Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe

by Erica Brown

Author's statement about this book -"I began to write essays for each day of the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur - the aseret yemei teshuva or ten days of repentance. It was a personal ladder for me to try to achieve a greater sense of holiness and responsibility and go into the Days of Awe feeling the requisite awe. Each day I scaled a new topic for self-improvement rooted in Jewish tradition. I was so absorbed in it that I expanded it into a book that has just been published, Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe. In addition to a daily essay, I included portions of study on repentance in translation from Maimonides - the rationalist, Rabbi Kook, the mystic, and Rabbi Chaim Moshe Luzzato, the ethicist. I attached a life homework assignment to integrate study and action, using myself as a test case. I feel privileged to share what I learned."

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Nonfiction, Judaica, Religion

168 pages, Hardcover

First published August 20, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jim Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for the High Holy Days

Returning to God is a must, and this book emphasizes the importance of seeking forgiveness and turning back to God.

[Rona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book to guide during the 10 days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is written as a "think about this chapter today, the next chapter tomorrow." I picked it up and read it in a single day.
Good book. More text-based than I want (discussing the Torah and Prophet sections that are read during the holiday.)
Next year, I might start reading it on the right day, and see if the slow exposure makes it better.

[Michael Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return is a relatively short and interesting reflection on the themes of the High Holidays in Jewish tradition. The book is organized in daily chapters (one for each of the 10 days of the Days of Awe) on one particular theme for the holidays. The chapters on humility and gratitude, in particular, remind us of the purpose of the High Holidays in Jewish tradition - to reflect honestly on our own weaknesses and strive to become better human beings.

It's not the best or most profound book I have read for the holidays, but it is well written, brief and filled with commentary from the Talmud, Mishnah, and great thinkers in Jewish history. The commentary is interwoven in the body of text, but Brown also concludes each chapter with specific commentary from Maimonides, Rabbi Moshe Haim Luzzatto, and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook on the theme of the chapter. Each chapter also ends with "life homework" and questions to think about while studying which I found valuable.

It's not the best or most powerful book on the High Holidays that I've read, but it is succinct and deftly covers all the main themes of the holiday in ways that are accessible to anyone. I found it to be a meaningful addition to my high holiday resources and one that can be reread every year.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not the sort of book I'd normally grab to read between Chanukah and Purim, but I'm glad I did. This is a great guidebook for navigating the Days of Awe. And, it's a reminder that the doors to t'shuvah are open to us at other times of year, as well, if only we notice them and strive to walk through them.

I'm thinking I'm going to teach a course next year using this book, perhaps during Elul or during the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It will be great to process the t'shuva work we intend to do in the Fall.

[Naama · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t the kind of book I usually review but I realize there’s use in having this kind of book reviewed as well, so here goes:

Return was a nice little companion to the Days of Awe. Though so many fine Jewish institutions distribute little annual companions these days, there’s still something to be said for a whole book which goes a little deeper than most printouts.

None of the concepts and ideas covered in this book are novel, yet saying Return doesn’t offer any new insights would be like saying all songs which use the same basic chords sound the same: No, man - it’s all in how you mix it! There’s the rhythm, the blends, the structure - so many ways of making new music out of age-old concepts! And it passed one of my more important tests for determining whether a book is worthwhile - I was able to quote it in a recent conversation (about the Kavanaugh situation).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you on a meaningful walk of understanding and reflection during the days of awe. I followed the daily readings last year during the appropriate time and the space is created for me to dwell was profound. It is available for free online through Sefaria but now will have a space on my bookshelf to read time and time again, and of course, to share.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this work for years and finally found a way to get to read one essay a day for the holidays. It's a solid work, but didn't offer me anything new and exciting. The questions Brown asked may resonate more with others than they did with me.

[Yedida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read for the Aseret Yemei Teshuva. The chapters are just the right length for reading one a day. It really enhanced my practice during the Yamim Noraim.

I would have liked to read the passages for study in their original Hebrew, but I understand the desire to keep the book short and simple.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The points are important, but I knew them. I did like the context, phrasing, and background the author gave to the points. I also liked the interesting Tanakh commentaries interspersed.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting this today as Elul begins. I have so enjoyed Erica Brown's other books that I want to invite her to be my guide through this month of spiritual preparation.

[Gil Bonwitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspirational book. Great read doing the Jewish holidays. Enables you to reflect and provides great suggestions for actions to take.