This is the first mussar schmooze of the year at Yeshivat Maharat. This year we are learning the monumental work Alei Shur by Rav Shlomo Wolbe. We will be focusing on the second volume in which Rav Wolbe does his serious personality development in the va’adim.
We started with a piece about the month of Elul (v.2 sha’ar 3, ch. 12 – hodesh harachamim). Here Rav Wolbe talks about the opportunities of personal renewal that are given to us at this time of year, the time of the creation of the world. Just as human beings are renewed, so is the kingdom of heaven renewed through that same process. Rav Wolbe adds a third piece of the puzzle for this time of the year which is teshuva.
By referring to the liturgy of Rosh haShana as the day of the creation of the world, Rav Wolbe is reminding us of an important debate surrounding the question of the creation of mankind. The beautiful midrash describing the first hours of the creation of the world is attached below (Pesikta dRavv Kehana and Vayikra Rabba). In this midrash man sins within one hour of being created. Just one hour later he is excused with a full pardon. As the Ran explains, we daven on Rosh haShana to receive a similarly favorable judgement.
You can see the extra material that I gave out at this link.
In addition, you can hear the audio of the shiur at the link below:
Alei Shur – v2 shaar 3 chapter 12 – hodesh harachamim
