Step 4 - Recent changes [en]

Main Page

AdamSinger — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 21:05:49 GMT

Auto-update: parsha, holidays, featured article for week of 2026-09-12

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:05, 12 September 2026
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 19:		Line 19:
	<div style="padding:10px 12px;">		<div style="padding:10px 12px;">

	'''[[~~Tisha B'Av~~: ~~We Only Go Up in Kedusha~~]]''' {{AISummaryDisclaimer}}		'''[[Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source]]''' {{AISummaryDisclaimer}}

	<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:6px;">		<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:6px;">
	[[~~Tisha B'Av~~: ~~We Only Go Up in Kedusha~~\|Read full article...]]		[[Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source\|Read full article...]]
	</div>		</div>

	<div style="border-top:1px solid #ddd; margin-top:8px; padding-top:6px; font-size:0.88em; color:#555;">		<div style="border-top:1px solid #ddd; margin-top:8px; padding-top:6px; font-size:0.88em; color:#555;">
	'''Published:''' ~~July 23~~, 2026		'''Published:''' September 8, 2026
	</div>		</div>
	</div>		</div>
Line 62:		Line 62:
	<div style="padding:10px 12px;">		<div style="padding:10px 12px;">

	===Parashat ~~Nitzavim-Vayeilech~~===		===Parashat Ha’azinu===
	<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">~~23 Elul 5786~~ · September 5, 2026 · Deuteronomy 29:9-~~31:30~~</div>		<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">8 Tishrei 5787 · September 19, 2026 · Deuteronomy 32:1-52</div>

	Moshe addresses all of Israel before his death, renewing the covenant. He teaches that the Torah is close and accessible. Moshe transfers leadership to Yehoshua and commands the Hakhel gathering every seven years.		''Summary for Ha’azinu coming soon.''

	<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">		<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">
	'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' ~~Isaiah 61~~:10-~~63:9~~		'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' Hosea 14:2-10; Joel 2:15-27 \| Shabbat Shuva (with Ha'azinu)
	</div>		</div>

	<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">		<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">
	[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=~~Nitzavim-Vayeilech~~ Read on Sefaria →]		[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=Ha’azinu Read on Sefaria →]
	</div>		</div>
	</div>		</div>
Line 90:		Line 90:
	{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:0.9em;"		{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:0.9em;"
	! Holiday !! Date		! Holiday !! Date
	\|-
	~~\| Leil Selichot — Night of Selichot — penitential prayers begin \|\| September 5, 2026~~
	\|-
	~~\| Erev Rosh Hashana — Eve of Rosh Hashana \|\| September 11, 2026~~
	\|-		\|-
	\| Rosh Hashana 5787 — Jewish New Year (5787) \|\| September 12, 2026		\| Rosh Hashana 5787 — Jewish New Year (5787) \|\| September 12, 2026
Line 104:		Line 100:
	\|-		\|-
	\| Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement — holiest day of the year \|\| September 21, 2026		\| Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement — holiest day of the year \|\| September 21, 2026
			\|-
			\| Erev Sukkot — Eve of Sukkot \|\| September 25, 2026
			\|-
			\| Sukkot I — First day of Sukkot \|\| September 26, 2026
	\|}		\|}

Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source/Transcript

AdamSinger — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:38:31 GMT

Created transcript for Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source

Show changes

Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source

AdamSinger — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:38:29 GMT

Created shiur page: Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source — transcribed via Sofer.ai

New page

{{ShiurInfobox
| title = Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source
| original_shiur = [https://files.manuscdn.com/user_upload_by_module/session_file/310519663587271540/XTQRWtRcAKLOWneF.m4a Teshuvah Beyond the Ledger (audio)]
| source_sheets = ''No source sheet available''
| related_topics = [[Teshuvah]], [[Elul]], [[Yom Kippur]], [[Kedusha]]
| related_parsha =
| related_holidays =
| full_transcript = [[Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source/Transcript|Full Transcript (Sofer.ai)]]
| step4_message = Teshuvah is not mere sin-correction but a joyful, ongoing return to Hashem and to our primordial tzelem Elokim, expanding from Elul through Yom Kippur to elevate our entire life beyond the ledger.
}}

= Teshuvah: Beyond the Ledger — Returning to the Source =

'''Shiur Date:''' Date not specified<br/>
'''Speaker:''' Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld<br/>
'''Series:''' Vaad — Teshuvah, Elul and Yom Kippur<br/>

== One-Line Step Four ==

Moving past the checklist of azivah–charatah–kabalah–viduy, real teshuvah aims at 'Shuva Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha'—restoring closeness to God and our deepest self; created before the world, it calls us in Elul and Yom Kippur to cleanse blockages, rejoice in renewed purity, and pursue higher kedusha.

== Summary ==

{{AISummaryDisclaimer}}

The shiur reframes teshuvah from a narrow ledger of wrongs into a sweeping, life-expanding return. While the Rambam’s steps remain essential, they are only the entryway. Drawing on the Piaseczner Rebbe’s Aish Kodesh—spoken in the Warsaw Ghetto on Shabbat Shuvah—the call is to hear ‘Shuva Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha’ as an invitation to return all the way to God, not merely to patch isolated failures. Sin is a symptom that reveals distance; the goal is renewed closeness, vitality, and aspiration. The Piaseczner’s daring language about a ‘divine teshuvah’ models for us an exalted orientation: we, too, can choose elevation and reconnection even amid darkness. This larger vision is especially crucial for baalei teshuvah, guiding them beyond guilt into uplift, courage, and expanded spiritual identity.

Following the Maharal, teshuvah is a pre-creation foundation—‘teshuvah kadmah la’olam’—built into reality so that all existence can realign with its Source. Teshuvah means returning to our beginning, to the clarity of tzelem Elokim, and therefore it applies even when no discrete sin was done. Feeling low, dulled, or blocked is itself a summons to return. The ‘ledger’ work removes blemishes, but the essence is ontological: reclaiming who we truly are. The shiur gestures to the Zohar’s strata of teshuvah—tata’ah and ila’ah—as a map from fixing particulars to ascending toward intimacy with Hashem. Thus, halachic viduy is not the endpoint; it is the doorway into a dynamic, expansive movement upward, a project of becoming more whole, radiant, and God-connected.

Practically, the avodah of Elul and Yom Kippur is to transform correction into elevation. Teshuvah should be experienced with simchah, like washing away grime or removing something that blocks our sight: relief, clarity, and renewed energy. The world itself ‘demands’ complete teshuvah, pressing us to grow beyond minimal repair. Debates about big versus small sins miss the point; the central question is whether we are returning all the way ‘ad Hashem Elokecha.’ This means pairing honest viduy with higher commitments in kedushah and taharah, stretching our aspirations, and making daily, concrete steps that express our deepest identity. Inspired by the Piaseczner’s courage in the Ghetto, we learn that even within constriction we can choose a grand teshuvah: not just amnesty from failure, but a re-attunement to our origin, purpose, and boundless capacity for closeness.

== מאמרי מקומות (Sources Cited) ==

The following sources are cited or discussed in this shiur. Click the links to view the original texts online.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Source !! Hebrew Name !! Type !! Description
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar Zohar (Parashat Naso) זוהר פרשת נשא] || זוהר || Midrash || Zohar on teshuvah ila'ah and teshuvah tata'ah.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Aish_Kodesh Aish Kodesh אש קודש] || אש קודש || Acharon || Piaseczner’s Shabbat Shuvah derashah in the Warsaw Ghetto.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.14.2 Hosea 14:2 הושע יד:ב] || הושע || Tanach || Call to return to Hashem; haftarah of Shabbat Shuvah.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus_Rabbah Exodus Rabbah שמות רבה] || מדרש רבה שמות (משפטים) || Midrash || Midrash that Hashem fulfills the Torah.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Jerusalem_Talmud_Rosh_Hashanah Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah תלמוד ירושלמי ראש השנה] || ירושלמי ראש השנה || Gemara || Yerushalmi cited about Hashem ‘keeping’ the Torah.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.32.14 Exodus 32:14 שמות לב:יד] || שמות || Tanach || “Vayinahem Hashem” after the Golden Calf.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.90.13 Psalms 90:13 תהלים צ:יג] || תהלים || Tanach || “Return, Hashem; how long?”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.90.14 Psalms 90:14 תהלים צ:יד] || תהלים || Tanach || “Satisfy us in the morning with Your kindness.”
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=berachos&daf=17a&go=Go Talmud Bavli Berachos 17a תלמוד בבלי ברכות יז א] || ברכות || Gemara || “Olamcha tireh bechayecha... Tikvatecha le’dor dorot.”
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=pesachim&daf=54a&go=Go Talmud Bavli Pesachim 54a תלמוד בבלי פסחים נד א] || פסחים || Gemara || Seven things created before the world, including teshuvah.
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=nedarim&daf=39a&go=Go Talmud Bavli Nedarim 39a תלמוד בבלי נדרים לט א] || נדרים || Gemara || Also lists seven things created before the world.
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=avodah&daf=4b&go=Go Talmud Bavli Avodah Zarah 4b תלמוד בבלי עבודה זרה ד ב] || עבודה זרה || Gemara || Golden Calf to give ‘opening’ to baalei teshuvah.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Netivot_Olam,_Netiv_HaTeshuvah.4 Maharal, Netivot Olam – Netiv HaTeshuvah, ch. 4 מהר"ל נתיבות עולם, נתיב התשובה ד] || נתיבות עולם, נתיב התשובה || Acharon || Teshuvah precedes creation; foundational, not contingent on sin.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Job.15.15 Job 15:15 איוב טו:טו] || איוב || Tanach || “Even the heavens are not pure in His eyes.”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.2.10 Pirkei Avot 2:10 פרקי אבות ב:י] || פרקי אבות || Other || “Repent one day before your death.”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.18.33 Genesis 18:33 בראשית יח:לג] || בראשית || Tanach || “And Abraham returned to his place.”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.19.27 Genesis 19:27 בראשית יט:כז] || בראשית || Tanach || “To the place where he had stood before Hashem.”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.19.28 Genesis 19:28 בראשית יט:כח] || בראשית || Tanach || Abraham sees the smoke rising from Sodom.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.19.29 Genesis 19:29 בראשית יט:כט] || בראשית || Tanach || “God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out.”
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Orot_HaTeshuvah Orot HaTeshuvah אורות התשובה] || אורות התשובה || Acharon || Rav Kook: Teshuvah as expression of a healthy soul.
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=shabbos&daf=30a&go=Go Talmud Bavli Shabbos 30a תלמוד בבלי שבת ל א] || שבת || Gemara || Aggadic teachings referenced in Rav Kook’s discussion.
|-
| [https://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=shabbos&daf=31a&go=Go Talmud Bavli Shabbos 31a תלמוד בבלי שבת לא א] || שבת || Gemara || Continuation of aggados cited about happiness and wealth.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar Zohar זוהר] || זוהר || Midrash || Zohar likens baalei teshuvah’s ascent to a slingshot.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar Zohar (on Bereishit/Bereshit) זוהר על בראשית] || זוהר || Midrash || Why Torah begins with bet; man’s mission to actualize.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Repentance Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה] || משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה || Halacha || Rambam’s framework of teshuvah (vidui, azivah, charatah, kabbalah).
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Da%27at_Tevunot Da'at Tevunot דעת תבונות] || דעת תבונות || Acharon || Ramchal on Divine conduct and revelation of unity.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Mesilat_Yesharim Mesilat Yesharim מסילת ישרים] || מסילת ישרים || Acharon || Ramchal’s ethical classic written after controversies.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Derech_Hashem Derech Hashem דרך ה׳] || דרך ה׳ || Acharon || Ramchal’s systematic presentation of Jewish thought.
|-
| [https://www.sefaria.org/Pri_Tzadik Pri Tzadik פרי צדיק (Vayera)] || פרי צדיק || Acharon || Pri Tzadik on Vayera, Avraham’s tefillah and its effects.
|}

== Audio ==

* [https://files.manuscdn.com/user_upload_by_module/session_file/310519663587271540/XTQRWtRcAKLOWneF.m4a Teshuvah Beyond the Ledger (audio)]

[[Category:Shiur]]
[[Category:Topic - Teshuvah]]
[[Category:Topic - Elul]]
[[Category:Topic - Yom Kippur]]
[[Category:Topic - Kedusha]]
[[Category:Rabbi Gershenfeld Vaad]]

Main Page

AdamSinger — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 21:09:19 GMT

Auto-update: parsha, holidays, featured article for week of 2026-09-05

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:09, 5 September 2026
Line 62:		Line 62:
	<div style="padding:10px 12px;">		<div style="padding:10px 12px;">

	===Parashat ~~Ki Tavo~~===		===Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech===
	<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">16 Elul 5786 · ~~August 29~~, 2026 · Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8</div>		<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">23 Elul 5786 · September 5, 2026 · Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30</div>

	~~The first-fruits ceremony and~~ the ~~declaration of tithes~~. ~~The covenant on Har Gerizim~~ and ~~Har Eival~~. ~~A detailed tochacha (rebuke) describing~~ the ~~consequences of abandoning the Torah~~.		Moshe addresses all of Israel before his death, renewing the covenant. He teaches that the Torah is close and accessible. Moshe transfers leadership to Yehoshua and commands the Hakhel gathering every seven years.

	<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">		<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">
	'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' Isaiah 60:1-22		'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' Isaiah 61:10-63:9
	</div>		</div>

	<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">		<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">
	[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=~~Ki%20Tavo~~ Read on Sefaria →]		[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=Nitzavim-Vayeilech Read on Sefaria →]
	</div>		</div>
	</div>		</div>

Derech Eretz: Da'as Connecting Torah and Mitzvos/Transcript

203.23.179.20 — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:51:04 GMT

Full Transcript

Show changes

Main Page

AdamSinger — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 21:03:13 GMT

Auto-update: parsha, holidays, featured article for week of 2026-08-22

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:03, 22 August 2026
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 62:		Line 62:
	<div style="padding:10px 12px;">		<div style="padding:10px 12px;">

	===Parashat ~~Shoftim~~===		===Parashat Ki Tavo===
	<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">2 Elul 5786 · August 15, 2026 · Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9</div>		<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">16 Elul 5786 · August 29, 2026 · Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8</div>

	~~Laws~~ of ~~judges and officers, kings, Kohanim, and Levites~~. The ~~cities of refuge~~. ~~Laws~~ of ~~war — including~~ the ~~exemptions from battle. The eglah arufah (broken-necked heifer) for an unsolved murder~~.		The first-fruits ceremony and the declaration of tithes. The covenant on Har Gerizim and Har Eival. A detailed tochacha (rebuke) describing the consequences of abandoning the Torah.

	<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">		<div style="margin-top:8px; font-size:0.92em;">
	'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' Isaiah 51:12-~~52:12~~		'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' Isaiah 60:1-22
	</div>		</div>

	<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">		<div style="text-align:right; margin-top:8px;">
	[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=~~Shoftim~~ Read on Sefaria →]		[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=Ki%20Tavo Read on Sefaria →]
	</div>		</div>
	</div>		</div>
Line 90:		Line 90:
	{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:0.9em;"		{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:0.9em;"
	! Holiday !! Date		! Holiday !! Date
	\|-
	~~\| Rosh Hashana LaBehemot — New Year for Animals \|\| August 14, 2026~~
	\|-		\|-
	\| Leil Selichot — Night of Selichot — penitential prayers begin \|\| September 5, 2026		\| Leil Selichot — Night of Selichot — penitential prayers begin \|\| September 5, 2026
Line 104:		Line 102:
	\|-		\|-
	\| Erev Yom Kippur — Eve of Yom Kippur \|\| September 20, 2026		\| Erev Yom Kippur — Eve of Yom Kippur \|\| September 20, 2026
			\|-
			\| Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement — holiest day of the year \|\| September 21, 2026
	\|}		\|}