Elul is famously an acronym for אני לדודי ודודי לי; I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. During Elul we’re reminded that we are Hashem’s beloved and He is ours. But what if we have a hard time connecting with this love? And what if the focus on return and correction leaves us with feelings of inferiority or depression?
Everybody talks about self-esteem and its importance. But secular ideas of self-esteem can be toxic to our neshamot, souls. Rebbe Nachman’s insights into the importance of developing what I call Holy Self-Esteem (vs. unhealthy self-esteem/narcissism) are relevant year-round, and especially so as we approach the Days of Awe. Come join me for this special talk about how to do Teshuvah while building Holy Self-Esteem in Elul–and always.
