HI! A few thoughts...because I miss you!!!!

First, to anyone new joining the chaburah, please email me at: aviva@aberman.net to introduce yourself.  

Second: There will be an introductory chaburah (Monday, September 10th at 12 pm ny time) for all new participants, so that we can introduce/explore the seforim's material and figure out how you may want to proceed from there.  Please email me (see email address above) and I will send you the call in number.

Third:  I was thinking about Elul and how we are getting back into a routine after summer break.  Sometimes, it's hard to concentrate on anything, especially tefillah (prayer).

But I was reviewing some notes from a Rav Moshe Weinberger shiur and he defined tefillah as: 

Tefillah: the moment you contact that part of your soul that's always davening.

(Emunah pshuta (simple faith) 

Rav Kook: tefillah is empty without getting in touch with this part of yourself- all that we should do as a Jew is to try to get to that constant nigun, song of the soul, the part that's constantly speaking to Hashem.)

How?

the language of our soul is simple and clear- a siddur has the secret of the Jewish soul, ask Hashem to show us what our nigun is- Hashem is seeking us to open our hearts and let Him through into the world

ESPECIALLY IN ELUL!!!

So, if each of us take one small bracha and pause before we say it, and ask Hashem: "please, let me feel the song that my soul is constantly singing, as I make this bracha..." I think that we can shake up the world with this small act each day... and IY"H experience the geulah from within.

lots of love, aviva rus