The Short Vort

Good Morning!

Today is Thursday the 27 of Av 5781 and August 5, 2021

The Rebuilding!

Before our own eyes Yerushalayim continues to be rebuilt.

See the pictures attached.

Today we prepare ourselves for the upcoming month of Elul- as today we daven Yom Kippur Kotton for Elul.

We have to prepare for Elul in many ways.

Teshuva is of course one of the most important ways.

And indeed beginning Monday we will hear the Shofar of Elul to awaken us to do Teshuva!

One crucial way to motivate us to change is appreciation.

When we recognize how much there is to be appreciative of, we should simultaneously realize how we should improve our actions to be privileged to be even greater beneficiaries of HaShem’s benevolence.

As I walk the streets of Yerushalayim I am filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude to HaShem.

Even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, there is so much to be thankful to HaShem for.

See the streets of Yerushalayim filled with people young and old.

Observe the joy on their faces.

See the Kosel filled with Jews of all types.

And especially, Internalize the pesukim of the Navi Zecharia (in Perek 8) and by observing how the pesukim are being realized in our times, we should be motivated to do Teshuva!

The attached pictures illustrate the fulfillment of these pesukim:

Zecharia 8

This is what HaShem says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem…

Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age.

The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.

I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.

I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their G-d.”

“If not now, then when?”- Hillel

Ron Yitzchok Eisenman

Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel

Passaic NJ