You are Heavenly!

InspirationParsha

Sep 18

This season can feel heavy. The Yom Hagadol - the Big Day of Yom Kippur is upon us and it pulls deep into our soul.

This Shabbos we read the Haazinu song. It is Moshe's last blessing and instruction before his passing.

He begins with the words "pay heed heaven". There are many reasons our commentators tell us for this call upward.

A most practical teaching inspires a shift in energy for the great day of Yom Kippur.

Moshe is telling us that while we may have erred or not lived up to our fullest potential, and while we may be judged from Above, and sometimes even receive rebuke or instruction, we need to know that we are heavenly!

Our truest essence is that we are a part of Heaven, a literal part of Hashem.

Moshe is calling on us to focus more on the positive parts of who we are and less on the negative.

Take a minute right now and think about three things you can look back at 5786 and be proud of....that's the heaven in you.

Are you more inspired or less inspired now to do more good?

As we approach Yom Kippur let's see the heaven in each other, the heaven in ourselves and surely Hashem Himself will see the heaven in us too!

Gmar Chatima Tova and Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

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You are Heavenly!

This season can feel heavy. The Yom Hagadol - the Big Day of Yom Kippur is upon us and it pulls deep into our soul.

This Shabbos we read the Haazinu song. It is Moshe's last blessing and instruction before his passing.

He begins with the words "pay heed heaven". There are many reasons our commentators tell us for this call upward.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.

It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"

Playing Hard To Get

"Ani l'dodi v'dodi li." I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. This is the verse from Song of Songs whose initial Hebrew letters spell out the Hebrew month of Elul, the month we are currently in.

In the book of Song of Songs, we read the poetic story of a young maiden and her beloved shepherd, and the fascinating progression of their courtship.

Don’t Waste the Discomfort - Preparing for Rosh Hashanah 5787

I've never related to people who dislike the marking of theirbirthday. I find my birthday to be a joyous and positively uplifting day. Conversely, there are those who find rainy days to be uplifting and nourishing :-).

An Elul Love Story

It is spring in the Land of Israel. The rain has stopped, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the smell of spring wafts through the air. A young maiden goes out to the vineyards for some fresh air and encounters a handsome-looking shepherd.

Standing on the Roots of Those Who Came Before Us

Even though they’re dead, they are not gone — they continue to find a way to help others out postmortem. These fallen giants provide “generational facilitation” in the afterlife, they continue to offer safety, nurture, love and protection from outside unhealthy influences, thus nurturing and making way for the new generation.

My Journey of Accepting Criticism

Adam was created from the dust (Chava from Adam's side). It has been said that this is the reason that men are defensive and a bit ego focused. After all, when they look back to their origins, it is just a mound of earth - not a very auspicious pedigree.

When Darkness Touches the Soul

The Talmud tells a story about Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. They were traveling to Jerusalem and arrived at Mount Scopus. When they arrived, they all tore their clothing.

The Hidden Light Within the Darkness

These are dark days. I'm not referring to the state of the world. We definitely live in a challenging world, but I choose to look at the bright side of things.

I'm referring to the season of the Jewish calendar in which we now find ourselves.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Life is hectic. Information comes at us faster than we can possibly process it. Podcasts to listen to. Books to read. Emails to answer. School forms. Family responsibilities. Date nights. Work. Errands. The list never seems to end.

So what is really important?

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

You are Heavenly!

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