Podcasts about shabbat shuvah

Yom Kippur  Part 5:  HaFtarah Vayelech/ Shabbat Shuvah - He Will Cast All Our Sins Into The Depths Of The Sea   -  English only.  How can we grasp the profound nature of God's forgiveness?  The Tashlich service, the casting of our sins, conducted at the shore of a lake, opens our eyes to the depths of the Almighty's love. This is a rebroadcast of a sermon originally recorded on October 1, 2022.  This year, 2024, Yom Kippur will begin at sunset tonight, Friday night, October 11.

Shabbat Shuvah (Rabbi Burt Yellin)

The Saturday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called "Shabbat Shuvah" or "The Sabbath of Return." It's a time for everyone to return to God. Jewish people return to the God of our Fathers, while Gentiles return to the God of Israel. As we return, we're amazed by God's loyal love in our relationship with Him and how it affects our relationships with people. Watch the message "Return to Loyal Love" and understand the deep connection between returning to God and experiencing His loyal love.Link: https://restoration.subspla.sh/9pp6pfw#thehappyrabbi #seattle #jewish #messianic #restorationseattle #JewishinSeattle #HolyDays #highholidays #RoshHashana #YomKippur #Sukkot #fallholidays #shofar #applesandhoney #jewishnewyear #Atonement #Repentance #celebration #torah 

The Saturday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called "Shabbat Shuvah" or "The Sabbath of Return." It's a time for everyone to return to God. Jewish people return to the God of our Fathers, while Gentiles return to the God of Israel. As we return, we're amazed by God's loyal love in our relationship with Him and how it affects our relationships with people. Watch the message "Return to Loyal Love" and understand the deep connection between returning to God and experiencing His loyal love.Link: https://restoration.subspla.sh/9pp6pfw#thehappyrabbi #seattle #jewish #messianic #restorationseattle #JewishinSeattle #HolyDays #highholidays #RoshHashana #YomKippur #Sukkot #fallholidays #shofar #applesandhoney #jewishnewyear #Atonement #Repentance #celebration #torah 

In this service, we remember the tragedy of October 7, 2023. To skip to the sermon, go to 10:50 in the recording.

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Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. We are winding our way to the conclusion of our annual Torah Reading. This week's parashah, Nitzavim-Va'yelekh [Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30] is the penultimate Shabbat reading. The following Shabbat, October 5, is Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; that weekly reading, Ha'azinu, concludes the Shabbat weekly readings on the annual cycle here in the Diaspora. The final parashah, V-zot Ha-b'rakhah [Deuteronomy 33-34] is read on Simhat Torah, this year celebrated on Friday, October 25, 2024. It is a bittersweet celebration this year, as it marks the anniversary of the War in Israel on the Jewish Calendar. Our conversation focused on a few pesukim [sentences] found primarily [or entirely] in parashat Nitzanim [Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20]. In particular, we discussed the theme of t'shuvah, repentance as it is generally translated, or return, which is both relevant to the Torah Reading and the season of the year. We continue to be mindful of the hostages, may they be speedily returned to their families, and the soldiers fighting in defense of Israel, may they be removed from harms way. This is our last recording for 5784. We will resume our show after Rosh Hashanah. With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and a Shanah Tovah.

In this week's parasha , Va'era , we read about the makot that Hashem sent upon the Mitzrim and Mitzrayim . One of the reasons Hashem brought so many makot , rather than just wiping out the Mitzrim in an instant, was to teach us about how much control He has over the world. He is involved in the finest details of every person's life. Things that may seem insignificant, Hashem has already been planning and setting up days before we even think about them. The Admor of Lelov had a minhag , on the night of Tisha B'Av, to go look at the place where the Bet HaMikdash used to be and try to feel the loss. One year, he went with his son to Yeshivat Bet Avraham of Slonim, because at that time you were able to see the makom of the Mikdash from the Yeshivah's roof. By the time they got there, it was very late at night and all the boys in the Yeshivah were already sleeping. There was a man in the hallway of the dormitory and they asked him if he knew who had the keys to the roof. He said he wasn't exactly sure and he wasn't going to wake up the entire Yeshivah to find out either. Just at that moment, one of the dorm room doors opened and a boy walked out. They asked this boy if he perhaps knew who had the key to the roof. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the key. He said, the boy who normally takes care of the key was not in the Yeshivah that night. Just the other day, he was unloading his pockets because they became so heavy upon him with so many things that he put in them. “I was standing next to him and he asked me if I could take his key ring for a couple of days. Tonight I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to get dressed and walk around a little.” With that, the Rabbi and his son were able to go to the roof. Look at what Hashem did to enable this Rabbi to continue his minhag of looking at the place of the Bet HaMikdash on Tisha B'Av. He prepared the keys from days before and put them in the hands of the boy whose room they would be right next to. And then made sure this boy would get up and go out to see them when they arrived. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Friedman, the author of the popular weekly gilyon Noam Siach , told me he went, around Yom Kippur time this year, to get a beracha from the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Yerushalayim for a good year. When he arrived, he gave the Rebbe a copy of the latest gilyon that he just printed for Shabbat Shuvah. The Rebbe thanked him and asked him if he had a copy of the special Peninim Yikarim edition that he prints once a year. He told the Rebbe he recently printed it, but he only brought a limited amount to distribute in Eretz Yisrael and he had none left. Knowing the Rebbe was planning a trip to America, he told him he would be sure to drop one off when he came. The Rebbe said it would have been so nice to have one to read on the plane to America. When Rabbi Friedman left the Rebbe's office, there were a few people in the waiting room waiting to get in. One of them caught his eye. It was an elderly man reading the Peninim Yikarim edition of that year. Apparently this man printed it out for himself. The Rabbi went over to him and when the man noticed him his eyes lit up. He said, are you Rabbi Friedman? The Rabbi said yes. The elderly man told him he prints out every edition that he writes the moment it comes out. The Rabbi then asked him if he would part with his copy of the Peninim Yikarim to give to the Rebbe of Vizhnitz. “Of course,” the man replied. He then said he actually spoke to the Rebbe the day before but then he remembered he forgot to tell him one detail. He wasn't going to come back for it, but for some reason, at the last second, he changed his mind and came. Now, he said, he knows why he came. He was a piece of a larger picture with Hashem guiding him to give the Rebbe what he wanted to read on his plane ride to America. Even the smallest details of our lives are carefully planned and orchestrated by Hashem. Shabbat Shalom.

Pastor Mark brings a message for Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return.  It's about turning from our sin in order to enter into Yom Kippur fully cleansed as a rehearsal of the final judgment day that is to come when Yeshua returns.  

Shabbat Shuvah 2023: You Are So Invited to My Bar Mitzvah by Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich

Shabbat Shuvah 2023 (Sabbath of Return 2023)

R. Marcus Rubenstein's sermon on Shabbat Shuvah from Shabbat morning services at Temple of Aaron on September, 22nd 2023.

Today is Shabbat Shuvah, the shabbat (sabbath) between Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) and Yom Kippur. Philip Snell explains T'shuvah (return), a person returning to God.

Today is Shabbat Shuvah, the shabbat (sabbath) between Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) and Yom Kippur. Philip Snell explains T'shuvah (return), a person returning to God.

No matter how far we think we've walked away from G-d, the return trip is always shorter… All we have to do is turn around! Listen to Rabbi David's sermon from Shabbat Shuvah.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. When either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, this week's parashah, Ha'azinu [Deuteronomy 32] is also Shabbat Shuvah, with a special haftarah [Hosea 14:2-10, Joel 2:15-27, according to the Ashkenazic tradition recorded in the Etz Hayim]. Though the Shabbat takes its name from the first word in the Hosea text [as Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat before Tisha B'Av, takes its name from the first word of its haftarah, Isaiah 1:1-27, and Shabbat Nahamu, the Shabbat following Tisha B'av, takes its name from the first word of its haftarah, Isaiah 40:1-26 , the Shabbat is sometimes called Shabbat T'shuvah, the Sabbath of Repentance, after the season. Our conversation this week also took its cue from the season, and we devoted it entirely to a discussion of Yom Kippur, observed Sunday evening and Monday, September 24-25. Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom and a meaningful fast!

The Arizal taught us that the Ten Days of Repentance ( עשרת ימי תשובה ) have the power to atone for the sins we committed on each of the seven days of the week during the previous year. Leaving out the two days of Rosh Hashanah and the day of Yom Kippur, the period of עשרת ימי תשובה consists of seven days, and each of these seven days, the Arizal taught, is able to correct the mistakes made on that day during the year. On the Sunday of עשרת ימי תשובה , for example, we are able to atone for our sins committed on Sunday throughout the year. Each day of the week poses its own challenges, and we are prone to certain mistakes on each day of the week, and the period of the Ten Days of Repentance affords us the opportunity to correct the mistakes that we have made on each day. Accordingly, on Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we are able to earn atonement for all the mistakes made on the most important day of the week – Shabbat – throughout the year. And thus we should all be especially vigilant on Shabbat Shuvah to ensure that we observe Shabbat properly, both by avoiding all forms of forbidden activities (the שמור aspect of Shabbat) and by conducting ourselves with a level of kedushah that is appropriate for this sacred day (the זכור aspect). The unique importance of Shabbat Shuvah can be seen in a beautiful insight that I recently came across regarding the Shalom Alechem hymn which we traditionally sing on Friday night upon returning from the synagogue. In this hymn we greet the angels that have come into our home on Shabbat, and it is commonly understood that these angels represent the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and yetzer hatov (good inclination), the two forces within us that try to lead us, respectively, to sin and to good deeds. These angels come into our homes on Shabbat, and we hope that the angel representing the yetzer hatov blesses us and the angel representing the yetzer hara then answers “amen” to that blessing. But I saw a different interpretation, one which is based upon the well-known comment in Pirkeh Avot that every mitzvah we perform produces a protecting angel. Normally, although we create these angels, we do not earn the privilege of having these angels close to us. On Shabbat, however, the special sanctity of the day renders us worthy of having these angels which we have produced accompany us and join us in our home. These are the angels which we greet when we sing Shalom Alechem on Friday night. Understandably, the more significant and powerful the mitzvah is, the more distinguished and special the angels are. And thus when we sound and hear the shofar , we create especially powerful angels. The mitzvah of shofar is observed in a very special way, as everyone is together in the synagogue, concentrating intently and thinking thoughts of teshuvah . Indeed, the moments of the shofar blowing are among the most moving and serious times of the year in the synagogue. We can imagine, then, that the angels produced by our fulfillment of this mitzvah , which is done with such feeling, concentration, and thoughts of teshuvah , are particularly powerful. In fact, there is a Yehi Ratzon prayer which many people recite before the shofar blowing requesting that the angels created by the shofar sounds should ascend the heavens. It is told that Rabbi Efrayim Laniado, a Rabbi in Aleppo, Syria, would blow the shofar each year in the synagogue, but when he got older and did not have the strength to blow, he delegated this duty to his son, who was also experienced in sounding the shofar . Rav Efrayim prayed at home, and when he saw people returning from the synagogue, he asked them how his son blew the shofar . They told him that his son at first seemed anxious, and the sounds did not come out properly, but gradually the blowing grew stronger and steadier. The Rabbi asked his son about it when he came home, and his son explained that when he began blowing the shofar , he saw angels coming out of the shofar , and this worried him. “There is no need to worry,” the Rabbi said. “I see those angels every year.” We cannot even imagine the spiritual power of the shofar blowing and the feelings of teshuvah that accompany it, which is capable of producing very special angels, even more so than the other mitzvot that we perform. And these angels join us in our home on Shabbat Shuvah. Of course, we should endeavor to conduct ourselves properly every Shabbat, knowing that we are hosting angels in our homes. (It should be noted that according to one version of the Shalom Alechem text, we say not צאתכם לשלום – which indicates that the angels are leaving already then – but rather בצאתכם לשלום – “When you leave in peace” – in which case the angels do not necessarily leave then. It stands to reason that they remain in our homes throughout the entirety of Shabbat.) As we want these angels to grant us their blessing – as we sing, ברכני לשלום – we must certainly conduct ourselves on the highest standard possible. But this is especially vital on Shabbat Shuvah, when we are privileged to host in our home the angels of the shofar , the most distinguished and most powerful angels. Let us treat this Shabbat in a special way as we recognize that we are hosting these special angels, and thereby correct and elevate all the Shabbatot of the previous year. And through our observance we shall be deserving of complete redemption, as our Sages teach that our proper observance of two consecutive Shabbatot brings us our nation's final redemption. תזכו לשנים רבות

Central to the Days of Awe is what we call Shabbat Shuvah, or the "Sabbath of Return." Situated between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this Shabbat holds a special significance. It serves as a momentary pause, a sacred interval for personal and communal reflection. In a season filled with introspection and repentance, Shabbat Shuvah invites us to come home - to return to the Lord with all our hearts. For Christians, this idea of "returning" finds its full expression in the grace and redemption offered through Jesus, our Messiah.

Shabbat Shuvah has passed for this year. All Israel has listened to the final note of the shofar at the Neilah, the Closing of the Gates at the last Yom Kippur service. Life continues.

Yom Kippur:  Part 3  HaFtarat Vayelech/ Shabbat Shuvah - He Will Cast all Our Sins In The Depths of The Sea   -  English only.  How can we grasp the profound nature of God's forgiveness?  The Tashlich service, the casting of our sins, conducted at the shore of a lake, opens our eyes to the depths of the Almighty's love.  Recorded October 1, 2022.  

Parshat Vayelech/ Shabbat Shuvah - The Feast of the Nations - Reading the Torah at The Feast of Tabernacles   -  English only.  In today's Torah portion, we are commanded to read the Book of the Law during the Feast of Sukkot.  The big surprise is the list of people who are commanded to listen to the reading!  Recorded October 1, 2022.  

Crystal shares some liturgy from the Amidah and Rabbi Ken preaches a powerful message on God's eagerness to forgive us. 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

Yom Kippur:  Part 2  HaFtarat Vayelech/ Shabbat Shuvah - The Calves of Our Lips   -  English only.  What does the Almighty expect us to do once we sin?  How can we possibly make amends with an all-powerful God?  What can we give Him? The prophet Micah offers a shockingly simple solution!  Recorded October 1, 2022.  

The Sabbath before Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is called "Shabbat Shuvah," or the Sabbath of Return. It is a day that beckons us to consider the condition of our hearts before we enter the most holy day of the year. The Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) for this Shabbat says, "Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him…" (Hosea 14:2). What does this mean? What are we supposed to say? What do you need to say? Don't miss your opportunity.

Tyler Merwin & Douglas Merritt Jr. encourage us to righteousness on this Shabbat of repentance before Yom Kippur.

Rabbi-Cantor Hillary Chorny's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on September 11, 2021. (Youtube/Zoom)

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

The Shabbat (Sabbath) between Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is called the Shabbat Shuvah, or Sabbath of Restoration/Return. Traditional readings for this day from the prophets Hosea, Micah and Joel warn us that when our spiritual eyes are opened, He will show us where our community, our nation has veered away from Him, just as He will show us where we have turned away from Him on a personal level. During this time of preparation for God's judgement, we have an opportunity to see where have we gone off the right path. We should want to turn away from evil and turn back to the good. God has promised us through all the Prophets, the Apostles and through the Messiah Himself that the heart of God is toward His people. Heaven is looking for us to repent and change our hearts towards Him.

In his message today, Messianic Elder Philip Snell gives what he calls "Yom Kippur 101", a brief introduction to the meaning and traditions of Yom Kippur, and an explanation of what Messianics should know about it, and also about Shabbat Shuvah, "The Sabbath of Return".

In his message today, Messianic Elder Philip Snell gives what he calls "Yom Kippur 101", a brief introduction to the meaning and traditions of Yom Kippur, and an explanation of what Messianics should know about it, and also about Shabbat Shuvah, "The Sabbath of Return".

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

This week on Shabbat Shuvah, Rabbi Silverman talks about remembering 9-11 and how we can respond to it, teaching from this weeks Haftarah portion, Hosea chapter 14. For the full Service go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la8m_AKXUYc

What a powerful sermon from Rabbi David for Shabbat Shuvah!!! The Lord has anointed and appointed us with the charge to lead His people in T'shuvah through Messiah Yeshua.

Given on "Shabbat Shuvah" 2021 – Beth El of Manhattan is the only synagogue of Two Testament Judaism having been in Manhattan before, during, and after "9/11" occurred. We lived and worked and ministered here. In the ensuring decade, ours was the only synagogue of any kind in all 5 New York Boroughs targeted for direct Islamic Terror threats: and it happened to us twice! Our story should be heard: and here, in this sermon, twenty years after – it is. May it be all for shalom.

Amitai

“Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” – Pema Chodron

The Haftarah portion for Shabbat Shuvah (Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The prophet Hosea focuses on words as an essential part of teshuvah (return, repentance), generally interpreted to refer specifically to confession aloud. • Beyond the formal text of the confession, what do you personally need to confess to during this week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? • What truths about yourself have you resisted articulating, even to yourself? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation. Subscribe to Both/And: https://www.spreaker.com/show/3082069/episodes/feed (iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/both-and/id1434753985)

The JTS Commentary for Vayeilekh by Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. Music provided by JJReinhold / Pond5.

The JTS Commentary for Vayeilekh by Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. Music provided by JJReinhold / Pond5.

This message delivered at Beth Yeshua Messianic Synagogue, Fort Myers, FL  USA, on 9.26.2020 uploaded from MessianicPodcast.com..This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

This week, the Shabbat before Pesach, is known as Shabbat Hagadol, for reasons that are not entirely clear. In European Jewish communities, it was one of two shabbatot [the other being Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur] when the community rabbi would address his flock. Traditionally, the rabbi would speak about the laws of Pesach; one might think it a little late to do that when Pesach began on a Saturday night! In Parashat Talk this week, we divided our conversation between the weekly reading, Parashat Tsav [Leviticus 6:1-8:36], with the presentation of the sacrifices from the priests’ perspective [unlike last week, when they were presented from the offerer’s perspective], the fire kept going by the priests, and the ordination/investiture ceremony for the priests [which will conclude in parashat Sh’mini, in two weeks], and favorite passages from the Haggadah. A Shabbat Shalom and Zissen Pesach [Happy Passover] to one and all!

When we pray, what do we pray for? Most of the time it's about our own needs. Sure, we pray for others, but do we really have their well-being in mind as the pinnacle of our desire? Are we focused on what we need disproportionately to what others need? The world is crumbling around us and it is our responsibility as both disciples of Yeshua and upholders of Torah to impact this world for the good. In this special message prepared for Shabbat Shuvah (the Sabbath of Turning), Rabbi Damian calls us to a higher level of responsibility as disciples of our Master. Will you accept the challenge?

Shabbat Shuvah 2020

Presented online on September 26, 2020. A message for Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath during the Ten Days of Awe.

Presented online on September 26, 2020. A message for Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath during the Ten Days of Awe.

Elton was right. And here's why...

The parashah is Ha'azinu, Deuteronomy 32. This Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return, after the 1st word of the haftarah, Hosea 14:2. The close connection between the word shuvah and t'shuvah [commonly translated as repentance] has been explored in biblical interpretation and Jewish theology for hundreds of years! We discuss some verses from the weekly Torah reading, some verses from the haftarah [Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27] talk about Moses near the end of his life, and touch upon some other issues, all in a half an hour or so! With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and G'mar Chatimah Tovah, a good seal in the Book of Life on Yom Kippur!

The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for 09/24/20.

Rabbi Vann

Judaism makes quite the deal about repentance leading up to and during the High Holidays. Hasn't Yeshua taken care of all of that for us in the Messianic community? Why should we waste our time saying penitent prayers and asking for forgiveness when we have received merit through the atonement of Yeshua? If you have these same questions, Rabbi Damian brings it home with a close examination of John 5 and the healing of the lame man and what may truly be taking place during this auspicious season, particular on Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

On this first Shabbat of the year (5780), Rabbi Silverman examines the process of returning to G-d, found in Messiah Yeshua.

The JTS Holiday Commentary for Shabbat Shuvah and Yom Kippur by Rabbi Julia Andelman.Music provided by JJReinhold / Pond5.

The JTS Holiday Commentary for Shabbat Shuvah and Yom Kippur by Rabbi Julia Andelman.Music provided by JJReinhold / Pond5.

September 15, 2018 is the Shabbat before Yom Kippur. This is an exhortation that Pastor Mark & Tammy McLendon shared. Though it was given for the Fall feasts, it's principles are timeless.

Pastor Mark brought a message on September 15, 2018 on repentance and preparation on the Shabbat before Yom Kippur known as Shabbat Shuvah. This teaching brings our podcast up to date.

Rabbi Eric's drash on parashah Vayelech.

Rabbi Eric's drash on parashah Vayelech.

Continuing from our journey that started on Rosh Hasanah, Rabbi Silverman takes a deeper look at "returning to G-d".

Yom Kippur approaches. This last Shabbat was Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return, or the Shabbat of Repentance. The haftarah portions (Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27) were a call to repentance. But what does it truly mean to repent? Many today teach that disciples of Yeshua have no need to repent. Is this true? The prophet Hosea says that we are to "take with you words." What does this mean? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this engaging message from Rabbi Damian. You don't want to miss out on a proper understanding of this topic before Yom Kippur.

The Value of Shabbat Preparation At first glance, the concept of “preparing for Shabbat” seems like a very simple, practical matter. Food and other necessities need to be prepared ahead of time, before the onset of Shabbat, and so it needs to get done. If one has people working for him, he can have them make the necessary preparations, and if not, then he needs to do the work himself, but the main thing is that preparations are made in time. From the teachings of our Sages, however, it is clear that this perspective is fundamentally incorrect. The Talmud tells of great Rabbis who had servants working for them but nevertheless made a point of preparing the food for Shabbat themselves. Indeed, the Shulhan Aruch rules that one should personally involve himself in Shabbat preparations, even if he has a full staff of housekeepers capable of making all the preparations for him. Why is it so important to personally get involved in the process of preparing the home for Shabbat? Rav Yerucham Levovitz explained that preparation is an indispensable prerequisite for receiving any kind of inspiration, and for reaching any kind of significant achievement. He notes the Rambam's comments regarding prophecy, which could not be achieved without preparation. The Rambam specifies the kinds of preparation prophets needed to make in order to receive prophecy, and emphasizes that prophecy was an outright impossibility until all these stages of preparation were completed. Rav Yerucham explained that the need for preparation is built into the nature of the world. Just as we feel hungry when we do not eat, and we feel satiated when we eat, similarly, one cannot access prophecy without the required preparations, and is able to access prophecy after making those preparations. No kedushah (holiness) or spiritual growth can be achieved without putting in the work to prepare for it. This is true of the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays), as well. We gain inspiration from them, and grow from the experience, only if we prepare ahead of time, thinking about the themes and messages of these holidays and putting in the effort to apply those concepts. Once we make this effort, Hashem sends us His help and we will feel elevated and inspired. In developing this principle, Rav Yerucham writes: כל עבודת האדם היא רק להיות מוכן. כי הרי בההכנה, כל אחד לפי כוחותיו, הרי משרה עליו רוח שכינה מן מעלה. “All a person's work is just to be prepared, for through the preparation, each person according to his capabilities, one brings upon himself the spirit of the Divine Presence from above. This is how we bring kedushah (sanctity) upon ourselves – through preparation. When it comes to Shabbat, preparing means both spiritual preparation – through preparing divreh Torah and contemplating the messages of Shabbat – as well as the “down-to-earth” preparations, such as preparing food and preparing the home. Even these simple acts of cooking and cleaning are immensely valuable and significant. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma comments that Avraham Avinu observed the entire Torah, even though it had not yet been given, and the Gemara adds that Avraham observed even the law of עירוב תבשילין . This law applies when Yom Tov falls on Friday, providing a permissible way to prepare for Shabbat on Friday. Although it is forbidden to prepare on Yom Tov for the next day, the law of עירוב תבשילין states that if one prepares some food before Yom Tov for Shabbat, then he is allowed to prepare further for Shabbat even on Yom Tov. By setting aside some food for Shabbat before Yom Tov, one is considered as having already begun his Shabbat preparations, thus allowing him to continue preparing thereafter. The message behind this law, as Rav Yerucham explains, is that it takes just a small, simple act to bring ourselves to the lofty level of Shabbat preparation, and this is something which Avraham intuitively understood even before the Torah was given. Even seemingly simple acts can elevate us to the level where we can absorb kedushah . And the more we involve ourselves in the preparation, the greater the impact will be. The more we show our yearning for Shabbat, our respect for Shabbat, and our anticipation of Shabbat by actively preparing for it, the more kedushah will be bestowed upon us. Every Shabbat, we receive a נשמה יתירה (“additional soul”), a special spirit of holiness, and the magnitude of this spiritual impact is proportional to the extent of our preparation ahead of time. Rav Yechezkel Sarna, the famed Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, noted that just as Hazal compared our world to an anteroom leading to a banquet hall – the world to come – similarly, the six days of the workweek are the “anteroom” leading to Shabbat, which resembles a banquet hall. Therefore, just as we are bidden to prepare ourselves in this world so we can reap the benefits of the next world, we must likewise prepare ourselves during the workweek so we can reap the great spiritual benefits of Shabbat. And the harder we work to prepare, the greater the benefits that we will reap. For this reason, Rav Sarna explained, Hazal teach, מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת – “Whoever toiled on Erev Shabbat will eat on Shabbat.” They speak here not simply of preparing, but of “toiling.” The key is the hard work and effort that we invest in preparing. The harder we work, the more we will receive from the Shabbat experience. While this message is relevant and vitally important every week, it assumes special significance as we prepare for Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that the angels which we will welcome into our homes on Shabbat are the angels created through the mitzvot we had performed during the previous week. On Rosh Hashanah we performed special mitzvot , such as listening to the shofar , reciting the special prayers, and engaging in introspection and teshuvah . As such, we have special angels that come to be with us on the Shabbat after Rosh Hashanah. And, on Shabbat Shuvah we read a special haftarah , the prophet's proclamation of שובה ישראל עד ה' אלוקיך , calling upon us to repent and assuring us that our repentance is capable of penetrating the heavens and reaching the Divine Throne. This Shabbat offers us a special opportunity to achieve kedushah , more so than ordinary Shabbatot, and the more we prepare for it, the more we will be able to reap the unique benefits available to us on this Shabbat. Additionally, our Rabbis teach us that each day of the Ten Days of Repentance offers us the opportunity to correct and atone for our misdeeds on that day of the week throughout the previous year. This means that on Shabbat Shuvah, we are able to retroactively perfect all the Shabbatot of the previous year, and reverse all the mistakes we may have made with respect to proper Shabbat observance. This is a very special Shabbat, and so we must pay extra attention to our preparations, in terms of both our spiritual preparations and the “mundane” preparations of food and the like. The more of an effort we invest in these preparations, the more we will benefit from the unique opportunities offered by this especially holy and significant Shabbat.

The JTS Torah Commentary Podcast for Shabbat Shuvah 5779 by Dr. Amy KalmanofskySubscribe to Both/And: https://www.spreaker.com/show/3082069/episodes/feed(iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/both-and/id1434753985)

The JTS Torah Commentary Podcast for Shabbat Shuvah 5779 by Dr. Amy KalmanofskySubscribe to Both/And: https://www.spreaker.com/show/3082069/episodes/feed(iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/both-and/id1434753985)

Scripture: Hosea 14:2-10, Joel 2:15-27, Micah 7:18-20.

Scripture: Hosea 14:2-10, Joel 2:15-27, Micah 7:18-20.

Shabbat Shuvah

The Ibn Ezra explains why he believes that the Mitzvah of HaKhel had to take place specifically during the Shemittah year.

Rabbi Silverman reflects Hosea 14:1-9 and encourages us to repentance, both inwardly and outwardly.

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone speaking at Romemu on Shabbat Shuvah 5774. Learn more: http://romemu.org

Rabbi David Ingber on Shabbat Shuvah 5774. Learn more: http://romemu.org

Shabbat Shuvah and Immersion

Shabbat Shuvah – Could vs. Should – Sermon – 9/11/2010