1) There are three main Yesodos (foundations) necessary to accomplish true Teshuva (as we recently discussed.)
They are Charata (regret),Vidui (verbally enumerating one's sins) and Azivas HaChet Letting go of the sin and resolving to never repeat it ), and the three are further expanded (by the Rishonim including Rabeinu Yonah in Sefer Sha'arei Teshuva beginning Sha'ar 1:10) into 20 Ikarim (more detailed), different aspects to achieve a proper and everlasting Teshuva. (The three main ones when done effect Teshuva Shelaima, while the others achieve further cleansing to reverse the negative effects of the sins. See Sefer Chareidim Perek 63)
These Ikarim (following the order and interpretation of the Sefer Chareidim's (Perek 62) understanding of Rabeinu Yonah) are as follows:
#1) Regret your bad deeds and say to yourself: "what have I done? How could I have not feared Hashem's anger and fury?"
#2) Let go of the sin. Let the evildoer resolve truthfully with his/her whole heart to never repeat the sin until his/her dying day. The resolve should be so strong that the One who knows our deepest and darkest thoughts [Hashem] will be able to testify that we will never transgress that particular sin again.
#3) Your entire being (body and soul) should tremble and feel pained and bitter for having angered your Creator who is the Creator of the sun, moon, sky, earth and everything else!
#4) Do something tangible to express your pain, such as fasting, crying and lamenting for your sins.
#5) Worry and fear about the punishment that you will get for your sins; how bad things will come over you because of them. Figure out how to do proper Teshuva to rescue yourself from the punishment.
#6) Be tremendously embarrassed and immensely shamed before the king of kings, Hashem, and be afraid to lift your eyes to appear before Him.
#7) Humble your heart and be self-effacing in the knowledge that one who rebels against the great king [Hashem], surely will lose some of his status and will be ridiculed in his own eyes and in the eyes of others and unless you repent you will be relegated to being treated like a leper, despised and detested by society.
#8) Act humbly by always keeping your eyes focused downwards, speaking in low tones, and not speaking harsh words.
#9) Break your material Ta'avos (lusts and material desires). Lessen your enjoyments of pleasures and don't stuff yourself with food more than is necessary for satiation and to sustain your life, and avoid [excessive] marital relations with your spouse (besides what is necessary to fulfill the Mitzvah of Pru U'Revu, or other spousal obligations)
#10) Rectify the particular areas in which you have sinned with their good alternatives. Some examples: If you gazed at immodest images, train your eyes to always avoid inappropriate sights, and let your eyes gaze at the light of the Torah (by reading Torah texts or gazing into the Sefer Torah by Hagbah etc.). If you used your feet to run to sin, train them now to always run to do Mitzvos. If your tongue was accustomed to uttering falsehoods and/or foul language, train your mouth to only speak good and wise things. If you used your hands to spill blood, or for stealing which is tantamount to spilling blood, train your hands
to provide for poor people, orphans and widows, as well as saving people from being taken advantage of financially by unscrupulous people. If your heart was always filled with heretical thoughts, train and purify your heart to understand the greatness of our Creator [Hashem]. If you were involved in spreading Machlokes (disputes) between friends, train yourself to seek peaceful resolutions and pursue peace always.
#11) Search your soul and make an accounting of your actions, so you will recall all your forgotten iniquities, so you will be able to say Vidui for them, humble yourself because of them and resolve never to repeat them.
#12) Investigate the magnitude of each of your sins. Determine which punishment you deserve for each of them [Malkos- 40 lashings, Kareis- heavenly death penalty or Misas Bais Din- capital punishment meted out by a rabbinic court of law. (Though Malkos and Misas bais Din aren't in effect today, as we are in Galus, variations of them are meted out through the heavenly court for those who deserve them) ] and do the appropriate Teshuva for each of them.
#13) Consider even the seemingly insignificant sins as grave sins in your own eyes; don't dwell on the smallness of the sin, rather dwell on the greatness of the king [Hashem] who commanded you to do His will.
#14) Explicitly enumerate each and every one of your sins (Vidui) as well as the sins of your forefathers.
#15) Pray to Hashem and beg Him to have mercy on you and forgive you and erase your sins and purify you from their harmful effects.
#16) Repair your wrongs. Return the stolen items if you stole, or beseech your friend for forgiveness if you spoke Lashon Hara (evil gossip) about them or embarrassed them or other similar sins against your fellow man, as there can be no atonement from Hashem until you secure forgiveness from your friend.
#17) Seek and do acts of kindness (e.g. Tzedaka and Gemilas Chasodim) and give support to people who advance truth such as Talmidei Chachamim and Torah scholars, and stay away and shun falsehood.
#18) The [details of your] sin should remain in your mind always until the day you die (as to remember not to repeat them, but not Chas V'shalom to get depressed from them)
#19) Let go of the Sin. If the opportunity arises again to do the identical sin, conquer your Yetzer Hara and run away from the [place of] sin, as you would run away from a sword that was pursuing you, because of your fear of Hashem. And even if the same opportunity of sin does not present itself again, have in mind during Krias Shma, when saying the words "B'Chol NafShecha" that you are willing and ready to give up your life in order not to transgress the 3 cardinal sins (murder, idolatry and sexual immorality), and it will be considered as if the opportunity arose, and you withstood the test and didn't transgress.
#20) Facilitate the repentance of others. Causing others to sin is one of the worst things to do, and on the other hand, causing others to do good deeds and/or repent is one of the most worthy things a Jew can do, and is also very vital to his/her own Teshuva.
2) The holy Sefarim (Rav Yonasan Eibeshitz Zatzal in Ya'aros Devash , The Shlah Hakadosh and others) tell us that the last week of the year is very unique in that it has very strong powers of Kaparah- atonement.
Each "last" day of the year can atone for each corresponding day of the whole year. For example: The last Tuesday before Rosh Hashana, if utilized properly can atone for all the "Tuesdays" of the entire year past. The last Wednesday, can atone for all the "Wednesdays" of the entire year, and so on.
It is very worthwhile to try and use this last week of the year and infuse it with Torah, Tefilah, Teshuva, Tzedaka and as many good deeds as possible. This sentiment is echoed by our holy sages, the Chazal, who taught us "Hakol Holech Achar HaG'mar- everything is [judged] based on the end[ing]"
May Hashem bless us all to realize the gift of Teshuva and to utilize it to the best of our ability.
Halachos for Shabbos Kodesh
1) In the davening of Rosh Hashanah [and Yom Kippur] we say many lofty piyutim (liturgies) which were composed by extremely holy individuals (Tanaim, Gaonim and even Rishonim the likes of Rashi and the Baalei Tosafos).
Just to give you an idea of the holiness we are talking about here, the Magen Avraham (Orach Chaim Siman 68) quotes the Ariza"l who says that when Rav Elazar HaKalir (who was either a Tana or a Rishon depending on different opinions, and one of the preeminent writers of our Kinus, Selichos and Piyutim) was composing a certain piyut for the Musaf of Rosh Hashanah (that begins "V'Chayos Asher Heina M'Rubaos Kisei etc.") a ring of [heavenly] fire encircled his entire body. (See also Sha'arei Teshuva Siman 68:1)
Many of these piyutim are written in very complex language (done so purposely, according to the Shu"t Sha'ar Ephraim Siman 13, so the non Jews wouldn't "Steal" them and use them in their prayers in their Bais Avoda Zara), and comprised with references to many sources throughout the revealed and hidden Torah. (In fact in Shu"t Teshuva M'Ahava Siman 1 he enumerates over 50 places across the Talmud where the Baalei Tosafos bring proofs to their opinions from stanzas in these piyutim!) (See also Rama Siman 619:1 based on Sefer Chasidim Siman 302 that even the Nusach of the tunes used for the Piyutim in each congregation should not be tampered with.)
Therefore, the average person will have a very hard time understanding the piyutim and Tefilos of the Yamim Noraim unless they spend some time beforehand studying and analyzing them, which is exactly what the Poskim say each Jew should do a few days before Rosh Hashanah.
Today many Machzorim make it a lot easier to do this, as they have translations and/or explanations on the page. However, it is best to read them before Rosh Hashana if possible, and not during the actual davening. (See Mishna Berura Siman 100 in the name of the Ta"z)
2) It is also important to learn the Halachos of and [at least the basic] meaning behind Tekias Shofar prior to Rosh Hashanah, as well as to learn Sifrei Mussar which will cause a person's heart to "wake up" and fear Hashem, as well as bring a person to grasp the reality of Hashem's greatness as He is about to judge all of mankind (See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 128:11)
Reader's Question:
Does the candle used by havdalah have to be dipped in the wine to be put out?
Answer:
No, it can be put out any way, but since it is a proper minhag never to blow out candles with one's mouth (See Shu"t Shalmas Chaim Vol. 2 Siman 8), the common custom is to extinguish it in the spilled wine of Havdallah.
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
"What is the cause of most of the suffering in the world?
People get sick from bad Middos more than any other cause in life.
Bad Middos are known today to cause stresses and reactions of the body that are most unhealthy.
And therefore let a person blame himself, not Hashem.
Iveles adam tisalev daka--a man's foolishness makes crooked his path in life"
V'al Hashem yizak libo--but his heart is angry at Hashem.
He blames Hashem, but in most cases he has to blame himself."
- Rav Avigdor Miller Zatzal -
Submitted by daily reader, S.L.V.; taken from www.SimchasHachaim.com
Important Numbers
