Sept. 17, 2025

$2,000 Train Tracks for Your Soul: Rethinking Repentance

Ever wondered why your spiritual resolutions fade faster than New Year's gym memberships? This episode explores a profound metaphor that transforms how we approach teshuva (repentance) and spiritual growth. Drawing wisdom from a great Gadol, we examine why many well-intentioned spiritual commitments taken on during Elul are doomed from the start. The problem isn't your dedication—it's the approach. Just as an orthodontist understands that teeth can't be forcibly repositioned overnight, meani...

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Season 8

Ever wondered why your spiritual resolutions fade faster than New Year's gym memberships? This episode explores a profound metaphor that transforms how we approach teshuva (repentance) and spiritual growth.

Drawing wisdom from a great Gadol, we examine why many well-intentioned spiritual commitments taken on during Elul are doomed from the start. The problem isn't your dedication—it's the approach. Just as an orthodontist understands that teeth can't be forcibly repositioned overnight, meaningful spiritual transformation requires patience, consistency, and properly calibrated pressure.

When patients complain about the lengthy orthodontic process, wondering why their teeth can't be moved more quickly, they're missing a fundamental truth: abrupt changes don't last. The same principle applies to our souls. Those ambitious commitments to learn Torah for hours daily or meticulously observe long-neglected commandments often collapse because we're trying to move our spiritual teeth too quickly.

True teshuva resembles orthodontics—small, thoughtful adjustments applied consistently over time. Rather than grand gestures, focus on addressing root issues with attainable practices. Consider saying Hamapil before sleeping to facilitate waking for morning prayers, or choose one small commitment to maintain weekly. Consult your "spiritual orthodontist"—a rabbi who can design the appropriate treatment plan for your soul's unique needs.

Ready to transform your approach to spiritual growth? Stop setting yourself up for failure with unsustainable commitments. Embrace the orthodontic model of teshuva—patient, consistent, and designed for lasting change. Your spiritual smile will thank you.

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com



00:00 - The Danger of Hasty Commitments

01:02 - Teshuva Like Orthodontics

02:27 - Patient, Thoughtful Spiritual Growth

03:27 - Building a Beautiful Spiritual Smile

WEBVTT

00:00:00.960 --> 00:00:04.546
Long before a person's very first sin in the upcoming year.

00:00:04.546 --> 00:00:14.689
The year and all of its hopes and aspirations are doomed from the start If you make the terrible mistake taking on a spiritual commitment at Kabbalah during Elul.

00:00:14.689 --> 00:00:20.925
That is not practical, unattainable and you jumped at it without proper foresight.

00:00:20.925 --> 00:00:37.953
Kabbalah's spiritual commitments are supposed to be there to help us connect to the holy parts of the year and help us to concretize our approach towards HaKadosh Baruch Hu, something like I'm going to learn three hours a day or I'm going to wash my hands before every mitzvah.

00:00:37.953 --> 00:00:46.082
It can take away time from what really matters and what's more important, and also can depress a person because he doesn't feel like he's moving forward.

00:00:46.082 --> 00:00:53.442
Teshuva, repentance, real contrition has to be with foresight, patience and proper.

00:00:53.442 --> 00:00:57.878
Cabalos should remember this, because I heard it over from the great Gadol.

00:00:57.878 --> 00:01:02.027
He explained how contrition and teshuva should be done and how commitments should be made.

00:01:02.027 --> 00:01:22.766
It should be like orthodontics yes, orthodontics, that part of dentistry, a specialty that is addressing prevention and management of malpositioned teeth and jaws as well as misaligned bite patterns, where they slap those $2,000 train track wires onto your teeth.

00:01:22.766 --> 00:01:24.608
Put some rubber bands on them.

00:01:24.608 --> 00:01:30.525
It'd be good ROI for the orthodontist to put on some metal and charge that much.

00:01:30.525 --> 00:01:37.828
But normally you'll hear people walk out of the orthodontist and say I can't believe it.

00:01:37.828 --> 00:01:40.233
It's so expensive, how come it takes so long?

00:01:40.233 --> 00:01:41.102
They just want my money.

00:01:41.102 --> 00:01:45.231
They want me to go, keep going back and putting in a pallet expander and moving the wires.

00:01:45.231 --> 00:01:47.968
Why can't they just move the teeth more quickly?

00:01:47.968 --> 00:01:51.810
And the answer is because not because the orthodontist wants your money.

00:01:51.810 --> 00:01:58.313
Maybe they do, but really because teeth don't stay in place when you just harshly and abruptly move them.

00:01:58.313 --> 00:02:02.191
They would move right back to their old, misaligned ways.

00:02:02.191 --> 00:02:08.483
It has to be slow, it has to be progressive, it has to be with patience and it has to be over time.

00:02:08.483 --> 00:02:23.308
And then the bite looks, stays and is maintained in this beautiful, correct and happy smile.

00:02:23.329 --> 00:02:31.697
Teshuvah is the proper pressure on your spiritual soul in order to mold it into the perfect smile.

00:02:31.697 --> 00:02:45.312
You have to see that slight, little patient-filled, thoughtful actions, like saying hamapil in the evening and going to sleep properly in an effort to try to wake up on time.

00:02:45.312 --> 00:02:52.022
You're kind of addressing the problem at the root and you're slowly making a change and you cut that down to just one time a week.

00:02:52.022 --> 00:03:08.750
Often people make caballos and they think they're doing a good thing, but often it's just feeding their OCD or furthering their obsessiveness or their love of rest, and they're able to justify where their commitment to do nothing is even part of their teshuva process.

00:03:09.139 --> 00:03:27.186
Teshuva should be like orthodontics that you should move slowly, you should move with foresight, you should consult a rabbi, a spiritual doctor, to help you make the right commitment and then, with patience, slowly but surely, keep at it, drop by drop, day by day.

00:03:27.186 --> 00:03:37.712
Slowly, change happens and the teeth fall into this beautiful place and your smile's great and all of a sudden you're standing in front of Hashem and you actually you've accomplished great things this year.

00:03:37.712 --> 00:03:43.400
And it starts with a proper and smart, patient-filled and thoughtful commitment.

00:03:43.400 --> 00:04:01.155
Proper and smart, patient-filled and thoughtful commitment Long before a person's very first.