The Torah commands us to dwell in Sukkot for seven days “…for I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in Sukkot when I took them from the land of Egypt…” (Vayikra 23:43)
It appears that we celebrate Sukkot as a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. But if the reason for sitting in Sukkot is a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt, why not celebrate it in the month of Nissan, along with Pesach? Why not have a Seder in the Sukkah, with matzah, four cups of …

At Minchah on Yom HaKippurim we read the Book of Yonah. It is a story beloved by young and old. My little boys even studied it this year in pre-school! It is story that captures our minds and hearts and is as relevant today as it was when written.
At its very essence, it is a message of teshuvah: The people of Nineveh are told that if they continue on their path, “In forty days Nineveh shall be overturned” (3:4). Their response? Fasting and repentance: …

The haunting melodies, the Rabbi’s words, the shofar, the fasting, the praying. It’s hard not to be inspired during the holiday season. We find ourselves davening a little better, being more charitable, acting with more kindness, and performing mitzvot with more sincerity. We try to be the best we can be; the people we really are; living up to our soul’s unique potential.
This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Shuvah – The Sabbath of Return,” because of the Haftorah that is read, which begins: “Return Israel to Hashem your …

There are many profound explanations that explore the symbolism of the mitzvah of tekiat shofar. One of the more famous expositions is that of Rambam. He writes:
Even though the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a decree, it contains an allusion. As if to say, ‘Wake up you sleepers from your slumber and dreamers from your sleep. Inspect your deeds, repent and remember your Creator…
(Hilchot Teshuvah 3:4)
According to Rambam the sounding of the shofar is a spiritual alarm clock. Something we all could …

High Holiday nusach, and of course- the taste of apples and honey. As a child, I would wait with anticipation as Rosh HaShanah approached- looking forward to dipping apples in honey. It is a significant religious experience for children: A tradition sweet to the palate, with its symbolism concrete enough, even a small child can understand. There are even songs that memorialize this ritual.
Eating apples with honey, along with other “simanei milta – significant omens,” is an age old custom rooted in a statement in …

Rosh HaShanah is the Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgement. Yet we treat it like a festival. What should one feel on Rosh HaShanah? Joy? Fear? Uncertainty? Awe? Confidence? Rabbi Nadel explores the dialectic of Rosh HaShanah as expressed in the halachik literature.

Teshuvah, often mistranslated as “repentance” or “forgiveness” is really a process of self-exploration and examination. It is a transformation that leads to self-mastery.