Elul: The Shofar’s Wake Up Call
Posted onIn this Torah shiur (class) on the month of Elul, Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg connects the message of the blowing of the shofar, which is done every day of the month, to the essence of the month of Elul.
The Jewish calendar is chock full of special days that have a unique influence on us and help us come closer to Hashem. The Torah calls the holidays, moadim, times of meeting with Hashem. This series of classes explores the transformative power of Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, the fast days, and other Jewish holidays around the year. Popular classes include insightful lectures on The Days of Awe which takes a comprehensive look at this emotionally charged period, particularly focusing on the Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur prayers, explaining their structure, logical sequence, meaning, and symbolism. Students also examine Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s important work on Jewish Thought, Al HaTeshuva, which discusses repentance and self-improvement as a means to growth and ascension in service of Hashem. In Jerusalem: Echoes of Lament, a range of Naaleh teachers explore such thought-provoking questions as what were the causes of this destruction? What should we do to return to our former glory as G-d’s Holy people? How can we deepen our appreciation of Jewish unity in order to rectify the sin of disunity that caused the destruction? Other topics include classes on Chanuka, Tu B’shevat, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, Sefira, Lag B’aomer, and the Three Weeks.
In this Torah shiur (class) on the month of Elul, Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg connects the message of the blowing of the shofar, which is done every day of the month, to the essence of the month of Elul.
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In this Torah shiur (class), Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses that during the month of Elul, the month of building our relationship with G-d, we must focus on negating our will before G-d`s Will, and strengthening the deep bond that connects us to Him.
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In this Torah shiur (class) on the Three Weeks, Mrs. Shira Smiles examines the issue of sinat chinam, one of the things that led to the churban, and how we can begin to rectify the sinat chinam.
In this class on the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av, Rabbi Avishai David discusses the background, content, purpose, and structure of Megillat Eicha. Rabbi David discusses the Tannaic disagreement over whether the Megilla is written as a rebuke or as a lament, and if it was written before or after the actual destruction of Yerushalayim. Rabbi David then reviews the content of each perek of the Megilla, and contrasts Perek Bet, which focuses on the Beit Hamikdash, with Perek Daled, which speaks about the fate of Klal Yisrael. Rabbi David ends this overview with an examination of the hopeful element found throughout the Megilla.
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