Lessons Learned From Sharei Teshuvah: Rabbeinu Yonah's Guide to Life's Trials and Personal Growth

What if the key to personal transformation lies in recognizing life's trials as divine messages? Join us for an enlightening discussion as we unpack the timeless wisdom of Rabbeinu Yonah's Sharei Teshuva, focusing on the second chapter's six powerful methods to inspire repentance. This classic text, praised by scholars like Rabbi Kiva Eger, offers profound guidance on how to turn life's challenges into opportunities for spiritual growth.

Reflecting on Hillel's famous maxim, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" we emphasize the essential role of personal responsibility in the process of repentance. While Rabbeinu Yonah provides invaluable insights, true change must come from within. Tune in to discover how these teachings can help you take charge of your spiritual journey, making meaningful and lasting changes in your life.

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Transcript

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not even a thousand years ago did Rabbeinu Yonah compile, organize and produce the greatest safer on repentance known to date.

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It is titled Sharei Tshuva, the Gates of Tshuva.

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You can get it in Hebrew, english, probably French, russian and Spanish Yiddish.

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It is so classic because the Great Rishon compiles all the Halachos of Tshuva Inspiration to make one repent, and Rabbi Kiva Eger actually lauded this Mussar Sefer above the others because the third chapter deals extensively with Halachos and practical guidelines in the realms of Tshuva and categories of sin and mitzvos.

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It's an incredible work and every single word is a treasure trove of wisdom.

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But I'd like to direct your attention specifically to the second shah, the second chapter, because, as a quick overview, the first chapter deals with the 10 steps of repentance according to Halacha.

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The second shahar we'll focus on quickly today, deals with the six ways to inspire yourself to repent.

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The third shahar is about categories of sin and the respective punishments for those actions.

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And the fourth category is about atonement and to look quickly into Hashar Hasheni of Rabbeinu Yonah and Shahar Eitchuva.

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These are, these are to show you the paths that will inspire you to repent to God.

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The first one is you should find yourself God forbid in times of tsaris.

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If your life has trials and tribulations, you get constant headaches, you have so much anxiety, message from God.

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Don't attribute that to just haphazardness.

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The second way is when you should find yourself of more experienced age where you realize that life ain't all about just fun and games.

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You should see time to repent, time to do something with life.

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It's the third way Listening to shmuzim, listening to talks of rabbis.

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That can inspire you.

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Take it to heart, terecha Raviyas.

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The fourth way, when a person will be yegev, atayres Hashem, studying Torah.

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The truth.

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It hits hard and should inspire repentance.

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Haderecha Hamish is the fifth way.

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It's baseris yamei tshuva, when you realize that everything is written down and you will either get another slice of life or God forbid the opposite, and it's all based on your actions.

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And haderecha she's just.

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The last way is kol eis yichoy likras eleikav.

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We all need to ready ourselves to meet God.

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It's what we call in English, aka the day of death.

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It should inspire repentance.

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Death should inspire repentance.

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Six different classic and famous ways, but I like it the most.

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It's intriguing.

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It's the way Rabbeinu Yonah finishes the second chapter.

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He says I'm going to complete this entire second chapter and all these different categories of inspiration, to tell you of what Hillel said, that famous axiom, of what Hillel said Im eina nili mili u'kheshanila atmi mo'ani v'im lo'achshav e'im lasai.

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That famous axiom, that famous maxim and quote of Hillel, that, yes, these are ways to inspire yourself to repent.

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But im eina nili mili, explains Rabbeinu Yonah, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

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Meaning, I'm telling you how to repent and why you should and you should be inspired to do it, but each person needs to find it within himself.

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It may not nearly merely.

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If you don't think about life and come up with your own impetus and your own reason to get off the couch and repent, well then all of the most just farm in the world cannot move you even the slightest inch.

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Because if you're not for yourself, well then who will be for you?

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And the imlo achshav imosayin.

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If you do not take to heart that, if not now, when, well then it doesn't matter what rabbeinu yonah says or the rambam says or the choves alavavis says, because all that matters is what you choose to do with your free will and if you should find the inspiration to repent.

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So I challenge you to to do with your free will and if you should find the inspiration to repent.

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So I challenge you to come up with your own reason and maybe be honest and think of one of the six ways, like Rabbeinu Yonah, and take it to heart.

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But in Ein Anili, mili, if you don't decide to repent by your own merits and by your own wants and wills, well then, mili, who is for you, repent because you have chosen to be inspired and you would like to repent you.

Lessons Learned From Sharei Teshuvah: Rabbeinu Yonah's Guide to Life's Trials and Personal Growth

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