How do you get ready *spiritually* for the Yamim Nora'im?

btMOMtoFFBs ↓

Wed, Sep 17 2008, 2:24 pm

So, I am looking for suggestions on how to focus myself these last few days between now and YT.

In the past I have made lists of things I want to daven for, things I want to work on in myself, things for which I need to do serious teshuva.

Sometimes I read a few Teshuva-related articles, too.

I'd like to hear more ideas about how other people prepare themselves for the High Holy Days.

TIA

EsaEinai ↓

Wed, Sep 17 2008, 3:05 pm

btMOM, can you recommend any good Teshuva articles that you've found online? I would definitely be interested.

In regards to how I prepare myself, well I was actually just feeling bad about how I don't feel I've prepared myself at all, unfortunately. Before I was married it was easier to focus more, do a cheshbon hanefesh, concentrate on tefillah and teshuva, go to shiurim, etc. Now I'm finding it really challenging to allocate time for introspection. I just got a book on the yamim noraim so hopefully that will help me focus- if I can find time to read it and motivate myself enough to just sit down with it. Thanks for starting this thread, I look forward to reading everyones responses.

↑ btMOMtoFFBs ↓

Wed, Sep 17 2008, 3:19 pm

Thank Esa Enai. I like the articles at aish.com and thejewishwoman.com.

I also enjoyed reading excerpts from "The Book of Our Heritage" and "The Majesty of Man" about Elul and Tishrei.

edited to correct a book title

Last edited by btMOMtoFFBs on Wed, Sep 17 2008, 3:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

freidasima

Wed, Sep 17 2008, 3:48 pm

I envy you.
Before the holidays I am harrassed, stressed out, exhausted and burnt out.
Too much shopping, cleaning, cooking, preparations, stress and full time work and no help.
I find myself being much more spiritual at times when there are no events or holidays ahead, and the workload is just that of a normal week.
For women like me, with my situation, there is nothing spiritual until we step into shul, it's just being a combination of a cook, maid, baker, butler, laundrymaid, policewoman ("kids, don't you dare touch the X, it'f for yuntif!") etc.
But the minute you step into shul...ah mechayeh. Then you can at least have a few hours without the usual stress.

That, BTW is why I LOVE Yom Kippur. No cooking. No big deal, a chicken in chicken soup and lukshen beforehand and a cake and some fruit and cereal for afterwards. But you actually get a whole day without anything domestic! Yay!

Yom Kippur is my Chag Haherut as they say, my day of "liberation" and there are loads of women who feel like me! Especially when the kids are older and you don't have to take care of them and the grandchildren aren't there yet....

Starhavah

Thu, Sep 18 2008, 2:33 pm

I feel more like Freida's Ima regarding the stress of the holidays but I do not feel that Yom Kippur is a Yom HaHerut.

Anyway, I work at a synagogue and the OU sent us a pamphlet called "Vidui Companion". It was based on an NCSY pamphlet. Anyway, I thought it was great. For each of the 24 things in the Vidui it includes a number of modern applications, things you might actually have done.

For instance: Ve'hirshanu (we have caused wickedness)
a) We joined in an argument.
b) We joined a group of people we knew would have a negative influence on us.
c) We caused others to do wrong things.

Now all of my life I viewed Ve'hirshanu as "c". It never occurred to me to think of joining in an argument as Ve'hirshanu, but now that I see it listed of course I can see how joining in an argument is Ve'hirshanu.

Or: He'evinu (we have caused perversion)
a) We dwelled on thoughts of doing wrong things.
b) We embarrassed our friends.
c) We got angry with our friends and never resolved the issue.
d) We helped keep a pointless argument alive.
e) We mocked good value systems.

Now always before when I was saying He'evinu I was thinking, I did not have relations with animals (Cv"S) nor did I teach DD to do that! I could not relate to this at all, but to see it described as having kept an argument alive...that I can relate to, that I have done.

You probably can find the pamphlet on the OU site if your shul did not get any.

Havah