Two views on exile, living in Israel, and realizing the happiness of Adar. Second in a new series on the inner experiences of different days on the Jewish calendar.

Short stories for the Days of Awe The Pendulum A Story for the Days of Awe Changing Perspectives The Grand Slam If you received e-mail from an angel, would you heed…The Heavenly Call The Merry – Go – Round

God created us with a specific set of talents. Our purpose in life is to maximize that potential. Cheshbon is the way to do it. A key to the teshuva process is to make a plan that will liberate you from the things that hold you back. Without a plan, it is hard to show […]

At first, the Malach (angel) did not plan to use the RMTF program on Henry. After all, it was very powerful and left some people in a permanent state of shock. For many, a few good conversations combined with DVD and E-Mail Therapy was all that was necessary, but this approach did not work for […]

THERE ARE THOSE who view Jewish life as confining, gloomy and pessimistic. They claim that Judaism enforces restrictions, a life filled with obligations, somber occasions, all year long prayers three times a day. We have Yom Kippur preceded eight days earlier by Tzom Gedaliah, fasting on Tisha B’Av when only three weeks earlier we cleansed […]

Let us consider the following selection as an appropriate summation of all we have learned about Elul and Teshuva: “When you really get down to it, teshuvah today is a kind of death and rebirth: a demise of the past and a birth of a new life and a new creature. There is a severing […]

Elul is a time of Teshuvah. The process can seem overwhelming. There are so many areas that need improvement. Teshuvah does not mean trying to change everything at once. It is the beginning of a process that allows us to realistically change our behavior. One suggestion for doing teshuvah effectively is to pick one small […]

The Shofar is a ram’s horn, which is blown throughout the month of Elul and on Rosh HaShanah. Its sound is meant to arouse us to do Teshuvah. The Shofar also serves as a reminder of the ram which was “caught by its horns in the bush.” (Bereshit {Genesis} 22, 12) As the Torah recounts, […]

What does the sound of the Shofar say to you? The Rambam, Maimonides, heard in the sound the following inspirational message. “…Arise from your slumber, you who are asleep; wake up from your deep sleep, you who are fast asleep; search your deeds, repent, and remember your Creator. Those of you who forget the truth […]

In modern society, a person would not appear in court (even small claims court), without preparing his or her case, so as to be able to present it to the judge in the most convincing fashion. Thus, Kal Vachomer [a Talmudic term meaning “certainly”] a person should not come into Rosh HaShanah without properly preparing […]