How does the day of Rosh Hashanah merge the two worlds of joy and fear? This day is one when our self-esteem can receive a tremendous boost if we tap into the incredible energy surging into the world. Accepting G-d as our king, as awesome a task as it is also guides us to find direction in life, inner peace, and fulfillment. How can we proclaim our desire to crown G-d king, and be deeply happy to do so, despite our drive for autonomy?
The classic image of scales that spring to mind is the wretched punishment of Divine judgment. Yet at the same time Rosh Hashanah is known as the time when our Nation's splendor is to be extolled. Rabbi Kirzner discusses our unique relationship with God, and the potential for accepting His judgement with an increased desire to do His will with a full heart.
Rabbi Kirzner renews our sense of spirituality by guiding us to reestablish our link to the Jewish network. What exactly does this mean? He explains how this complex network connects one Jew to another, to form a greater whole. How will your effort to reunify help your overall success on Rosh Hashanah?
One of the main focuses of our attempt to regain touch with our spiritual selves in the month of Elul is to return to the Jewish nation. But what exactly does that mean? Rabbi Kirzner reveals the complex map of connections that find one Jew to the next to form a greater picture that we don't see. How does our performance of the 613 mitzvot as a united body fit exactly what the service is on Rosh Hashanah?
If we were to look back at the things we learned in grade school about Rosh Hashanah we may find them very different from what we believed. Also, why is this day which marks Creation considered a yom tov, and why is malchus shamayim, accepting God's Authority, the overriding focus of the day.
If repentance is the way to earn a fresh start, why on Rosh Hashanah, which avoids two of the three aspects of the teshuvah process, are we confident that we can attain a total self-renewal? On the first day of every New Year God recreates the universe anew. We are given a similar power to create a new slate for ourselves as well.
All commandments are attached to different parts of the body, and have an affect when we transgress. But repentance needs to be far more than solely returning in action - we need to purify our mind and heart to the point we think teshuvah and desire it. Rabbi Kirzner explains how doing so will bring a sense of purity to our soul, and give us the ability to actualize our craving for repentance.
Yom Kippur is a day we spend in the rarified atmosphere of fasting, tears and prayer. As the day progresses we often feel further and further removed from our earthly pursuits and desires. The problem is how quickly this high feeling comes to an end. We may feel so let down and even apprehensive to take the steps we so fervently promised ourselves the day before. An important class for turning Yom Kippur into a very positive experience.
A question we may be too ashamed to ask is 'how can I all of a sudden just flip on the desire to 'change my ways' as easily as snapping my fingers'? Rabbi Kirzner shows us how to ask for such changing power. He explains the three basic levels of repentance, and how to lighten our heavy burden by using a Divine shortcut.
After all the talk about change, and the sincere desire we may feel to make a shift toward the positive in our lives, we can feel stymied when it comes to acting on it. Rabbi Kirzner's explanation of real repentance helps us understand the process - and even more powerful is the toolbox of methods he gives of how to practically leave the negative habits behind for good.