Comments on: First Annual Yamim Noraim Hisorerus Competition

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:27:47 +0000

Two must have additions to this list-I highly recoomend the Machzor Mesoras HaRav which is based upon RYBS’s teachings on both RH and YK. Dr Kaplan’s review essay on Hirhurim says it all for the interested reader.

By: Yaakov

Yaakov — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:28:43 +0000

Oneof the very best and definitely inspiring is Agnon’s absolute superb anthology “Yamim Nora’im” (available in both Hebrew and English translation). Comprehensive - even exhaustive - with enough material for every one and any one! Use it literally every year!

By: Bob Miller

Bob Miller — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:57:13 +0000

Two other translations of Tomer Devorah into English are available (with Hebrew text included) from Targum Press and Judaica Press:

http://www.targum.com/product.php/42/the-palm-tree-of-devorah

http://www.judaicapress.com/product_info.php?products_id=482

By: LAWRENCE KAPLAN

LAWRENCE KAPLAN — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:52:35 +0000

Gershon and others , IIRC, Tomer Devorah was translated ino English by the late Rabbi Louis Jacobs.

By: Toby Katz

Toby Katz — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:23:03 +0000

Sefer Hatoda’ah by Eliyahu Kitov — in English, *The Book of Our Heritage* — the chapter on the month of Tishrei. I at least dip into it every year.

By: dr. william gewirtz

dr. william gewirtz — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:13:49 +0000

#16 - a short two pages were printed in Judaism in the year 1970 (yellow cover in the house somewhere, i reread almost every Yom Kippur.) Excerpt from a larger book by Dr. Joseph Gutferstein.

A short excerpt found on the Internet:

With the full weight of the authority granted me as your Rabbi, I command you to leave me here. You must flee and save yourselves! … It is not for man to judge which one shall be a saint and which not. Everyone slaughtered by the wicked ones is to be judged a saint. … And when the world returns again to stability and quiet, never become weary of teaching the glories, the wisdom, the Torah and the Musar of Lithuania, the beautiful and ethical life which Jews lived here. … These evil ones schemed to blot out their names from the face of the earth; but man cannot destroy letters. For words have wings; they mount up to the heavenly heights and they endure for eternity.

By: SM

SM — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:39:14 +0000

I don’t know if this is ‘kosher’ for this site, but I am reading Lamm’s ‘Faith and Doubt’ and finding that it makes me long for the opportunity to pray at length with its discussion in mind.

By: Danny Rubin

Danny Rubin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:48:25 +0000

Whenever I find myself intimidated or “psyched out” by aspiring to the daunting reuirements of Tshuva Shleima enumerated by the Rishonim I turn to the Toras Avraham’s schmuz on Tshuva found at the back of the sefer on page 456/”Reish Caf Cheis”. I’ve found it invaluable to instill optimism and a “can do” attitude during this beautiful time of year.

By: cvmay

cvmay — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:56:55 +0000

Anything written by Zelig Pliskin invigorates and enhances your ahavas yisroel, which is a prerequisite for mechila ben adom lechavero. Another personal favorite of mine is Rav Avigdor Nebenzall of the Old City and his sefer on Yomim Noraim. Shana Tova OOmesuka to all!

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 15:06:52 +0000

R Jonathan-How do R Antebbe’s presentations compare with Afikei Mayim?

By: c

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:58:14 +0000

where can i get a copy of the last mussar shmooze in slobodka before the war?

By: Phil

Phil — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:16:45 +0000

I’m on round four of:
Patterns in Time - Rosh Hashanah, by R’ M. Weinberg
Hopefully I’ll eventually fully understand it.

By: Jonathan Rosenblum

Jonathan Rosenblum — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 20:17:58 +0000

Rav Moshe Antebbe of Lakewood writes up in both Hebrew and English, Rav Moshe Shapiro’s Thursday night shiurim — probably the most accessible of his shiurim. Each shiur is a highly original interweaving of Rishonim, Kabbalistic sources, Maharal, GR”A. They can be read and reread, listened to and listened to again several times in a week without being bored.

Rav Shapiro has personally told me that Rav Antebbe’s presentations of the shiur can be relied upon. They can be ordered via http://www.zyapublications.com

By: lawrence kaplan

lawrence kaplan — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:09:34 +0000

Mo’adei Nehamah: Studies of Prof. Nehamah Leibowitz on Pirkei Geulah and Teshuvah and the Holidays of Yerach ha-Eitanim, edited by Yitzhak Reiner.

By: Ben Zoma's Apprentice

Ben Zoma's Apprentice — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 20:51:10 +0000

R’ Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, Collected Writings Volume 2, Tishri 1 –regarding the meaning of the two starting dates of the Jewish calendar, i.e. Tishrei and Nissan, is a must for my Pre-Rosh HaShana prep.

By: Gershon

Gershon — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:56:21 +0000

For Hebrew Readers out there, the last chapter of Tomer Devorah of R. Moshe Kordovero. It’s a discussion about how to fulfill the mitzva of “VeHalachta B’derachav” by emulating the 13 middos of Rachamim.

By: Michoel

Michoel — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:24:17 +0000

Even though Rabbi Adlerstein says that we don’t need to mention the Shem Mishmuel, I’ll do it anyway, since I’ve encountered several very big talmidei chachamim that had little famliarity with it. It so deep and clear. And if you take Rabbi Adlerstein’s suggestion and look in the Neos Hadesheh, you can gain a lot by then looking in the Shem Mishmuel and see the ben build on and be marchiv his Tatty’s words. Marharalniks that know the Pachad Yitzchad should learn the Shem Mishmuel and Maharalniks that know the Shem Mishmuel should learn the Pachad Yitzchak. One takes a Maharal and builds on it from the big Rebbe’s and one builds on the Maharal from the Gra and others. This advice for the yamim noraim and all year round too!

By: JosephW

JosephW — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:16:23 +0000

For the past several years my elul mussar reading has included “Mussar Movement”, a translation of Vol. 1 of tnuas hamussar (suggested earlier).Reading about R. Yisrael and his insistence on one’s perfecting himself is quite inspiring to me. However, I do not think that this translation is currently on the market.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:43:51 +0000

Nothing like Shaarei Teshuvah to refocus in Elul, but Sfas Emes on Moadim is also powerful and inspiring.
Of course, Rambam Hil. Teshuvah should probably be a must read.

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:15:40 +0000

Let me add another sefer-Afikei Mayim-which are transcribed shiurim from R M Shapira of Bayit Vegan-a major Baal Machshavah-the shiurim combine a powerful combination of Brisker style analyis of Rambam as well as in depth exploration of Ramban, Gra, Maharal,and Zohar.

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:17:13 +0000

A good mix should include Halacha and hashkafa. I always like to mix anything from RYBS such as Noraos HaRav, Harei Kedem, Ymei Zikaron and Al HaTeshuvah along with Nesivos Shalom, R Pinkus ZTL and Ymei Ratzon
( R Wolbe ZTL). R TP Frank’s Mikraei Kodesh and HaMoadim Bhalacha are also superb for indepth exploration of the many halachic issues. There is also a Ramban in Parshas Emor that discusses RH and YK as Yom Din BRachamim and Yom Rachamim BaDin as well as a Drasha on RH in the Kisvei HaRamban as well.

By: Ken Applebaum

Ken Applebaum — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:36:19 +0000

With respect to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, virtually any selection from Reb Yerucham’s Daas Chochma Umussar is inspiring. For those with a Chassidishe leaning, try Likutei Moharan (you need not be a Breslover to appreciate Rebbe Nachman’s religious genius and, quite frankly, unbelievable command of Tanach).

In addition, I am now reading Tnuas Hamussar, which is only borderline hagiography, and the life stories and teachings of the Mussar greats can only help to raise our spiritual level during this season.

K’siva V’chasima Tova to you Rav Yitzchok and to all the Cross Currents participants and readers.

Ken Applebaum

By: Tzvi

Tzvi — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:34:42 +0000

Toras Avigdor 2 volumes & Sharei Orah First Volume. Both are hebrew sefarim that contain R Avigdor Miller’s ZTL thoughts, the yomim noraim (& other yomim tovim) pieces are clearly delineated. Indispensable & unequaled for essential ideas & practical applications for properly deriving the maximum
out of these days

By: Yehoshua Friedman

Yehoshua Friedman — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:27:17 +0000

For Hebrew-only readers, the Hebrew version, “Al Hateshuva”, probably fills the bill as well. I would recommend the Orot Hateshuva by Rav Kook zt”l. It is also available in English at great cost to the language. In our generation there are many books explaining its difficult Hebrew and concepts. Orot Hateshuva is unique in the body of teshuva literature in that it deals not merely with the aveiros of the individual, but the overwhelming feeling of people who learn Torah and keep mitzvos but feel a great emptiness of “Hashem is not in me”. In addition Rav Kook is unique in his emphasis on teshuva as a cosmic process of the whole world trying to get back to where it once belonged. The most recent addition in English to the teachings based on the Orot Hateshuva is Sparks of David, a transcribed series of shiurim on R. Shlomo Carlebach z”l’s Orot Shlomo on the Orot Hateshuva. If you love Rav Kook and Reb Shlomo, go for it. If not, go somewhere else.

By: dr. william gewirtz

dr. william gewirtz — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:06:34 +0000

They are not Yomim Noraim specific, but i suggest accounts of how others faced adversity with their faith as guide. Various Tshuvot from the Shoah (both english and hebrew), the remarkable few pages describing the last days of R. Yechial Michal Tuchitzinsky zt”l (also available in hebrew and english) added by his son to his Gesher HaChaim, the last Mussar shmuss as the Nazi’s approached at the Slabodka Yeshiva, etc. continue to inspire.