Wednesday, August 15, 2007

elul and y'mei ratzon

A cause/effect chakirah for Elul: Is it the spiritual toil during these y’mei ratzon which triggers the kaparah of Yom Kippur, or does the kaparah of Yom Kippur have a retroactive effect which triggers having a period of y’mei ratzon?

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:04 PM

    Elul triggers it seems because it is when moshe went up to get the torah again which sounds like Teshuvah too me.

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  2. see rambam hil teshuvah 2:9 (2:7 in some editions).

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  3. I may be looking at the wrong halacha, but I don't understand what you are proving from there.

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  4. yk is yk because it's the end of the process which began at the beginning of 10 yemei teshuva. similar to your first theory.

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  5. Anonymous4:17 PM

    Rav Dov Yaffa, the Mashgiach Ruchni of Yeshivas Kfar Chasidim points out that Elul is special in its own right because the days of Elul are "Yimei Ratzon"; days of goodwill and favor. The Chayei Adam says that on Rosh Chodesh Elul Hashem began to forgive Bnei Yisroel for the Chet HaEgel and told Moshe Rabbeinu to come up to Shamayim to write the second luchos. He stayed in Shamayim for 40 days until Yom Kippur when the atonement for the Egel was complete and Moshe came down with the second Luchos. These 40 days Hashem is close to us and is inclined to give us what we ask for.

    It is a waste not to take advantage of every moment both in torah and tefilla or at least to increase the quantity and intensity of both. In fact Hashem did us a tremendous favor by making the Yom HaDin during this time in order that we should judged favorably. (LeAvdecha BaEmes)

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