The Library

Sometimes one thinks (mistakenly) that he is so far and did so many sins that he can't even come back. He is so embarrassed that he has nothing to say for himself as defense, and he feels he can't even open his mouth or take the first step..... But there is good news........

Yom Kippur, all Jews will somehow find their way to a Shul, they will fast and wish each other a Sweet New Year. Even Jews who never set foot in a Shul, will do the same. Why do they do this? Because this is what Jews do, on Yom Kippur you fast and you go to Shul, don’t a...

I happened to read in the Kaf Hachaim (5) that Vasikin is mechaper for Zera L'vatala! What hashgacha pratis! Hashem obviously wanted me to daven vasikin to send me a sign that my Teshuva is accepted!

First, thanks for lighting up my life and for showing me that I am not the only one with this nisayon and there's a beautiful shining hope! I had such an intense experience this Yom Kippur, and I feel the need to shout from the rooftops that Hashem loves all of us so very...

When we make amends we need to be clear about what we're apologizing for and the best way to say we're sorry. What we are really doing with our amends is taking responsibility for our behavior. We need to be sure that the process itself will not be self-defeating or hur...

I want to respond to a question that I have been asked numerous times over the years about Yom Kippur. It goes roughly as follows: we stand before God on Yom Kippur and say we are sorry. We admit that we have ‘transgressed’ and made mistakes in our lives during the past y...

Dear GYE Family, I hope everyone had an easy fast and a meaningful and uplifting Yom Kippur. Now as we move from the Yemei HaDin (which were also Yemei HaSimcha) into the days of Z'man Simchaseinu, I'd like to share a few thoughts with the chevra, which have special signi...

I noticed a very interesting thing in one of the Yom Kipppur Piyutim we say tonight. "We are like raw material in the hands of the creator... When he wants, he makes the vessel big, and when he wants, he makes it shorter (than normal)". "We are like stones in the hand...

Yomim Noraim is not meant to be a time of pressure. It's a time of great simcha and opportunity. First, on Rosh Hashana, we coronate the King over us. Then on Yom Kippur, we get forgiven for the whole year's sins, like a filthy child whose father gives him a shower once...

R' Nachman of Breslov writes "Because the organ of the Brit is associated with the sefirah of Yesod, which is the foundation of all of the sefirot (Divine illuminations), in atoning for sexual transgressions a person rectifies his entire spiritual blueprint". The Sfat Eme...

A pre-Yom-Kippur Battle-Cry from "battleworn" on the forum. Dear Holy Brothers, Precious Yidden, great warriors, Yesterday we read in the Haftoroh, "Shuva Yisroel ad Hashem Elokecha Ki Chashalta Baovonecha". The Gemarah points out that "avon" refers to sinning intentional...

  Whenever faced with a struggle, remember this important saying: "LET GO AND LET G-D" This idea can be found in Tehhilim (37) as well: Roll your ways on G-d, trust in him and he shall do. Someone sent us a piece from the Husiaterner Rebbe, Reb Ya'akov zy'a from Rh...

We all do/did the Minhag of Kaparos on Erev Yom-Kippur or in the days preceding it. One may ask... before Yom Kippur, we immerse in the Mikvah and supposed to be all clean and dressed in white. So why do we need to get all dirty with the smelly chickens and watch the bloo...

During Slichos, I struggled a bit with reconciling a positive frame of mind with emotion about how bad I've been. Everybody here (on the forum) was helpful in me getting past that. Thank you. Rosh Hashana was good, I focused on being M...

I thought about all the forum people that I could remember during shacharis this Yom Kippur. It was the best part, as far as I am concerned. It's funny, but there is only one tefillah during which I get a "second wind" and take a ...

Chevra, How many of you are asking yourself this question? After all, we just completed 40 Days of Teshuva; first kicking off the process of "return" at the beginning of Elul, followed by the humbling experience of Coronating the ...

On Erev Yom Kippur "Trying" posted: This is very hard for me to say, since I'm dead embarrassed. But secrecy keeps strengthening the addiction, so here goes. I fell again last night. Yes, I know it's Erev Yom Kippur. I don't know how I...

A fascinating and beautiful Zohar (Raya Me'heimna) that is read before Tekiyas Shofar in many kehillos: On Rosh Hashana, Yitzchak (representing the aspect of judgement) calls his son Esav (representing the Satan) and asks him to bring ...