The third speaker at the Flatbush Labor Day Hakhel Event was Rabbi Meyer Yedid, mara d’asra of Congregation Shaare Zion and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Eretz. The topic of his inspiration lecture was “Teshuva Mei’Ahava is Within Your Reach.”
He began by noting that a general understanding of the concept of teshuva mei Ahava is that a person is making teshuva (repentance) out of a love for Hashem, rather than out of a fear of punishment.
In Shir Hashirim (the Song of Songs), a pasuk asks “What should we or can we do for our sister?” This refers to the day when everyone speaks about our sister – the Jewish people. This is a question not just for the Jewish people, but for each individual Jew as well.
This refers to the middos, our character traits. What should we do that this day (Rosh Hashana) should be one for rejoicing. Shlomo Hamelech says that we should build a wall of gold and that we should construct a door of wood.
What does it mean to be a wall or a door. A wall means that our values should be strong and permanent not just for the home, but also for the Beis Knesset, and for the office [where we work] or in the street.
What does a delet (door) mean? It symbolizes values that are not solid but change because of our desire to be popular with others or with members of our own family.
