162 - Kindest Calendar

As we've discussed many times, Hashem's sole intention of creating us was for us to earn our place in the next world, where there we will receive our due reward beyond anything that we can ever imagine for eternity. Hashem designed this world in a way where we have the opportunity to choose either good and earn points for ourselves, or alternatively the opposite, to choose bad and dirty our scorecard. 

Hashem knows that we are only human beings and that we are programmed in a way that we will mess up. However, in His great kindness, He gave us the gift of teshuva, which as Torah sources teach us, when one does teshuva, one can firstly remove the stains and dirt from their scorecard, and not only that, but as the Gemara teaches, the aveiros can actually turn into mitzvos when one does teshuva in the ideal way. 

Of course we are not always motivated to even think about trying to rectify what we've done wrong, but in Hashem's great kindness, He programmed our calendar in a way that is conducive for us to constantly be coming closer, starting from the beginning of the month of Elul, where the shofar is blown every day after the morning services, selichos are recited, as well as other additional prayers and practices. And after this month of focus on our teshuva and coming closer to Hashem, it finally culminates with the great holy day of Rosh Hashanah, where we focus on truly declaring Hashem as the King, as the only power in the world, as the true Ein Od Milvado, that there is no circumstance or individual that can in any way contribute to the goings-on in my life, but rather, Hashem exclusively runs every detail to my life.

And after Rosh Hashanah we move to the Asseres Yemei Teshuvah, where again the focus is very concentrated on teshuva, on coming closer to Hashem, and eventually culminating with the holy day of Yom Kippur. And as we are taught, after the day of Yom Kippur, we are cleansed from our sins. 

These days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot are considered days of simcha. One of the reasons is because we are all walking around now, cleansed of our sins. Although we have a constant opportunity to do teshuva, and one is always encouraged to make efforts in doing teshuva and coming closer to Hashem, nevertheless, we are taught from Torah sources that the day of Yom Kippur itself is so powerful in the spiritual realms that there is a certain power that will cleanse our sins just by the holiness of the day itself. Of course we are commanded to make our maximum effort in doing teshuva ourselves, but there is no question that the power of Yom Kippur is beyond anything that we can imagine.

"Thank you, Hashem, for all the incredible holy days that You have gifted us with in the Jewish calendar. If it were left up to me, much of the time I am not inspired not to do teshuva, not to make a particular effort to come closer to You, nor any of the other efforts that I am supposed to make and that are conducive to my eternity. Thank you, Hashem, for all the special days that You have gifted us with. And thank you, Hashem, for the gift of every single day of life."