Although the mitzvah of teshuvah can be done at any time of the year, the practice is most associated with Aseres Yemei Teshuvah—the Ten Days of Repentance. The Rambam writes in Mishneh Torah that Aseres Yemei Teshuvah is an auspicious time for repentance: “Although repentance and prayer are always effective, they are even more effective during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah when they are accepted immediately.”
One of the most powerful Aseres Yemei Teshuvah and Yom Kippur experiences in Yeshivas Knesses Chizkiyahu in Kfar Chassidim was recounted by talmidim decades later. They would recall with awe the manner in which the famed Mashgiach, R’ Dov Yaffa, zt”l, would deliver musar shmuessen all throughout Elul at random times of day. The bochurim would all be learning in the middle of second seder, and suddenly R’ Dov would walk up onto the bimah and begin to speak. Sometimes he would talk for a while—an hour or longer—and other times it would be a short four- or five-minute shmuess. The bochurim would refer to these short shmuessen as “little bursts”—flashes of inspiration—when R’ Dov would recite a thought that had just come to him and he felt like passing it on to the talmidim. It was not unusual for the Mashgiach to stand up late at night and deliver either a half-hour or five-minute shmuess. Nobody wanted to leave the Beis Medrash for any prolonged period of time for fear of missing one of the Mashgiach’s mighty “flashes,” which he gave with humility and sincerity.
One year, however, there were no shmuessen. Not even the regularly scheduled discourses were delivered. The talmidim waited with great anticipation, yearning to hear words of chizuk that would allow them to rise and grow in their avodas Hashem, but none were forthcoming. No one could understand what had happened and why the entire month of Elul had passed without even a single shmuess from the Mashgiach. Naturally, a few high-ranking students and married men approached the Mashgiach tepidly and asked why he was not following his usual practice at this time of year, but he refused to answer them, or he simply shrugged. Many of the talmidim were disappointed—this was truly a highlight of the year in Kfar Chassidim—and without the Mashgiach’s heartfelt words of encouragement and inspiration, how were they to face the Yom HaDin and subsequent days of teshuvah and repentance, knowing they were lacking?
Three days before Yom Kippur, as the talmidim were preparing to daven Minchah in the afternoon, the Mashgiach suddenly stood up from his seat and, with slow, halting strides, walked up to the platform in front of the Aron HaKodesh. A hushed stillness quickly descended on the Beis Medrash, and everyone strained to hear the softly spoken words as they emanated from the Mashgiach’s holy mouth:
“Many people have come over to me wondering why I have not been delivering any lectures or shmuessen this year. The entire Elul has gone by, and we are now three days before Yom Kippur… You should know that I generally do not prepare any of the thoughts that I present to you; rather, I feel a certain inspiration which enters my heart—thoughts and concepts that I feel can inspire and strengthen the talmidim—and I immediately stand up and deliver them to you… Especially during Elul, this would happen on numerous occasions, and I truly believe that these lectures are words that HaKadosh Boruch Hu places in my heart and mouth for your benefit… In truth, I, too, was wondering why this year Hashem did not place any such words into my heart—words of musar to give over to the public—and since there were no words to deliver, there were no shmuessen to give… It is possible that you are simply not worthy of hearing such words, and it is not the ratzon Hashem for you to experience lectures of musar… so now that there are literally three days before Yom Kippur, it behooves you all to do real teshuvah so that the Almighty can find a way to forgive you…”
With that, he walked back to his place. The talmidim were shell-shocked. A real terror and trembling could be felt from that moment on. His short words pierced their young hearts—more than a hundred shmuessen could ever have done. The next three days and Yom Kippur contained the most powerful expressions of teshuvah ever displayed in the yeshivah for years to come.
Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, filled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.