If the road to Gehenna is paved with good intentions, the road to Olam Haba is paved with good habits. At Beth Immanuel, we are bringing daily prayer and study, daily acts of charity, and regular attendance at the house of study into the daily routine. This teaching from Parashat Shoftim derives the obligation of daily Torah study from the laws of the king in Deuteronomy 17.
What if spiritual growth was automatic and godliness was simply a habitual behavior? What does it mean to have the Torah written on our hearts? This teaching for the forty days of Elul about aquiring three new habits to launch 5777, a year of transformation. This teaching challenges the listener along with the community of Beth Immanuel to learn to use the power of habitual behavior to good use for personal growth.