YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The High Holidays
- The Month of Elul
Elul is not a quick fix month. Rather it demands of us small increments and gradual improvement of behavior and speech. The sudden, wrenching, all-or nothing approach to self-improvement, like crash diets and desperate almost impulsive decisions and policies bring only further disappointment and frustration with one’s self. The Talmud records for us a number of instances of people who performed evil acts and suddenly completely regretted and repented from those acts and thereby gained immortality for their souls. However in each of those instances the penitent died on the spot. A 180 degree turn while driving at high speed is almost inevitability a fatal course, no matter how necessary or commendable that turn may be. Elul seeks a change of commitment and direction in one’s thinking and lifestyle but it seeks it in a gradual, healthy and normal fashion. In fact, Elul is the height of normalcy, of how to behave as a decent human being, at home, at the workplace, on the road and in the automobile and in the synagogue and marketplace. The highest expression of fealty to God and the Torah lie in the small things in life, in the words of Rashi and Midrash "in those things that a person unwittingly crushes under one’s heel." Elul teaches us that only by paying attention to the small things in life can one adequately prepare one’s self for the great challenges of life and the new year that will surely arrive.
The sounding of the shofar in the month of Elul lends a sense of immediacy and drama to Elul. Small things never are a big deal. But Jewish tradition has chosen to make a big deal out of Elul. Because as I have previously stated the small things in life shape our fortunes, attitudes and purposes. Maimonides famously comparers the sounding of the shofar in Elul to a wakeup call. But it is more than that. It is a sound that is both jarring and soothing, reassuring and challenging. The sounds of the shofar reflect accurately these moods of Elul itself - challenge, direction and spiritual growth. They are incremental short sounds that lead to a longer note of serenity and satisfaction. Elul reflects these ideas of ultimate triumph and redemption. The note of serenity at the end of the series of shofar soundings is the harbinger of the ultimate redemption of the Jews both individually and nationally. There are no shortcuts to that final note - to the great tekiah. The difficult short sounds must precede it. And Elul is the necessary precursor to this challenge of greatness that the Lord demands of us. Only by preparation can achievements truly occur. Elul serves as the entrance foyer into the great Jewish palace of purpose, holiness and immortality. In the words of Avot, "prepare yourself in the foyer so that you may then enter the palace in a proper fashion."
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
