Ep. 558: How Can Elul Help Us in Our Daily Struggles?

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should be our focus as we begin the second week of Elul?  

• How can Elul practically help us in our daily struggles? 
• Since we can do teshuva in the “blink of an eye” why do we need thirty days of Elul and ten days of teshuva? 
• How do we apply the Alter Rebbe’s example of the “king in the field” in our daily lives? 
• What did the Rebbe add to this example? 
• Is there value in just wanting to be better, even if no action is taken? 
• How can we ensure that we are creating the proper containers in Elul to receive the Divine blessings? 
• Can we tap into Elul’s energy all year round? 
• How does sof maaseh b'machshava techila relate to the month of Elul as the last month of the year leading into the new year? 

• What personal and global lessons can we learn from this week’s Parsha in how to fight our life battles? 
• How do we explain the Torah allowing taking a “beautiful woman” captive during war? 
• What are the practical applications of remembering what Amalek did to us? 
• Can we apply Amalek to the war against Hamas? 
• Why aren’t more religious Jews joining this war? 
• Why are sin offerings brought in the holy temple relevant for us to read today, as well as after the geulah when evil will be eradicated? 

• Are we davening properly? 
• What impact should prayer have on us and our emotional intelligence? 
• How can we make davening a more transformative experience? 

Ki Teitzei Prayer What can Chassidus teach us about trichotillomania (hair pulling)? 
As a non-Jew, will learning Hebrew and studying Torah make my life happy?