Item Description:

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest and most awe-inspiring on the Jewish calendar, but they’re also days of sweetness and joy. We dip our apples into honey and wish each other a sweet new year, confident that G-d will judge us favorably. But of course, our ultimate source of sweetness is the Torah itself. And with Rabbi Wein’s insights into the holiday haftorahs, you’ll see how the words of the prophets really are sweeter than honey.

Individual Lectures:

The First Day of Rosh Hashanah - Chanah’s prayer for children teaches that God fulfills even the most improbable of requests. Her song of gratitude is a shining example of what is due God when He fulfills them. Her life takes on greater dimensions in Rabbi Wein’s poignant retelling of the birth of Shmuel. From her sorrow to her joy, Chanah’s story is really the story of the Jewish people.

The Second Day of Rosh Hashanah - Though Jeremiah is often thought of as a prophet of gloom and doom, his description of the redemption of the Jewish people is a promise of a bright and happy future. Showing hints of the prophecy’s fulfillment in our modern world, Rabbi Wein strengthens our faith and hope that redemption may be just around the corner.

Shabbos Shuva - On the awesome Shabbos between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Haftorah includes the stirring words of three different prophets: Hosea, Joel, and Micha. Each prophet captures the contradictory yet complementary feelings of fear and joy that mark the Days of Repentance, motivating us to perfect ourselves and reap the benefit of spiritual reward.

Yom Kippur - The Haftorah for the holiest day of the Jewish year succinctly sums up the goal of that portentous day. Isaiah’s exhortations against hypocrisy and emphasis on inner piety leave a lasting impression of the heights a Jew can reach with sincere effort and a willing heart.

Yonah - The theme of spiritual responsibility takes center stage in Rabbi Wein’s arousing recitation of the famous story of Yonah. From the prophet’s attempts to evade God to his transformation within the belly of the fish, each section points to one heartening Yom Kippur message: God always gives second chances.