Elul Thoughts by Chaplain (Rabbi to be) Adam Ruditsky - Elul 2 (less than 1 min read)

Below is the teaching of Adam Ruditsky in conjunction with the book Preparing yourself for the High Holidays.

רפואה מן התורה

Elul 2

One must ask themselves, what have I done … (Jer. 8:6)

Our tradition teaches that we contend with both good and evil inclinations.   Regardless of their source, I would contend that a thinking and/or even a feeling person would not dismiss that a person does not always get it right, let alone there is indeed personal responsibility that looms in there somewhere.  But that is not a bad thing, knowing personal short comings is what allows us to better ourselves.  That is a part of what it means to “Know where you come from, where you are going, and who you make account to,” or how else can you answer the question, “what have I done?”  This is a time set aside for all of us, you and me, a time that allows us to ask the tough questions about ourselves that frankly most people just don’t think about regularly, and yeah perhaps at all.   We live in a world of “calling out,” but this time of year is for calling ourselves out, doing so for the ability to grow and become all that we aspire to be with the help of God.

Hard question will yield Holy answers

Elul Thoughts, Elul 2 (less than 1 min read)
Elul Thoughts, Elul 2 (less than 1 min read)
Elul Thoughts, Elul 2 (less than 1 min read)

Elul Thoughts - Elul 1 (less than 1 minute read)

Below is in conjunction with the book Preparing yourself for the High Holidays.

רפואה מן התורה 

Elul 1

The Lord is my light and my life, who shall I fear? … (Ps. 27:1)

When light shines in dark places the darkness is revealed.  The Holidays are a time for Chesbone Hanefesh,  a time to take personal inventory of ourselves.   We read in Perkei Avot, “Know where you come from, where you are going, and who you make account to” (Avot 3:1).   Easy to do, right?  This is why we begin self-observation and aspire for self-assessment at the advent of the Hebrew month of Elul, a full month before Rosh Hashanah.  As people we are complicated, made up of mind, spirit, emotions and body, each has a hand in what we do, let alone how we do it. This season is asking us to look at the darkness of our nature and evaluate if the light that guides us illuminates our being.  But also, if it does, do we seek to make the adjustments needed to obtain our best and highest self?  This is the good news; we get to do it again!  The bad news is when we allow fear of personal betterment to get in our way it can suffocate the Torah’s light of newness that guides us along the way.

The Path of T’shuva is illuminated by the divine light

Elul Thoughts, Elul 1 (less than 1 min read)
Elul Thoughts, Elul 1 (less than 1 min read)
Elul Thoughts, Elul 1 (less than 1 min read)