Comments on: Returning

By: Yevgeniya

Yevgeniya — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:31:57 +0000

Hi Ilan,
I came across this blog yesterday: http://frumsatire.net/
by searching in google “singles shabbaton New York” – ask me about that later
I think you’ll enjoy it. Chag sameah. Stay in touch! (Did you get my postcard?)

By: uberimma

uberimma — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:04:25 +0000

I have similar issues with the idea of forgiveness, ben adam l’chaveiro. What does it mean to forgive a wrong? How do you forgive something when it’s still being done to you? What does that mean, really–you’re not angry, or you’re not hurt, or just that you’re not feeling vengeful anymore?

By: neil fleischmann

neil fleischmann — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:49:42 +0000

This is a great piece. Great esplanatio of the psukim and well developed. I cited you and went on about this in a related way here:

http://rabbifleischmann.blogspot.com/2007/08/say-word.html

By: ilan

ilan — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:08:56 +0000

Eli – true, true. But a little smiteyness is still necessary, of course.

Aliyah06, Rebecca – glad my musings were helpful. It’s really gratifying that this resonates with others.

By: rebecca

rebecca — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:46:24 +0000

Thanks for sharing, Ilan! I’ve never considered the love-relationship with God such as you describe it, and, well, I like it a lot.

By: aliyah06

aliyah06 — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:51:01 +0000

This is excellent! Thank you. I’ve been having trouble getting in the groove this Elul and this gives me a lot to work with.

“Let go of what your friends think of you, how much your relatives love you, all of the influences imposed upon you from outside yourself. If you can look at that person and allow yourself complete honesty and be satisfied, then count yourself among a tiny minority. But if not, and like I was, you’re confronted by something grotesque or perhaps just unsettling, seize upon that. You’re seeing a gulf between what you know you can be and what you are.”

I suspect this is exactly the reason so many (self included) sidestep and dodge–confronting one’s true self is not only hard, it is also unsettling to an extreme. It’s not always pretty In There…

By: Eli

Eli — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:52:11 +0000

Wow, Ilan. Really insightful, and very well written. I must say, I strongly prefer this depiction of teshuva (which seems to be the flavor most spoken about at YHE) over the "repent from your sins, sinner, lest you be smitten!" thing.