When humans grow, they must shed some aspect of their former selves. This demands a painful renunciation, a renunciation of a little bit of who I was last week, of the comfortable skin I am used to calling myself. For example, if a person with...
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Rabbi Menachem Tenenbaum
Cleveland NCSY
Rabbi Tenenbaum says that Elul is the time to train ourselves to be players in the game of life, not superfans.
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וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִיש
משנה אבות ב׳:ו׳
In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.
-Pirkei Avot 2:6
וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים. לֵישֵׁב בָּרֹאשׁ וּלְהוֹרוֹת הוֹרָאוֹת
ברטנורא על משנה אבות ב׳:ה׳
“In a place where there is no man”: to sit at the head and to issue decisions.
-Bartenura on Pirkei Avot 2:5:6
וּנְתָנְךָ יְהֹוָה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב וְהָיִיתָ רַק לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לְמָטָּה כִּי־תִשְׁמַע אֶל־מִצְוֺת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ
דברים כ״ח:יג
Hashem will make you the head, not the tail; you will always be at the top and never at the bottom—if only you obey and faithfully observe the commandments of your God that I enjoin upon you this day
-Deuteronomy 28:13