Vidui Overview
Yom Kippur is the highlight of the Aseret Yimei Teshuva, the ten days of repentance. How can we tap in to the special mercy of this day? There is a natural atonement in the day itself as the possuk says…
Yom Hakippurim – Spiritual Purity
The sefer Ohr Gedalya writes that the pasuk, when discussing the atonement of Yom Kippur, mentions the words “kapara” – atonement, and “tahara” – purification. When a person sins, he not only deserves punishment, but his soul is tainted by the effects of…
The Elephant and the Ivory Tower
Elephants are pretty powerful creatures. They can weigh as much as 12 tons, and stand as high as thirteen feet tall. Their trunks are strong enough to rip branches off a tree. But despite their enormous power, elephants can be…
Write YOUR book!
A recent survey by the National Centre for Social Research found that for the first time, more than half of people in the UK (53%) described themselves as having “no religion”. Among those aged between 18 and 25, the proportion…
Crowning the King
Many people approach Rosh Hashanah with the mind-set of judgement and fear, after all, this is Yom Hadin[1]. However, what we must remember is that there are two sides to the coin and Rosh Hashanah has a joyful element to…
The lesson of the Shirah
Sometimes a question is so strong, it is almost unanswerable. “And it shall be when (the Jewish people) encounter many evils and tribulations and this shirah (song) will testify before them as a witness – because it will not be forgotten…
The two words that make us stop and think.
Another year has gone. What have we achieved in that time? Where are we at this stage? What have we done over the last year? Have we used our time appropriately? The Gemoro in Brochos 55b teaches us that if…
Finding Unity in Community
As we conclude a year which seems to have been dominated, in no small part, by disunity across the Jewish world, it is increasingly troubling to see some of the vitriol that is now routinely espoused by Jews against one another. It takes no time at…
