Another men’s Torah class at the “Menorah Community” youth project of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, which has been actively developing thanks to the efforts of the Zislina family, was dedicated to a special period of the Jewish calendar – the Ten Days of Awe, or Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (the Ten Days of Teshuvah), which run from Rosh Hashanah, the day when the verdict for every person for the coming year is determined, to Yom Kippur, when that verdict becomes final and is sealed. Jewish tradition defines them as days when a person, through active repentance, the performance of teshuvah, and a readiness for correction, can even amend a verdict already rendered.
The speaker for the gathering was Reb Zalman Rabinovich, who addressed the most relevant questions connected with the spiritual meaning of these special days, showing why precisely the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holds such special power for a person’s inner correction. The main attention was given to the significance of teshuvah, to the opportunities the Almighty gives every person to change their life, and to what one can still manage to change before the onset of Yom Kippur.
During the lesson, the participants reflected on what a person can and should manage to change before the onset of Yom Kippur, how teshuvah helps correct mistakes made, restore one’s connection with the Almighty, and return to one’s true spiritual purpose. The discussion focused on understanding that teshuvah is not merely repentance for what has been done, but first and foremost a path of inner correction, spiritual return, and renewal, through which a person can greet Yom Kippur with a sincere striving to change oneself and become worthy of the Almighty’s blessing.
“The Ten Days of Awe remind each of us that the Almighty gives a person the precious opportunity to change themselves, draw closer to Him, and properly prepare for Yom Kippur,” noted Levi Zislina, director of the “Menorah Community” project. “It is through the study of Torah, sincere teshuvah, a constant striving for spiritual growth, and the fulfillment of mitzvos that we develop ourselves as individuals and bring spiritual light into the world. And for the opportunity to study Torah and draw closer to it, we thank from the bottom of our hearts our beloved united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
