Torah Portion: Nitzavim/Vayeilech;  Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

D’var Torah
There is just a week left until we herald in the Jewish New Year.  That means we only have one week left of the Hebrew month of Elul, a month that is dedicated to the process of teshuvah, or repentance.  Yet, as we know, the process of teshuvah continues through Rosh Hashanah, during the Ten Days of Repentance, and is in fact the most prevalent theme of Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement.  We are told that at the end of Yom Kippur, the “Gates of Heaven” close and our prayers are over—but according to tradition, we actually have until Hoshana Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkot, before the “decrees are sealed.”  In other words, there is not just one day or ten days or even one month of repentance in Jewish tradition; there are sixty days from the beginning of Elul through the end of Sukkot dedicated to the process of teshuvah!

However, the story doesn’t end there.  In every single weekday Amidah, there is a prayer for teshuvah!  That means three times a day, six days a week, we ask for forgiveness and turn our thoughts to teshuvah.  It’s clear now that the process of teshuvah is not just one day, or ten days, or even sixty days long—it is a process that must occur every single day of our lives.  Every single day we make mistakes; every single day we must return, we must do teshuvah.

Teshuvah isn’t an easy thing to do.  But when we make time for teshuvah every day, the process actually becomes easier—and the hard work this particular time of year requires, becomes more manageable.  This entire process reminds me of one of my favorite stories about teshuvah, repentance:“Rabbi!  When should I repent?”  The wise rabbis answered, “Repent one day before your death.”  “But Rabbi,” the student responded, “I don’t know when I will die!”  “Exactly,” smiled the rabbi.  “You must therefore repent every day.”

As your month of Elul comes to an end, and as you prepare your own personal teshuvah, I wish you strength, release, and return—to your highest self, to those who love you, and to God.  Shabbat Shalom.

For more insight in this week’s Torah portion, visit urj.org/torah.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Annie