Parshat Ha'azinu: The Power of Learning Torah

The pasuk in this week’s parsha says, ( כי שם ה׳ אקרא הבו גודל לאלקינו (לב:ג - “When I call out the name of the Lord, ascribe greatness to our G-d.” The Talmud (Brachot 21a) tells us that this pasuk is the Biblical source for making Birchat HaTorah every morning before learning Torah. The commentators go to great lengths to analyze what this means exactly: is it really a biblical level obligation or not? And what are the ramifications? Similarly, the commentators  ask, why do we say two brachot on the mitzvah of Learning Torah, when typically, one mitzvah gets one bracha assigned to it? (We say לעסוק בדברי תורה and שבחר בנו מכל העמים… והערב נא….)

I will focus this thought on a different, yet  basic question; one that I suspect many of us have often wondered about.  Why do we not recite a bracha when we conclude our learning of the Torah? When we have kriyat HaTorah in shul, we recite a bracha before and one after. Why is our individual practice different?

Rabbi Mordechai Jaffe, otherwise known for his classic commentary, The Levush, suggests a novel approach to understand this concept. When we make Birchat HaTorah over the kriyat haTorah in shul, it fits the pattern of a typical birchat hanehenin; a bracha over receiving benefit. Just as we make a bracha before and after receiving the benefit of eating a food, so too, for kriyat haTorah in shul we recite a bracha before and after. But the brachot recite every morning goes on our obligation to learn Torah, which is upon us at all times, as the pasuk in Yehoshua (1:8) says, והגית בו יומם ולילה, “you should toil in it by day and night.” In other words, our obligation to learn Torah each day has no end time; it is always there. Whenever we are not occupied with earning a livelihood, attending to our family needs, or to other mitzvot, the mitzvah to learn Torah is paramount. Therefore, it does not make sense to make a bracha achrona on our individual obligation to learn Torah.

The Levush adds that one reason we recite two brachot in the morning is so that one of them should count for the bracha achrona on the learning we did the previous day. He suggests we cannot even say a bracha achrona at night, before going to bed for our obligation continues up until the moment that we actually go to sleep. He notes that although according to this logic, we should really recite the bracha of אשר בחר בנו first to go on the previous day's learning, since we recite that bracha as a bracha rishona before the kriyat haTorah in shul, we remain consistent and use that as the bracha rishona each morning before learning Torah.

On the heels of Yom Kippur and in anticipation of Simchat Torah, it is incumbent upon us to understand the importance of learning Torah. It is always there; you cannot hide from it or run away from it. This year, me must accept upon ourselves to strengthen our own Torah learning and the learning which takes place in our homes.

A few practical suggestions:

1. Parents should find an additional weekly shiur to attend. Model the importance of learning for your children. If your schedule doesn’t allow for going attending a shiur, make a set time each week to listen to a shiur online. Make it part of your week! Your children will see it too.
2. Choose something the entire family can learn at the Shabbat table, or perhaps even at the dinner table a few times a week. Keep it simple so that you will be able to maintain it. Imagine the impact this can have on you and your children.

Aseret Yemai Teshuvah: We Are Hanging in the Balance

The Talmud tells us there are three books open before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah:

1. רשעים - the evil/ non-observers,

2. צדיקים - righteous observers,

3. בינונים - those in the middle, the average Jew.

On Rosh Hashanah, books one and three are signed and sealed, the righteous for life and the evil for death. But the average person, the בינוני, is

תלוין ועומדין מראש השנה עד יום כיפור - זכו לחיים, לא זכו למיתה, loosely translated they are “hanging in the balance,” or their judgement is deferred until Yom Kippur. Whereupon if they merit it, they will be written for life. If not, they will be written for death.

The commentators have lots to discuss on this passage. Many search to understand the notion that the Talmud; is it promising all the righteous are written for life and the evil to death, when our observations in the world do not support that? How to define the tsadik and rasha in this passage is also not simple. Let’s leave that for another time. Lets focus on the last segment, discussing the ביננוני as it is likely describes most of us average Jews.

The Rambam quotes this description of the three books in the laws of Teshuva, but uncharacteristically, he changes the language in a subtle, yet significant way. He writes

תולין אותו מראש השנה עד יום כיפור – ואם עשו תשובה נחתם לחיים, ואם לא עשו תשובה, נחתם למיתה. This means that it is not a question of our “meriting” life per se, but we have to actively do teshuva to merit life.

This presents a few challenges:

1. When one studies the Rambam regularly, it is clear he goes to great lengths to maintain the integrity of the original text in the Talmud. If so, why did the Rambam change the language here?
2. Why is it even true? Why must we do this involved teshuvah process to merit life? If the average Jew is a beinoni, someone in the middle, someone with 50% merits and 50% aveirot, why can’t we simply do more mitzvot during these days to be moved to the book of life? Let’s give some extra tzedaka, refrain from lashon hora and let that tip the scales for us? Why the need for teshuvah?
3. Why does the Talmud say there are three books on Rosh Hashana? Isn’t the Talmud really describing two books on Rosh Hashanah? The Righteous and the evil? The average people are pushed off until Yom Kippur! So why state there are three books?

To gain insight into what our sages are trying to teach us here, let us look at three approaches that will help us resolve these challenges.

Approach #1

The famous commentator on the Ramabam, Lechem Mishneh suggests the reason we can’t simply do a few extra mitzvoth to tip the scales is because choosing not to do teshuvah is actually a sin that would tip the scales in the other direction. Rav Yitzchok Blazer adds that although Hashem has given us the gift of repentance and it can be done any day of the year, these ten days of repentance are days when Hashem is begging us to return to Him. In actuality, not doing Teshuvah is worse than any mitzvah we could possible do during these days. If is for this reason the Rambam emphasizes we must do teshuvah to merit life. So much so, that he did not want us to misunderstand the words of the Talmud – זכו – to merit; do not think that is some luck or mazel that we might get if Hashem is in the right mood. Rather, we need to earn it through systematically introspecting and changing our ways.

Approach #2

Rav Chaim Shmulewitz in his famous work, Sichot Musser, suggests a compelling, yet scary approach. When the Talmud writes תולין אותו, it does NOT mean that the judgement is deferred. Rather from the word Talui, to hang, Hashem actually judges the beinoni for death on Rosh Hashanah, as if we are on the gallows with a noose around our necks. But unlike the Rasha who is sealed for death on Rosh Hashana, the beinoni is given the 10 days of repentance to do teshuvah and uproot the death sentence. In other words, doing a few random acts of mitzvot will not uproot a death sentence; we have to really change who are and who we want to become. Again, this helps us understand why teshuvah is absolutely necessary and for this reason the Rambam didn’t want us to misunderstand the words of the Talmud. I believe this approach also helps us understand why the Talmud states that there are three active books on Rosh Hashana, for the beinoni really is being judged on that day.

Approach #3

Rav Yitzchak Hutner in his famous work, Pachad Yitzchak, suggests another way to approach the entire passage of the Talmud. He says that the three books and the three groups of people should not be understood in an immature, Kindergarten type of way, where the צדיק is 100% good, the רשע 100% bad and the בינוני 50% good and 50% bad. He argues that these categories are a מידה בנפש or a character description of who we really are. A רשע is someone whose predisposition is not to take the Torah and halacha into account in guiding his actions, while the צדיק is someone who generally does use the Torah and halacha to guide his actions. What then is a בינוני? He is someone who has no inner, spiritual definition. Sometimes he does this, sometimes that, sometimes good, sometimes bad; but there is no predisposition to either. Rav Hutner suggests that the Rambam is teaching us that to be written into the book of life, we need to define who we really are. We shouldn’t look at our Judaism in way of middle of the road in that we do some mitzvot but look the other way on others. No one is perfect, but we need to recognize that the areas of the Torah that we are not perfect in are areas we need to work on and grow with over time. Once again, doing some random mitzvoth cannot accomplish that; we need a systematic, holistic and honest look at who we are, who we want to become and how we are going to get there. For this reason, the Rambam veered from the language of the Talmud to teach us this invaluable lesson.

Regardless of which approach you connect to, the message seems obvious and direct. As orthodox Jews, we need to remind ourselves what the high holy days are really about. We have to be prepared to take an honest look at ourselves and evaluate if we are really living the life Hashem wants for us. Are we keeping the Torah and mitzvot as best as we can? Are we growing each year in our observance?

May the merit of our collective teshuvah reach the heavens and compel Hashem to write us all into the book of life.

גמר חתימה טובה!

Parshat Nitzavim: Teshuvah - It is so close

יא  כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ, וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא.

יב  לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם, הִוא:  לֵאמֹר, מִי יַעֲלֶה-לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ, וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ, וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה.

יג  וְלֹא-מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם, הִוא:  לֵאמֹר, מִי יַעֲבָר-לָנוּ אֶל-עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ, וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ, וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה.

יד  כִּי-קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר, מְאֹד:  בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ, לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ.

11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say: 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'

13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say: 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'

14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

What mitzvah is verse 11-14 talking about? It is not far from us and not in the heavens?

Rashi explains it as calling attention to the mitzvah of learning Torah. Much has been written to help us understand the message according to this very understanding, given by Rashi. But Ramban says the verse refers to the mitzvah of Teshuvah; it is easy to do and close to us, in our mouths and hearts.

Is this true? Teshuvah is easy? Don’t we know it to be the opposite? It is really hard to change our ways?

The great Rav Yeruchem Levovitz explains the difficulty is because it is so close to us; it is “in our mouths and hearts,” so there is nothing closer to the essence of a person than that. There is nothing or no one standing in the way but ourselves. No one else can hold us back. But this is also the difficult part - it is all up to us! No one else can do it for us. As we sin, we dig ourselves into a  deeper and deeper hole, and knowing we alone are the only ones who can get ourselves out of it makes it a very daunting task.

Rav Chaim Shmulewitz sums it up by asking, if teshuvah is so easy, why don’t we find more people doing real teshuvah? Many people out there who sin understand they are not doing the right thing; why don’t more people change their ways? After all, it is close to us, in our mouths and hearts?

Rav Chaim explains that a Man’s challenge when he becomes too accustomed to his situation in life, becoming complacent. Many people do not stop to think about how they got where they are, what will the end look like, what will the consequences of my choices be? We do not realize it is our complacency that leads us down the path of staleness; one where we do not grow as individuals.

The answer of Rav Chaim can be supported by a novel interpretation to the pasuk at the end of Parshat Ki Teitzei;  when Amalek attacked the Jewish people, the Torah describes that Amelek was so bad because אשר קרחה בדרך, which is usually interpreted to mean he “cooled us” off. To mean since the exodus from Egypt, the Jews were “hot,” no one wanted to touch them because the hand of Hashem was evident. However, perhaps the interpretation is  “we cooled down,” in that we became indifferent or complacent. This characteristic prevents us from doing teshuvah, for we think we are doing well and not focused on our growth.

One final explanation as to why teshuvah is “close to us,” is offered by the Sefer Kadosh V’norah. He explains it is close to us because we can accomplish it by taking small, measurable steps forward. He elaborates by explaining with a mashal of a person who breaks his arm, has surgery and after months in a cast, he can barley can barely lift anything upon the cast being removed. Over time and strengthening the muscles, he can slowly build his strength back up. How did he do this? Slow and steady work, allowed the muscles to grow in a healthy way.  So, too, for us, we have many challenges in life. The path to a life of Torah and Yirat Shamayim is like a ladder with many rungs of areas we need to grow in. Don’t look at how tall the ladder is. Rather, look how close the next rung is; you can do it, one rung at a time.

Parshat Ki Tavo: The Jewish View of The Confessional

With Rosh Hashana and the Aseret Yomai Teshuva approaching, the topic of teshuva, repentance should be weighing on our minds. Although the classic commentaries differ on exactly how to define the process of teshuva, in essence, it comes down to five steps:

1. הכרת החטה - Recognizing our sin
2. חרטה - Regretting our sin
3. עזיבת החטה - Stopping the sin
4. קבלה לעתיד - Accepting upon ourselves not to commit that sin in the future
5. וידוי - Confessing or admitting the sin

Much has been written about each stage of the teshuva process, but here I focus on the last step, The Confessional. What exactly does Hashem expect from us? What exactly are we confessing to?

Interestingly, the concept of וידוי, confessing, comes from a mitzvah in this week’s parsha which does not seem to connect to sin or repentance. The mitzvah of Ma’aser, requires us to give 10% of our produce to the Levi. As part of giving these tithes, there is a process called Viduy Ma’aser. What kind of viduy is that? Why is it called confession? In fact, even the wording is strange, for a person says to Hashem,

וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן-הַבַּיִת, וְגַם נְתַתִּיו לַלֵּוִי וְלַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, כְּכָל-מִצְוָתְךָ, אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי:  לֹא-עָבַרְתִּי מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ, וְלֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי.

Loosely translated, this means the person says to Hashem that we have removed the holy things from the house and have given the correct things to the Levi, according to the commandment I have been commanded. Not only that, I have not missed this obligation and have not forsaken it.

It seems someone who can say this has much to be proud of. What then is the viduy? Where is the confession? Where is the sin?

Rav Soloveitchik has a novel insight shedding light on this obligation and the important message it imparts. The secret lies with one letter - a simple letter כ. When the pasuk says that “I did ככל, like all that you commanded me, the כ is making a powerful statement. I am saying I did “like,” everything you commanded me. In other words, I didn’t do what you commanded me perfectly, but rather I am confessing the commandment was done imperfectly; here in lies the confession.

Rabbi Yissocher Frand expounds on this idea by suggesting  if we each were to examine our deeds, we will find that we perform many beautiful mitzvot, but there is often something lacking in content and depth. We might be very careful with our observance of Shabbat, but do we treat the Shabbat with the respect it deserves? We might have a beautiful Shabbat meal, but do we keep our conversations Shabbat related, devoid of weekday planning or lashon hara? Similarly, many of us are careful to daven every day, but do we ensure we daven with a minyan? Do we spend the time we are in shul effectively, devoid of side conversations with our friends?

In essence, the obvious part of confessing is the distinct and blatant sins, the imperfections we should spend our lives seeking to improve upon. However, the message of viduy ma’aser is that we need to be more rigorous when exploring our spiritual growth; we need to investigate every aspect of our Avodat Hashem to insure we are doing our best. Let’s not convince ourselves we are ok the way we are. Remember that Hashem does not expect us to be perfect, but he does expect us to strive to our highest potential!

A Thought on Parshat Ki Teitzei - Keeping the Entire Torah: You Can Do It!

This week’s parsha contains an episode that it is difficult for us 21st century beings to fully understand. The story of Yefat Toar, when a Jewish male soldier goes to war and sees an attractive non-Jewish woman, unable to withstand the temptation, the Torah permits the man to take her for a wife. The pasuk says ״וראית בשביה אשת יפת תאר וחשקת בה ולקחת לך לאשה״ and Rashi comments ״לא דיברה תורה אלא כנגד יצר הרע, שאם אין הקב׳׳ה מתירה – ישאנה באיסור.״

This is hard for us to comprehend. For hundreds and hundreds of years, Jewish society has lived with the decree of Rabbeinu Gershom, who forbids a man to have more than one wife; something that was clearly permitted and accepted in biblical times. But perhaps more troubling is the notion that because the man cannot withstand a prohibition, the Torah permits it? Interesting… how are we to understand that?

The commentators offer various explanations to help us understand this story, but I will focus on a different angle -  a powerful message we can glean from this episode.  The sefer שללי רב quotes an amazing story that occurred with Rav Yechezkel Abromsky. Rav Abromsky, a great Torah giant and former Av Beit Din in London would regularly give a shiur in parshat hashavua on Friday evenings for young Jews who were not yet observant. Every week they would come to his house to hear his Torah. When the week of Parshat Ki Teizei arrived Rav Abromsky was very anxious for he did not know how to explain this parsha in a way non-observant Jews could connect to it. As Friday night arrived, the Rav still did not know what he would say to these young minds - he davened to Hashem for the right words. And just like that, in the middle of the meal, an approach popped into his head, which would prove to be a most powerful lesson. When the students arrived Rav Abromski said to them, “before you open the books, you should know today we are going to learn a lesson that will obligate you to keep the entire Torah.” He went on to explain that in this week’s parsha, the Torah permits us to do something that would otherwise be considered a sin. Hashem permits this act to us because the evil inclination would be raging so roughly, making it too difficult for us to withstand. The logic to this is Hashem would never command us to do something not within our capacity to fulfill. From this we can glean, that EVERYTHING else in the Torah - every positive and negative commandment - are commandments we are capable of fulfilling. There is not a prohibition in the Torah we are not able to gather the strength to withstand. If there were, this week’s parsha teaches us Hashem would have created some permission to violate it.

Wow! What a powerful message. We live in a time where society presents us with many conflicting ideas, attitudes and opinions. We often find ourselves in places where keeping Kosher is not as easy as it is when we are in Toronto. We often find ourselves in places where keeping Shabbat, both in private and in public is not so easy. We often find a conflict between the Torah viewpoint of modesty and the “cool” or “fashionable” approach of society. Let us never say “We Can’t.” It might be hard, and some of us may have come from a less observant upbringing, but do not use the excuse you can’t. Maybe you can’t do it yet, but we all can do it. If we focus on the hidden message of the Yefat Toar we will understand we can do it, Hashem wants us to do it. Let’s spend our lives working towards doing it!

Parshat Shoftim: Hashem Wants You to Be You

The parsha begins with the words שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך “You shall set up judges and law enforcement individuals for yourself.” From this we learn the Torah is telling us to set up judges לך, for ourselves in the singular. Are each of us supposed to have our own judges? Do each of us have to be part of setting up the communal court system? What is the Torah trying to teach us here?

Some commentators say this pasuk is a hint; each one of us has to set up judges and enforcers to watch over our actions -  to investigate our every move and action and to determine if they are congruent with the ways of Torah.

The sefer Otzrot HaTorah suggests there is an even deeper, hidden message: Each individual has to search within him or herself, consider the path that he/she is on --but  to look only at one's own self and not draw comparisons! Do not look at others, for each individual has different strengths and weaknesses, backgrounds, and challenges. The Torah is teaching us that yes, Hashem will investigate every one of our actions, but not in comparison to another. It is possible an action would be considered a sin for one person, but not for another and vice versa. We are all individuals and our paths to true Torah Judaism will not all look alike.

A few anecdotes to support this idea can be found in the stories from the Talmud and great Torah giants of previous generations.

1. Rav Yerucham Levovitz told the story how Rav Yizchak Belzer would completely abstain from speaking starting at the beginning of Elul straight through until after Yom Kippur. Yet, when Rav Levovitz attempted to do the same, he wasn’t capable; he wasn’t on the same spiritual plain. This week’s parsha is teaching us that if a person takes stringencies upon him or herself  that are above his/her capabilities, it could lead down the path to sin and counter productivity.
2. The Talmud in Chulin (105a) tells the story of Mar Ukva who related  he is inferior to his father, for his father would wait 24 hours after eating meat before eating milk. Mar Ukva could not wait as long as his father, which pained him greatly. One could ask, why couldn't he just wait 24 hours? The answer is this: The Mar Ukva knew his limits and was not on the level of his father.
3. There is a famous story of a Torah giant, Rav Naftoli Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, known as “the Netziv,” who as a young boy was not the strongest student and did not take his studies very seriously. One night he overheard his parents talking about how it was time for him to leave the yeshiva and go to work. “He clearly does not have the capacity to learn Torah on a high level to continue his studies in a serious way; better he go to work and earn an honest living”. After hearing this, the Netziv ran into the room crying and promised his parents he would do better; that he could do it and will do it. After much debate and consideration, The Netziv’s parents allowed him to remain in yeshiva. He went on to became the Gadol Hador, who wrote volumes upon volumes of sefarim, which even today are studied by thousands of Jews around the world.

The Netziv would tell this story to his students, with a powerful message. He would tell over that had he left the yeshiva and gone on to work, he would have been a good observant Jew, but when faced before Hashem at 120, he would have been asked, where is your sefer “Netziv?” Where is your volumes of work known as the “Hoemek Shayla?” I would have answered, what do you mean? I am a simple Jew, not a scholar. How could you expect me to write sefarim? The angels in heaven would have said, but you didn’t become you! You didn’t become what you had the potential to become. You were supposed to write sefarim and become the gadol hador!

The message is strong. We have to be ourselves, not compare ourselves to others. Yet, we cannot sell ourselves short. We need to investigate and explore our strengths so to ensure they are maximized throughout our lifetime. As we move through the month of Elul and prepare for the Yomim Noraim, let us take this message to heart and begin to search our souls. Let us be sure that we are becoming who were destined to become. Furthermore, this week’s parsha is telling us  we have to do it at our own pace, on the derech that is meant for us individually.

A Thought on Parshat Re'eh: Strategies for a Successful Repentance

As we begin a new school year amidst the month of Elul, just a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah, it behooves us all to look for ways in which to improve upon ourselves. One approach to repentance is to look into the ways the yetzer hara (evil inclination), or our inner enemy, tries to force its way in. Most people tend to focus on how the evil inclination causes us to sin, but here I prefer to explore how this week’s parsha teaches us ways the yetzer hara prevents us from becoming the best version of ourselves. If we can understand this, then we have a chance of counter him and grow into the individuals we are destined to become.

Parshat Re’eh begins with the words ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה - “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” There are numerous questions to explore on this pasuk:

1. Why does the pasuk start off in the singular with the word ראה and then continue with the plural with the word לפניכם?
2. What is added by the word אנכי, “I,” do we not know that it is Hashem who is doing this?
3. Why does Hashem say he is giving, in present tense, נותן? Shouldn’t it say נתתי in the past tense?
4. Why does it say לפניכם, that “I set before you”, shouldn’t it say לכם, that I give “to you?”
5. What do we glean from the word היום, “on this day?”

The Sefer Otzrot HaTorah quotes the Vilna Gaon who explains that the Torah is teaching us the pathway to repentance, and how to defeat the yetzer hara. Let’s see the progression:

Step One - The yetzer hara tries to prevent us from repenting with various misleading arguments. He begins with the argument with stating that since you spent most of your days on the wrong path and you have committed various sins, you have no way of salvaging yourself by choosing the path of repentance now. To that, the pasuk says - נותן - in the present tense, as if to say that Hashem is telling us even until the day you die, you have the choice to change and choose the proper path.

Step Two - The yetzer hara argues: how could you do teshuvah, you are full of sin and past misdeeds. How can it help? To that, the pasuk says היום - to mean that a baal teshuva, one who works to correct his ways and the path he is on, “today” is like a newborn baby, 100% free of iniquity.

Step Three - The yetzer hara might get an individual to wonder: how can I do teshuvah and prevent myself from sinning in the future? Do I really have the strength for that? To that, the pasuk says אנכי - to say that Hashem is promising us that He will be with us throughout our journey. He will be there to support us every step of the way.

Step Four - Lest you say the path of the yetzer haTov is wrong and the path of the yetzer hara is the correct path, to that the pasuk says לפניכם - Hashem is saying “I am not forcing this up you, I am placing it before you, for you to choose.” That is proof it is the correct way, for Hashem has the confidence that He does not need to force it upon you; if you look deeply, you will come to see the path of Torah is the correct one. It is the way of the peddler to try and sell you the goods, even when they know the quality is poor. Hashem, and your yetzer haTov don’t act in a pushy or conniving way to convince you of anything. They place if before you to see for yourself, and choose for yourself.

Step Five - Lest you ask yourself, how could you repent when the world around you is enjoying a life of sin, and how could you do this on your own? To that, the pasuk says, ראה - “see” in the singular - you can do it, even on your own!

If we take these lessons to heart, we can hope for a better chance of a כתיבה וחתימה טובה!

Remember:

1. It is never too late to change
2. When you do Teshuvah it is as if your spiritual life is reborn
3. Hashem loves you and is going to be with you every step of the way
4. Judaism is not a religion that needs to be forced on us; if we look deep enough, we will see that Torah is truth and eternal
5. You can do it! Have faith in yourself!