חרטה

Another important to know during these עשרת ימי תשובה is חרטה, or regret. One of the keys to repentance is to regret the improper deeds that we have done with the resolve that they will not be repeated.The Rabbis speak of חרטה as a kind of prerequisite to doing Teshuva. One must not make excuses for himself or rationalize to justify bad behavior. By demonstrating true regret, we are not likely to repeat the offense.Once we have achieved חרטה which is accompanied by real disappointment in ourselves, we have pretty much finished the job. It becomes unproductive to dwell on our shortcomings. The ability to recognize and show remorse, will allow us to move on.There is a certain balance that we must keep between being too much down on ourselves and complacency. The יצר הרע is tricky and we are not to get off course from serving Hashem with great joy, on the one hand, and humility, on the other.

חרטה

Another important to know during these עשרת ימי תשובה is חרטה, or regret. One of the keys to repentance is to regret the improper deeds that we have done with the resolve that they will not be repeated.The Rabbis speak of חרטה as a kind of prerequisite to doing Teshuva. One must not make excuses for himself or rationalize to justify bad behavior. By demonstrating true regret, we are not likely to repeat the offense.Once we have achieved חרטה which is accompanied by real disappointment in ourselves, we have pretty much finished the job. It becomes unproductive to dwell on our shortcomings. The ability to recognize and show remorse, will allow us to move on.There is a certain balance that we must keep between being too much down on ourselves and complacency. The יצר הרע is tricky and we are not to get off course from serving Hashem with great joy, on the one hand, and humility, on the other.

Sins Between Man and Man

Shavua Tov. During these final days of עשרת ימי תשובה, we are to focus on different aspects of coming closer to Hashem and repenting.There is a pretty well known statement of the Rabbis that teaches us that Hashem is able to tolerate when one sins against man and G-d, but He cannot tolerate when people sin against one another. An example of this was the reason for the "flood". Despite the horrible sins that generation was committing, it was stealing, a sin between man and man, that sealed their fate.For this reason, Yom Kippur only atones for sins between man and G-d, and does not atone for sins between man and man. Therefore, between now and Yom Kippur, we are to sincerely ask for forgiveness from anyone we may have wronged, so that we can enter Yom Kippur with a clean slate.

Shabbat Shuva

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shuva. It is given this name because of the first two words of the Haftarah, שובה ישראל. We are to return עד ה׳ אלוקיך, until Hashem our G-d.It is difficult to understand how one returns UNTIL Hashem. It would make more sense to say simply that one needs to return to Hashem. Why "until"?The message here is that it is obvious that one cannot reach the level of Hashem as His greatness is really unfathomable. What is expected of us is that we never stop trying to work on ourselves and improve ourselves.I have been privileged to know several elderly holy Jews who even into their nineties are doing self examinations to work on their character.Perhaps this Shabbat is teaching us never to be complacent. There is always room for improvement. We should also surround ourselves with people who also see working on themselves as a priority. This is how we return עד ה׳ אלוקיך, "until" Hashem. Shabbat Shalom

Talmudic Assimilation

It is interesting that as far back as the Mishna, there was a concern about assimilation. The Talmud in מסכת גיטין described the difficult life Jews had to endure under the Romans.There were times when things were so bad, that Jews sold themselves to the Romans in order to make money. The Rabbis did not want people to make a habit of this. If someone did this three times, they would not redeem them.They also made a point regarding the children. As long as they were with their father, they were protected. If the father died, however, they would redeem the children, for fear of קילקול, which is translated as assimilation. If they were to remain among negative influences, they would learn from their evil ways.So we see, Jews always needed to be on guard so that they not learn from Gentile practices.

Fast of Gedalia

Tomorrow is צום גדליה. The assassination of Gedalia is mentioned at the end of Kings II. The story takes place after the destruction of the Ist Temple by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia.He appointed Gedalia governor over a small city called Mitzpa, that was north of Jerusalem. Jews began returning to Mitzpa as they heard that a new Jewish community was being established with the approval of Nebuchadnezzar. There was a glimmer of hope of recovery for the Jewish people.All of this hope was ruined by Yishmael son of Netanya. In a cowardly act of jealousy, he murdered Gedalia at a banquet hosted by Gedalia. He refused to pay attention to warnings endangering his life.Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated by this act and the Jews that remained went into exile to Egypt. The Prophet Jeremiah warned them not to go as he saw that Nebuchadnezzar would eventually get to Egypt and slaughter the Jews. Unfortunately, Jeremiah was right and there was great tragedy. For this reason, we fast on the third of Tishrei.May the עשרת ימי תשובה bring salvation and hope to כלל ישראל.

Rosh Hashana

Shavua Tov. Tomorrow night we begin Rosh Hashana and עשרת ימי תשובה, the Ten Days of Repentance. We are grateful to Hashem that we have this opportunity to clean our slate and have our sins forgiven.On Rosh Hashana we do not ask for forgiveness. The purpose of this holiday is to establish that Hashem is King of the Universe. You will notice that the term מלך is used numerous times throughout the Rosh Hashana prayers.We must be clear that there is a Ruler to the world to whom we are subservient. We must reiterate in our minds how small we are in relation to Hashem's greatness.The famous prayer, ונתנה תוקף, is said on Rosh Hashana to emphasize this point. This is the climax of the Mussaf service. We mention that we are like sheep passing before the shepherd where he chooses who will live and who will die. We also must face the reality that some might perish in the coming year.We shout out that Hashem is the Eternal G-d and תשובה תפילה וצדקה can change the decree.Without recognizing Who it is that we must ask for forgiveness, there would be no point in asking. Rosh Hashana makes it clear that it is to our Father in Heaven. Shana Tova

פרשת נצבים

This week's Parsha has two principle ideas. The first is the covenant that Moshe Rabbeinu made with the Jewish people before his death. The emphasis here was that this covenant was not only for that generation but for all generations.Every Jew must realize that he, too is part of that covenant made with Moshe. It carries with it a great responsibility to live by the principles as set forth by the Torah as taught by Moshe Rabbeinu. We cannot be oblivious to this covenant.The second point of the Parsha speaks about Teshuva. One must not think that returning to Hashem and the Torah is something that is insurmountable. We are reminded that this matter of Teshuva is in the heavens or is elusive. We must know that this Mitzva is very near to us. If we desire to return, we will be able to and we will be helped by Hashem. May we all merit to do sincere Teshuva and be written and inscribed for a שנה טובה. Shabbat Shalom

Unfulfilled Vows

One of the themes of the High Holidays is the idea of guarding one's speech. In particular, we are to be aware of unfulfilled vows that we may have made. Speech is very powerful and at times biting, insulting words can take years for a person to recover. The words can be like daggers and can be very harmful.By way of a homiletic interpretation, the Rabbis said that one should never make vows, even if he fulfills them. They equated the making of a vow to making a forbidden altar and the fulfillment of the vow, to offering a sacrifice on that altar. It is better to have that vow annulled rather than fulfill it.Realizing the power of speech, vows can be misleading. It may get someone's hopes up in anticipation of the vow׳s fulfillment. And when not fulfilled, there is great disappointment.This is why we do the התרת נדרים ceremony on ערב ראש השנה and this is why we begin Yom Kippur with כל נדרי. We do not want to begin the new year with promises made and not kept.

Bad Habits

Regarding the laws of Teshuva, there is one particular Halacha in the Rambam that is worth mentioning. It is obvious that one must do Teshuva for known actions like stealing or eating forbidden foods.But what also needs Teshuva are bad habits that we might have. If a person knows that he has a problem with anger or being too egotistical, or he knows that he tends to be lacking in compassion and generosity, he must also do Teshuva for these. The Rambam says that Teshuva for bad habits is more difficult to do than for forbidden actions. We must do Teshuva for everything.Rav Yisrael Salanter said that the loudest sound in the world is the sound of a bad habit breaking.

Liberating Holy Articles

Another problem that existed for Jews to deal with during our years in the Exile, was how to repossess holy articles taken or confiscated by the enemy. This was especially problematic when we were being oppressed under foreign rule.If we heard that a Torah scroll or Tefillin or Mezuzot were held by Gentiles, we needed to act as a community. On the one hand, we did not want these objects desecrated. But on the other hand, we did not want to encourage the non-Jews to steal these articles and use them as a means to extort money from us.The Rabbis established that an amount of approximately 12% was the maximum to be paid over market value in order to save these objects.Still another problem existed after being returned to the Jewish community. There was serious doubt as to whether such a Torah could be read after being in the possession of non-Jews. If we were certain that a Torah was written by a heretic, it needed to be burned. So in most instances, these items were put in גניזה or storage until it could be determined that they were written by a proper kosher scribe.

בעתה אחישנה

Another point worth mentioning are the last two words of the Haftarah from Isaiah Chapter 60. It ends with בעתה אחישנה, in it's time, I will hurry it. This refers to Messianic times and what it will take for the Mashiach to come.The Talmud clarifies this apparent contradiction. Either Hashem will hurry the Mashiach or he will come in its time. If we deserve it, the Mashiach can come in a minute. And if they don't deserve it, he will still come but at the designated time as Hashem sees fit.Most opinions are that we are living in the period of בעתה, where Hashem has decided that it's time for the Jewish people to come home and rebuild the Third Commonwealth even though we don't deserve it. Enough Chilul Hashem and enough darkness in the world. The time of Mashiach is very near. All of the signs are there. We only need to open our eyes.

Keeping a Low Profile

Shavua Tov. The Parsha we read this morning mentions that if we observe the Mitzvot, we will find blessings in אסמיך, our storage areas. It is strange that the blessing is found in the storehouses as opposed to all of the other places it could be found.The Rabbis say that the Torah is teaching a hidden message. אין הברכה מצויה אלא בדבר שאין העין שולטת בו. The blessing is not found except in a place where the eye cannot see.The message is that it's always important to be modest in all of one's affairs. This is especially true regarding one's financial affairs. The less people know, the better it is. There is a real concern for עין הרע, the evil eye, as people have a tendency to be jealous of others which could sometimes prove damaging.This is particularly true for Jews living in the Diaspora. They are encouraged to keep a low profile so as not to arouse the jealousy of the nations. Keeping a low profile is always good advice.

פרשת כי תבוא

The theme of פרשת כי תבוא is the importance of gratitude and not taking things for granted. The Parsha begins with the joy one should feel when he's been blessed with being able to bring his first fruits to the Beit Hamikdash.We are told of the ceremony on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival where it was made clear that Eretz Yisrael was a gift given primarily in the merit of our forefathers. If we take the land for granted and forsake the Torah, we could lose possession of the land and be sent away.The final part of the Parsha, the תוכחה, the rebuke, is much more graphic in its describing what awaits the Jewish people in the Exile. The Alshich breaks down the more than fifty verses of the תוכחה. He claims that there are hints to the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman exile within the verses. There are even allusions to what life will be like after the destruction of the Second Temple.In total, there are 98 curses if we don't accept the Torah with gratitude and joy. Hopefully, by now we have learned our lesson and we will finally serve Hashem as intended. Shabbat Shalom

גר תושב

Based on last week's Parsha and the Talmud in מסכת גיטין, we learn an interesting Halacha in our relations with non-Jews. The Gemara points out that the reason why we were commanded to drive out the seven nations and Amalek is so that we don't learn from their evil ways.Because of this, if a non-Jew renounces his connection to idol worship and wants to stay in Eretz Yisrael, he should be allowed to as a גר תושב, resident stranger. According to some opinions, it's enough for a non-Jew to renounce עבודה זרה in order to be considered a גר תושב.An idol worshipper may not permanently live in Israel but may visit. A גר תושב, on the hand is allowed to stay and even own land in Israel.

שמחה

A major theme of פרשת כי תבוא is the concept of שמחה. After one brings his first fruits to the Kohein in the Beit Hamikdash, the Pasuk says, ושמחת בכל הטוב , that one needs to rejoice for all the good that Hashem gives us.There is an entire chapter in ארחות צדיקים devoted to the subject of שמחה. It is important that one sees all of the blessings that Hashem has given him and he should show appreciation by being in a state of שמחה all of the time. Negativity, bitterness, and self pity, prevent a person from being both appreciative and happy.In that chapter on שמחה, the ארחות צדיקים adds that often we are frustrated when our good intentions are not noticed. The fact that Hashem sees everything and HE appreciates what we do, should also bring one Simcha. As Rav Nachman said, מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד, that it's a Mitzva to always be in a state of joy!

שמחה

A major theme of פרשת כי תבוא is the concept of שמחה. After one brings his first fruits to the Kohein in the Beit Hamikdash, the Pasuk says, ושמחת בכל הטוב , that one needs to rejoice for all the good that Hashem gives us.There is an entire chapter in ארחות צדיקים devoted to the subject of שמחה. It is important that one sees all of the blessings that Hashem has given him and he should show appreciation by being in a state of שמחה all of the time. Negativity, bitterness, and self pity, prevent a person from being both appreciative and happy.In that chapter on שמחה, the ארחות צדיקים adds that often we are frustrated when our good intentions are not noticed. The fact that Hashem sees everything and HE appreciates what we do, should also bring one Simcha. As Rav Nachman said, מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד, that it's a Mitzva to always be in a state of joy!

השבת אבידה

Shavua Tov. The Mitzva of השבת אבידה, returning a lost article, might seem like a trivial Mitzva, but a great deal can be learned from it.First, the ספר החינוך makes an interesting observation by saying that שכחה נמצאת אצל בני אדם, that forgetfulness is a common trait among men. Therefore, if someone is kind enough to return something lost, it brings a great deal of joy and relief.The second lesson learned from השבת אבידה is the concept of לפנים משורת הדין, that we are to go beyond the letter of the law. As Jews, we are not to be satisfied doing only that which we are obligated to do, but we should learn to do more than what is expected.Returning a lost article is a perfect example as there are times that we might be justified in keeping something we find. Instead we are to go to great lengths to bring joy to our friend who is feeling bad about his loss.

Playing G-d

There is a Pasuk that says that sons should not be punished for the sins of their fathers and father's should not be punished for the sins of their sons. Each person shall be responsible for his own sin.This seems to be in contradiction to another Pasuk in the book of Shmot that says that Hashem remembers the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. This implies that sons are punished for their fathers sins for several generations.The answer to this contradiction is that one case speaks of the heavenly court and the other speaks of the earthly court. In the heavenly court, Hashem has His own calculations as to what true justice is. Man is not capable of understanding this. But in the earthly court, man is not supposed to do anything beyond judging what is in front of him.It can be a very dangerous situation when people think they can "play G-d." Hashem has been managing fine until now and each person needs to know his place. Shabbat Shalom

יפת תואר

There is a very interesting interpretation of the case of the יפת תואר, the woman taken captive. Two different commentators have two dramatically opposed explanations of this case.On the one hand, the אורח חיים הקדוש says that the eventual marriage to this woman is a means towards freeing holy Jewish souls that were taken captive in the body of a non-Jew. This was part of a divine plan.The אלשיך הקדוש says the opposite. He says that because this relationship was based on lust and the attraction was far from holy, nothing good could come out of this union. If this woman were to marry the Jewish man, the offspring would be tainted and they would likely have a child who would be part of the ערב רב, the mixed multitude.It is very unusual to see two holy rabbis have such opposing explanations of a section of Torah.