Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

In this episode, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe presents one of the most important tools for spiritual growth during Elul: never try to transform yourself by making an unsustainable leap. Although the weeks leading to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur inspire ambitious resolutions, genuine growth usually happens through small, deliberate steps. A person who tries to change everything at once is likely to fall—and may then blame Hashem, the process, or themselves for the failure.

Rabbi Wolbe offers a powerful interpretation of the evening prayer asking Hashem to remove the spiritual adversary “from before us and from behind us.” The obstacles before us are the challenges that block our progress. The danger from behind is the voice that pushes us to move too quickly, take on too much, and run before we have learned to walk. Falling is not itself the greatest danger; righteous people fall and rise again. The greater danger is falling so painfully that we become discouraged and decide, “I tried. This is not for me.”

Spiritual growth resembles climbing a ladder: one rung at a time. Instead of trying to master the entire prayer book, understand one line. Instead of imagining that you must learn the entire Talmud, begin with one word, one passage, or one page. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s attendance at a celebration for someone who completed a single page of Talmud demonstrates that an accomplishment’s greatness is measured not only by its size, but also by the effort, persistence, and obstacles overcome. As we prepare for the High Holidays, the goal is not to change everything—it is to choose one small, meaningful change that can last.
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This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of Rivka Bas Meira

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on August 25, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 27, 2023
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About the Host:
Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org

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Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days