffee and sat down in the coffee room to drink it. Before he took his first sip, a bee started buzzing right in front of his face. He put the cup down and started shooing the bee away. He then accidentally knocked his whole cup of coffee down and it spilled all over the floor. At first he was angry. Then he calmed himself down thinking it must have been for the best. After cleaning up the spill, he went back to the urn to get more hot water but nothing was coming out. He opened it to refill it and saw dozens of tiny bugs swimming around at the bottom of the urn. Most probably, there were some of those bugs in his coffee. He was always so careful to avoid eating foods that could potentially have bugs, and here, when the circumstances were beyond his control, Hashem sent the bee to save him from eating one. It's up to us to put ourselves on the right path and do our best to do what's proper and, if we do, Hashem will take care of the rest. Shabbat Shalom.

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Haftarah for Shabbat Va-Yelech Shabbat Shuva הפטרת שבת פרשת וילך ( שבת שובה) כמנהג ‏ארמ צובה

Shabbat Shuva - The unique dimension of Hoshei'a's call to Teshuva

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. This Shabbat is Shabbat Shuva, where we continue to celebrate and bask in the spiritual intensity of Rosh Hashana. Every Shabbat draws upon the mitzvot and holiness of the previous week and uses it to infuse the day with Kedusha. On Shabbat Shuva, the power of the mitzvah of Shofar from the previous week continues into Shabbat and uplifts the day even more than a typical week. Typically, the Amidah of a weekday or Yom Tov is said repeatedly in the Arbit, Shacharit, and Mincha prayers. For example, the identical weekday Amidah is recited three times daily at Arbit, Shacharit, and Mincha. On Rosh Hashana, a special Amidah is recited, but this exact tefillah is repeated throughout the day (with the exception of Mussaf, which is always different). On Shabbat, however, three completely different prayers are recited. Why? The highlight of Rosh Hashana is the Mussaf prayer, which is broken into three units: Malchiyot - Hashem is King, Zechronot- Hashem remembers, and Shofarot- the Shofar of Har Sinai. The Sefer Ikarim explains that these three sections parallel the three fundamentals ikarim of our Emunah (although there are famously 13 principles ikarim , they can be further organized into three major units): 1. The existence of G-d 2. He supervises, rewards, and punishes 3. The Torah came from Shamayim at Har Sinai, which is how Hashem reveals Himself in this world The Rishonim teach that the three prayers of Shabbat also correspond to these three fundamentals of Emunah: On Friday nights, we say וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם , the heaven and earth were finished, and all their array. We discuss the creation of the world - as the kiddush continues: זכר למעשה בראשית . By discussing the creation of the world, we attest to the fact that Hashem created the world and therefore controls everything. Malchiyot and Kiddush on Friday night both display this ikar Emunah : Hashem is the King of the world and is in control of everything. In our Shacharit prayers, we read: יִשמַח משֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקו ... כְּלִיל תִּפְאֶרֶת בְּראשׁו נָתַתָּ. בְּעָמְדו לְפָנֶיךָ עַל הַר סִינַי. וּשְׁנֵי לֻחות אֲבָנִים הורִיד בְּיָדו - Moshe will rejoice with the gift of his portion … for a a crown of glory You placed on his head when he stood before You on Har Sinai with the two luchot in his hand. Our tefillot on Shabbat day attest to the third of the ikarim : Matan Torah. Finally, at Mincha we discuss the last of the ikarim : that Hashem supervises, rewards, and punishes. We say in our Amidah: אַתָּה אֶחָד וְשִׁמְךָ אֶחָד וּמִי כְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ . Hashem's Name will be One in the time of Mashiach, when the world will come to the realization that He is King. At that time, Hashem will judge the world and deliver reward and punishment. Our three prayers on Shabbat correspond to the three fundamentals of Emunah, which also correspond to our Rosh Hashana prayers. We can maintain the connection and clarity of Rosh Hashana every week on Shabbat. Like Rosh Hashana, Shabbat is a day of Emunah when we can tap into these three fundamentals. One of the Achronim suggests discussing each of the three ikrim at the three Shabbat meals. On Friday night, a person can talk about the wonders of creation, the delicious food, or the wonders of the human body. At the Shabbat day meal, talk about Har Sinai and the tremendous revelation at Har Sinai. Finally, by Seudat Shelishit, talk about the future, Mashiach, and the reward and punishment that will come. Let us extend the Emunah of Rosh Hashana to Shabbat each week by focusing on the words of our Tefillot. Then, we will concretize these three important fundamentals of our belief: Hashem exists and created the world; He watches, supervises, rewards, and punishes; and Hashem gave us the Torah, which dictates how we should live our lives. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

Why do we need to ask Hashem to forgive us so much? Is it so hard for someone to forgive another who apologises?

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuva, or the Shabbat of Return. Not, as could be easily misunderstood as Shabbat TEshuva (Shabbat of Repentance). Of course the word for Teshuva is related to shuva because they both come from לָשׁוּב / Leshuv, to return. Return and repentance are definitely related. When we repent, we are returning to the self we were before we did the deed we wanted to repent for. In this week's parsha, Vayelech, B'nei Yisrael are doing their own kind of returning - they are about to cross the Jordan and enter the Land of Israel, finally! Eretz Yisrael is now in their future, but it's also a part of their past. Their ancestors - Avraham (Abraham), Yitzchak (Isaac), and Yaakov (Jacob) all lived there once upon a time. Moving forward, then for the tribes, is returning to the place of the past. When we repent, we return to our purest, truest selves, and Shabbat Shuva is a time to tune into this self. We have this whole Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the 10 Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, and Shabbat Shuva is smack in the middle of these. I picture a seesaw. On one side sits the self we began the holidays with. Perhaps this self is a bit scuffed, wearing a sour expression, but off in the distance, on the other side of the see saw, is the self we want to end Yom Kippur with - the self that is shining, gleaming, pure and is wearing a serene expression. Where we are now is the center of the seesaw. We are between the two selves, and we have the choice where we want to end. This is inspired by a teaching of the Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides. He taught in Hilchot Teshuva, the Laws of Teshuva, that we should view ourselves all year as if we are half innocent and half guilty. If we commit one sin, we tip the seesaw to the guilty side. And it we just do one mitzvah, we tip the seesaw to the righteous side. (Well he didn't say the part about the seesaw, that's me…) Rav Kook taught that the Jewish people are a collective soul. We are all sparks from the same source, so when we sin, we are sinning on behalf of all of the people. The same, of course, goes for when we perform mitzvot. We are acting righteously on behalf of all of the people, then, too. Speaking of acting on behalf of the Klal, the whole community… In this week's parsha, we receive the final mitzvah, the final of the 613th of the mitzvot. “And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel” - “וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל” What is the song you ask? The “song / shira” is the Torah. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, taught that Moshe was teaching B'nei Yisrael that it isn't enough to just take in the teachings of Moshe himself — they must make the Torah new and fresh themselves. To this day, Torah scrolls are written as in ancient times, by hand, using parchment, and written with a quill. The Torah scroll is the closest thing we have in our modern Jewish practice to a sacred relic. The word “shira” can mean song or poetry, and because it's used 5 times in this passage, clearly is significant. The Netziv, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, interprets that we should read the Torah as if it is poetry, not prose. The Netziv argues that the Torah is like poetry because it's allusive rather than explicit - leaving more unsaid than said. Secondly, it also hints at deeper meanings, expressing more than just is what is visible on the surface. Torah is imbued with deep secrets, like poetry, too. Cont'd… For full text, email me at shirajkaplan@gmail.com or join my email list here. opening theme: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shira-kaplan/support

Vayelech 5782/Shabbat Shuva – Who Would you Invite to Dinner? This class imagines an imaginary dinner between R. Zera (4th century CE) and Moses. How are these two figures similar? How are they different? And what can their differences teach… Read the rest The post Vayelech 5782/Shabbat Shuva – Who Would you Invite to Dinner? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Vayelech 5782/Shabbat Shuva – Who Would you Invite to Dinner? at Elmad Online Learning.

The Parasha (Story) of VaYelekh is being read on Shabbat Shuva between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. This is the time the Heavenly windows are open for us to return and come closer to our true selves. Now! When the world is still in a dangerous place of uncertainty, it is time to reflect and look inside. This is the time to ask: Who is the person that I want to become and not: 'What are the things that I want to have? the places I want to travel, the deals I want to make'. This the time to stop our slavery to habits, belief systems and objects, the time to prepare ourselves to the freedom awaiting us in the 5780's.

Stories about Gedolim are important. They show us, in real life, how important it is to live your life for others, especially in the high-holiday season, when people sometimes get a little too focused on themselves. The following is a story that Rav Shach told over in his sefer Shimusha shel Torah : Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky was the Gadol HaDor in prewar Europe. He suffered from a certain medical condition for which he had to go to Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia far away from his hometown of Vilna. He had to spend a certain amount of time there, including the high holiday season, which he was not accustomed to. He had always spent the high holidays in his own shul, in a very high and lofty atmosphere. He was broken and upset to have to be away during this time. He wondered what he had done wrong and why Hashem had sent him there. Why was it decreed upon him to be so far away from the beautiful center of Torah that he was used to? He felt distanced from the feelings of Elul in the streets of Pre-war Lithuania. Then during Mincha of Shabbat Shuva , a new man entered the Karlsbad synagogue. Being the kind rabbi that he was, Rav Chaim Ozer approached the man, welcomed him, and asked where he was from and what had brought him there. The man said that he was from America and on his way to Petersburg, where his young brother had passed away and left behind a young widow with young children. His friends had advised that he marry the wife of his newly deceased brother, rather than let her marry a stranger, so that the children could be raised by him, and not a stepfather. He was on his way to meet her and planned on marrying her shortly after the holidays. As we know, a man is not permitted to marry his brother's wife unless the brother has passed away without children - that's called Yibum . But if the brother did have children, as in this case, it is considered a forbidden union, no different than marrying one's sister, and punishable by death. When Rav Chaim Ozer heard the man's plan, he shivered. He told the man he wasn't allowed to marry her, but the man was not swayed. The rabbi explained and said, “ You think this is just a chumra/ strictness like chalav Yisrael? Open the Humash.” But still, the man was not impressed. He replied that his mother, who was from Europe had told him that there is only one great rabbi- the Chief Rabbi of Vilna- Rabbi Grodzensky! “ If he tells me I can't marry her, then I won't.” Sure enough, Rav Chaim Ozer stood up and said, “ You are speaking to him. I am the chief Rabbi of Vilna. I am Rabbi Grodzensky.” Rabbi Chaim Ozer then understood why he had to spend his high holidays in Karlsbad- it was to save this man. Rav Shach continues, “ Look what Hashem will do to save someone from a sin. He will send the Gadol HaDor away during the high holiday season, away from his congregation, away from the environment that he is used to, cause him all this heartache, and even cause him the illness that made him go to this retreat, just to save one Jew from sinning. That is how much Hashem does not want us to sin. That is how Gedolei Yisrael look at living for others. Have a wonderful day.

Torah: Deuteronomy 32:1 - 32:52 Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27

La importancia de la teshuva y su real significado.

In this episode we dive into the Rambam's declaration that true confession stems from the words "But we have sinned" and how the word "Aval" or "but" plays a critical role in our downfall when committing sins.(based on R' Norman Lamm z"l)Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DB9GZ7TJG8T36&source=url)

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Vayelech and Shabbat Shuva: תשובה – Déjà Vu Perhaps? Cultivating the spiritual practice of returning to, reclaiming & renewing a moment from our past; a moment deeply implanted in all of us at conception. Download the Source Sheet Please let … Read the rest The post 5780 — Vayelech and Shabbat Shuva: תשובה – Déjà Vu Perhaps? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading 5780 — Vayelech and Shabbat Shuva: תשובה – Déjà Vu Perhaps? at Elmad Online Learning.