Elul – Eys Ratzon – Time of Favor – Teshuvah – Returning to Who You Are – Shiur at Shapell’s Yeshivat Darchei Noam

Elul – Eys Ratzon – Time of Favor –Teshuvah – Returning to Who You Are – Shiur at Shapell’s Yeshivat Darchei Noam – 2023-09-06 – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon.

• 00:00 Introduction by Rabbi Dovid Schoonmaker, Rosh Yeshiva at David Shapell College of Jewish Studies / Yeshivat Darchei Noam.
• 01:00 Rabbi Nasan Maimon. Retrospect of the Teshuvah movement in Klal Yisrael.
• 03:29 The forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur are called an עת רצון – Eys Ratzon – Time of Favor – a window of opportunity for reconciliation between HaShem and Klal Yisrael.
• 06:27 Shabbos is also an עת רצון – especially at Mincha time.
• 16:00 What is success in life?
• 19:41 Reference to Tehillim 15. Havakuk HaNavi condensed the entire Torah into one word: Emunah – faith.
• 24:40 The physical world is called Olam HaSheker.
• 26:18 Faith begins with Emes – honesty.
• 30:25 *The importance of staying young in serving HaShem. The Yetzer Hara is called an old, foolish king (Koheles). The Yetzer Tov is called Yeled Miskeyn v’Chakham – a poor boy who is wise.
• 31:44 The power of renewal.
• 38:57 True life is change, movement, spiritual advancement.
• 40:00 *Saying the Shema – why do we begin with the word “Listen”? We are proclaiming something new to ourselves.
• 42:13 The privilege of prayer. Analogy of having an audience with a head of state.
• 44:13 Healthy joy is a combination of Yira – respect – and Ahava – love.
• 44:56 Closing blessing.