The Stoic Jew

TSJ Interlude: Vidui Yom ha’Kippurim and Memento Mori

September 15, 2021 Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss Season 5 Episode 36
The Stoic Jew
TSJ Interlude: Vidui Yom ha’Kippurim and Memento Mori
Show Notes

Synopsis: “Memento Mori” (remembering death) is a major theme in Stoicism and in Judaism – especially when it comes to doing teshuvah. We begin this episode by reflecting on statements by Chazal, the Rambam, and Marcus Aurelius about the sense of urgency created by the awareness of our mortality. But what can we do to incorporate this awareness into our experience of Yom ha’Kippurim? I believe that if we understand how Chazal framed the mitzvah of Vidui Yom ha’Kippurim, then we can convert it into a valuable “memento mori” tool which we can use to enhance our teshuvah on Yom ha’Kippurim. 

This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.

Sources:
- Avos 2:10
- Rambam: Teshuvah 7:1-2; 3:4; 2:7
- Bachya ibn Paquda: Admonition
- Aurelius Meditations 2:7,11; 4:17,37
----------
If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
----------
If you've gained from what you've learned, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at
gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss:

Support the show