Hard to believe we are at another Elul. The Artscroll commentary on Tehillim Perek 27 (l’Dovid Hashem Ori) points out that the word “sukko,” His shelter, is actually written “sukkah,” more generally, shelter. Rav Avraham Chaim Feuer writes that Dovid Hamelech is saying, “At times when I was in distress and danger, shelter appeared for me seemingly of its own …
The other day I made a mouthwatering list of foods I want to eat on Yom Tov. I may or may not make any of these but you know how I like to plan imaginary Y”T menus and all.
The other day I wanted a change of scenery so I went to Manhattan. I walked from midtown uptown for awhile, then sat by the pool at Lincoln Center. In the quiet, I wrote down some thoughts on a piece of scrap paper. I wrote that I am feeling grateful as I reflect upon the blessings I received this year …
We’re on an express train, aren’t we? Last week I did a mini review of the past two years (when I was in my MSW program) and it amazes me how the days are long but the years are short. So very many things happened (including COVID) but it all seems to have gone by so fast now that I’m …
I learned the concept of the yearly direction from Rabbi Aryeh Nivin in his Elul course. Since the course is Rabbi Nivin’s curriculum, I’ll just give the general idea without the whole process. (I heard something similar from a friend taking a Dina Friedman course, but I won’t go through her process either in this post, I’ll just write the general …
Rosh Hashanah is in less than two weeks and I don’t really know what to do with that. It’s been so many months without structure, I don’t have that “new school year” adrenaline rush that usually revs me up for the Yomim Noraim. I was reviewing previous Rosh Hashanah posts and it hit me that each year when I …
Every year before Rosh Hashanah, it helps me to remind myself that it’s about crowning Hashem King, not about shopping for my desires in the coming year. Crowning Him means that I understand He is King of the world, in a grand sense, but also King over me, in a personal sense, my outer and inner worlds and all the …
I’m going through an exercise from Rabbi Nivin’s Elul workshop that’s been interesting and helpful. It’s a year-in-review writing exercise that covers different areas of your life. Basically, you go through different topics and write about what worked and didn’t work this year. The idea is to scan backwards over the past year and just write whatever comes to mind, …
It’s Elul. Wow. I’m signed up for two personal development courses for Elul. The first is Rabbi Aryeh Nivin’s Elul Chaburah, which is a short series of classes on taking stock and setting goals for the coming year. I actually did this Elul course three years ago and it was incredible. It costs $1 (but you have to cancel …
Sunday night is Rosh Hashanah. The beginning of a new year. New means new. 5778 is ending. It carried its blessings, it carried its learning experiences, it carried its challenges. And it no longer is. It was. Close that book and put it on the shelf. When you are in shul, remember a time when you could see …
