What is it about the month of Elul that leads our minds and hearts straight into Rosh Hashanah? Rabbi Geller's crash course on cultivating awareness, honesty and introspection is a smart way to get a head start on the upcoming year. A yearly classic for beginners.
Sukkos offers a narrow opening for reaching the sublime heights of joy, which are even greater than the transcendental heights of Yom Kippur. Hear how Hashem's love for us and our love for Him embrace beneath the peaceful sukkah branches.
On Yom Kippur and the 15th of Av, Jewish girls used to dance in the vineyards to attract the young Jewish men into marriage. Such a bizarre practice for a modest Jewish girl to arouse a man’s baser instincts? Listen in as Rabbi Kahn compares this ceremony to the Tabernacle Service - and both to the Revelation at Sinai.
What does it take to get up from a fall? Many of us dread even the thought of it. God however, took this into account by creating the antidote of 'teshuva' before He completed creation. Using Rabbi Elazar ben Dudai's amazing Talmudic story of his encounter with a woman of ill repute, Rabbi Kahn shows how the subsequent necessary emotions he went through brought him to complete teshuva - on the spot.
How do we make changes that last from year to year instead of watching them fizzle out soon after Yom Kippur? Rabbi Morgenstern offers a number of practical ideas and shows how even a small success is a big gain when Hashem reviews our overall progress.
Yom Kippur comes once a year to cleanse the slate of aveiros between you and Hashem. Would you like to have those sins forgiven without all the Yom Kippur trials and tribulations - on a regular basis? Rabbi Orlowek shows how listening intently to kiddush on Friday night has a similar power to whiten your spiritual 'garments.' Hear about the sweet rejuvenating power of Shabbos.
Our Sages say "Search for Hashem When He is to be Found". But isn't God always findable when we look? In this thought-provoking talk on prayer and teshuvah, Rav Stern explains how to take a sharp look at your daily actions, and how to project their consequences on to the year ahead.
Considering the fact that teshuvah (repentance) is able to fully wipe clean certain actions from our slate, we can begin to appreciate the enormity of the gift. Rabbi Silinsky explains the idea of gehinnom in a way we can relate to, and describes what might happen if we don̢t deal with it. He also explains the concept of Jewish reincarnation.
Yom Kippur is the quintessential day of repentance. The embarrassment that necessarily results in doing teshuvah clearly shows how incongruous our negative actions in light of our innate greatness. The focused time we spend in repentance is a vital element for connecting to God.
We all make mistakes, right? And many of us know how pointless it is to get caught up in any guilt trip. The sensible response appears to be: just move forward with a strong conviction to be a better person. So why are we steered to take an honest, regretful look at our past? Hear what teshuva is (without the guilt), and the reason why this formula works so well to move people into the new year with a fresh start.