עשרת ימי תשובה
Dedicate a Shiur in Aseres Yemei Teshuva
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
7 shiurim for Aseres Yemei Teshuva
Why does God judge us at all when He owns us completely and could eliminate us for even one sin? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: by blowing shofar we coronate Hashem as King, and He then self-imposes a radical limitation—no longer dealing with us as Owner but as Sovereign, granting us the right to a fair trial, compassionate judgment, and the requirement of being 51% positive to merit life. This reframes Rosh Hashanah from an oppressive day to the ultimate expression of divine love.
Why does Rosh Hashanah precede Yom Kippur when teshuvah follows judgment? The shiur develops the principle that Rosh Hashanah is not a tally of past deeds but a chance to forge a new identity through malchus. On Yom Kippur, we ask Hashem to wipe away the damage done by the person we no longer are.
Why is confession (vidui) the central prayer of the High Holy Days? The shiur develops a fundamental insight that vidui actually means "thank you" - gratitude for receiving mitzvos that are entirely for our benefit. This transforms teshuvah from self-flagellation into recognition that God has no agenda except our good.
Why do we approach Rosh Hashanah with dread instead of joy? The shiur reframes Rosh Hashanah through a fundamental yesod: God could treat us as His property, subject to unilateral judgment, but instead chooses to be our King, granting us rights — to a fair trial, to teshuva, and to earn our existence. The shofar is the coronation ceremony that establishes this King-subject relationship.
Why do people resist doing teshuvah even when they understand its importance? The shiur reframes teshuvah not as groveling for divine mercy, but as earning entitlement to forgiveness through genuine transformation. When someone truly changes through proper vidui, they become separated from their past actions and deserve forgiveness - making teshuvah empowering rather than humiliating.
Why is Rosh Hashanah a day of joy when it's supposedly a day of judgment? The Midrash reveals that God's greatest kindness is relinquishing His absolute ownership over creation to establish a king-subject relationship through our coronating Him with shofar. This transforms judgment from potential destruction into our opportunity to justify existence as His children.
How can Rosh Hashanah be both fearful judgment and simcha? The shiur builds on the pasuk 'simcha latzadik asos mishpat' to distinguish between earning life versus justifying our existence. Rosh Hashanah lets us demonstrate we've used God's unearned gift of life properly, removing the emptiness of living unjustified and creating genuine joy.
