Ask The Rabbi: What Are The Customs Of S’lichot?

Our Two-Pronged Elul Preparations

The Simcha of Teshuva

Two Brothers Who Were Painters

Elul in Our Generation of Redemption

A man once came to his rabbi with a complaint: "Rabbi, I work very hard and make hardly any money." The rabbi said, "I can give you a higher paying job, and it's also very easy work." The man jumped with joy and said, "I'll take it!" The rabbi said, "Great. Take this hammer and swing it up and down, over and over at a set pace, and I'll pay you per hour." The man said, "Sounds both easy and profitable," and immediately got to work....

National Repentance - Returning to the Land

That is, the dispersed and exiled nation will arouse to general repentance and will seek to return to the Holy Land. The next stage is that G-d will ingather them together in the Land, no matter how far and wide they are dispersed. This will be a unique display of Divine providence and aid for the ingathering of the Land's children in joy. And then will come the final stage...

"Bring us back in whole-hearted repentance before You”

There are those who wonder how we can ask God to return us in Teshuva (repentance). After all, Teshuva is our job. I heard once from Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, that every Teshuva contains an aspect of man and an aspect of the Blessed Creator, Who sends man an awakening to repentance.

Elul

There was a time, not so far distant in the past, that it was said in Eastern Europe, that even the fish in the rivers trembled when they heard the announcement that the month of Elul had arrived. That certainly is not the case today.

How Can We Take Advantage of Elul?

Translated by Sharona Eshet-Kohen

How can we take advantage of Elul and not "fall" into the High Holidays each year?

Our Generation's "Teshuva From Love"

Why will this special Messianic generation, of all generations, be in such a sorry spiritual and material state? Logically when Israel improves its ways, they will be worthy of Redemption – so why will it actually be a period of spiritual crisis and other troubles?

National (vs. Individual) T'Shuva

What "national t'shuva" is, how it differs from individual t'shuva, and why it takes precedence in this generation.

T'shuva - It's Not What You Think

one of the elderly Russian women asked Rav Kook's mother, "Tell me, please: We're on our way to the Holy Land to meet our god, but why would you Jews be going there? Mrs. Kook answered without hesitation: "You're going to visit a dead god, but we're going to meet the living G-d."

The Teshuva of the Treasury Minister

A short story and explanation of the power of Teshuva to transform sins into merits

The Significance of “l’david Hashem Ori”

What is the significance of “l’david hashem ori” that is said during this time?

Why Do We Sound the Shofar During Elul?

At The Shabbat Table

Re'eh 5778

Re'eh 5778

What does papaya have to do with the beginning of Elul?

What does papaya have to do with the beginning of Elul?

Haazinu - Shuvah

Disappointment

Elul