Breaking the Cycle: Practical Tips for Embracing Elul, Teshuva and Conquering Sin

0:01 when chuva feels impossible, because it's been tried so many times before. Yet we keep stumbling in that same sin, the same area that we feel vulnerable in, and the yitzhahara has us thinking, doubting our ability to ever reach moral freedom, when the task of repentance seems too much to overcome, the obstacle too formidable, the road too arduous and the hurdle too high. Remember this idea from when the man will find a woman that is not Jewish, in the heat of battle, she's a married woman, but simply the pull the drive.

0:44 Woman that is not Jewish, in the heat of battle, she's a married woman, an Eshash, but simply the pull the drive. The Yitzhar's tricks. They're too strong on him, they're too powerful, and he really desires to marry her, even though it's forbidden. But due to the circumstances and his emotional state and mental state, it's permitted. He's allowed, says Rashi, specifically here, it's just too much to ask from the fellow, too hard of a challenge to overcome. Go ahead, so it's mutter, says Rav Hatzky. We see from here that the Torah never asks of us anything that's impossible, because if it was impossible it would be permitted, just like the case of the Ashes Yifas Torah.

1:26 Like here, but every other mitzvah, but every other commandment, but every other task that Hashem puts on our plates, very much possible, very much available for us to overcome the quest of moral freedom, our ability to overcome the challenges. If it's a challenge, if it's an asayon, something that is so remarkably painful, that Hashem puts on our plates, then Hashem thinks that we can get it done and we can overcome, because otherwise he wouldn't have given it to us and he would not have commanded it During Elul. When Hashem calls us back to our post, when Hashem wants some tshuva, when Hashem calls us back to our post, when Hashem wants some tshuva, when Hashem says you may have been wayward for 11 months, but it doesn't matter, I'm ready, I'm open with my arms to accept you back.

2:13 Ani l'doydi v'doydi li, this is a loving relationship. Child, please come home to daddy. And it's tshuva that I ask of you. And while the Yitzharah may say what you have, given your best shot to Shuvah. You know it's not possible. Who are you kidding? We remember If it's Shuvah that Hashem wants and Shuvah that Hashem commands, well, then it's Shuvah that will give Hashem. So it takes a couple things to do Shuvah. It takes a making up of your mind, deciding that enough is enough. It takes a beseeching help from above, from heaven. It takes the summoning of all of your strength and then you stride forth once and for all, endeavoring to resist sin, saying no more I am, I am ready to conquer the beast within.

3:09 Tshuva during Elo is asked of us. Tshuva during Elo is plausible. We can trounce the Satan's tricks. We can overcome the stumbling blocks. We can return to our former glory. Do not imagine that Shuvah is impossible. Tried forth and repent to the Lord, who is ready and open with loving arms you.