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Blowing the Shofar: Confusing the Satan?
The widespread custom in the month of Elul is to blow the shofar everyday, in order to awaken us to teshuva. We also blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah itself, the fulfillment of a mitzvah from the Torah. The Rema tells us that we do not blow shofar the day before Rosh Hashana, which the…
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The Interconnection between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the beginning of our focus on teshuva, leading up to the Yamim Noraim and the Aseret Yemei Teshuva. Sephardi communities begin to recite selichot – penitential prayers – from Rosh Chodesh Elul. Throughout the Jewish world, Elul takes on solemn character, marked by Cheshbon HaNefesh (self-accounting) and repairing our relationships between…
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Ha’azinu: Tapping into the Holy Dew
Parshat Ha’azinu is a song filled with poetic language about the Jewish people’s journey with Hashem, and the ups and downs throughout their history. The Torah takes us back in time to our days in the desert, reflecting upon Hashem’s desire for us as well as criticizing us for complacency and times we abandoned our…
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What Makes a Good Year? The Secret to a Successful Rosh Hashanah
Elul is the start of this journey and shemini Atzeret is the culmination. Rashi tells us that the Yom Tov of shemini atzeret was created because Hashem says ‘kashe alay preidaschem’ ‘it is hard for me to separate from you.’ Hashem wants one more day, one more yom tov, one more embrace. But on a…
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Elul: A Time to Work on Relationships
Every person who enters our life has been placed there by Hashem…
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Do Women Have the Obligation to Hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah marks the new year and the day of judgment…
