Elul Preparations: Round Two
Shortly before Rosh Chodesh, I solicited reader feedback on seforim that helped people prepare in Elul for the approaching Yemei ha-Din. The results have made this perhaps the finest hour for Cross-Currents. The suggestions showed depth, diversity, and commitment. There can be no question about the quality and caliber of Cross-Currents readership after looking at those contributions. I am personally appreciative of the responses, having already tasted some of the delicacies I would not have thought of trying.
One of our readers, Danny Rubin in Baltimore, submitted an excellent suggestion. Why stop at print media? Let’s ask the same question regarding audio presentations that are available to the public. What shiurim, downloadable or otherwise, do our readers recommend to help in the avodah of chodesh Elul? Readers – consider yourselves asked.
(There is no truth to the rumor that next year we will be asking readers for their favorite spiritually uplifting YouTubes.)
I’d like to suggest shiurim by Rav Reuven Leuchter, a primary student of Rav Wolbe zt”l. There is a website dedicated to audio and video recordings of his shiurim. I see that there is a new series of talks entitled “Making Teshuva with the sefer “Nefesh HaChayim” available there.
I would strongly reccomend the Bergen County Beis Medrash, which has many of RYBS’s shiruim and drashos with respect to the Yamim Noraim. YU Torah has a treasure lode of shiuim and drashos from RIETS’s present RY on the Yamim Noraim.
Ditto for YU. yutorah.org, has a plethora of audio shiurim.
Rav Moshe Weinberger – Elul and Teshuvah: [available at torahanytime.com] The shiur examines the three archetypal relationships we have with HaShem.
Reb Shimshon Pincus – “Elul: Drawing closer to HaShem with our Words, Thoughts, and Actions” Available from Shalheves, the first 10 minutes alone make the shiur worth the money.
R’ Yitzchok Zilbershtein on kolhaloshon.com – you can hear all the amazing shaylos of rosh chodesh elul of the past 10+ years. There’s a link to his shiurim on the home page.
illu one listens to yutorah.org 144 hr/wk, he will still never finish….
The only CD’s of Rabbi Berel Wein that I have listened to so far, have been about Jewish history. However, those CD’s are so good, with just the right balance of substance and style, that if he does have CD’s on the topic of repentance, my guess is that they are of very high quality.
From time to time it might be helpful to re-post especially good presentations on this site, with permission.
For about three years each Elul, I have listened to the same shiur (elul-the-place-to-be) by Rabbi Akiva Tatz at simpletoremember.com
“There is no truth to the rumor that next year we will be asking readers for their favorite spiritually uplifting YouTubes”
This part caused me to think about an old Cross Currents post which reviewed a video about Unesaneh Tokef by R. Daniel Korobkin( “Unesaneh Tokef, Updated”, 9/23/08). In that post, R. Adlerstein asked, “One wonders what R Yehuda Halevi would say about YouTube and similar video presentations. Would he take a dim view of the recent shift away from prose to visual media?”
In one of the essays in Shiurei Daas, a question is discussed as to why we don’t make major dramatic displays, like plays, to commemorate certain events in the Torah. R. Bloch explains as I recall, that ironically, it can be the subtle things that leave a more powerful influence on people and a longer lasting impression than major ones. Perhaps R. Bloch’s point would explain why hearing a shofar would have more of an impact than a Greek-style drama or a contemporary film, although the latter could still have a degree of impact as in the case of the Unesaneh Tokef video. Shiurei Daas, I would add, can be a good source of inspiration, both during Elul as well as all year round(in print, though not yet in MP3 or in multi-media 🙂 ).
As a huge fan of any suggestion that R’ Rubin makes, I would recommend any teshuva-related shiurim by Rabbi Ari Kahn, from either rabbiarikahn.com or yutorah.org, and by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, from torahanytime.com. Rabbi Kahn’s shiur on the story of R’ Elazar ben Durdaya is especially moving.
Rav Moshe Weinberger spoke this past Monday (9/12) at YU. Really interesting perspective on the days of Elul..
Available at yutorah.org
Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller on naaleh.com – she reviews various approaches to cheshbon nefesh/avodas hamidos
you can find tons of resource material from HaRav Yaacov Haber at Torah Lab
also HaRav Shmuel Brazil has some beautiful shmuessen at Zeev HaTorah