The possuk in Parshas Nitzavim says, “Ki hamitzvah hazos etc. lo niflais he mimcha vilo richoka he etc. ki karov eilecha hodavar meod bificha ubilivavcha lo’ososo”- “For this mitzvah is not hidden from you and it is not distant. Rather, it is very near to you- in your mouth and in your heart to perform it”. The Ramban is of the opinion that this mitzvah is the mitzvah of teshuva. Included in the accomplishment of this mitzvah is the vidui performed with the mouth, regret on aveiros of the past accomplished with the heart, and commitment to rectify one’s actions in the future, amongst several other details.

The possuk says that it is ‘karov’-an easy mitzvah to undertake. Reading the Sha’arei Teshuva of the Rabeinu Yonah, the direction manual for teshuva, indicates otherwise. Rabeinu Yonah lists many countless and difficult tasks to undergo before accomplishing a genuine teshuva. How does this coincide with the possuk?

Rabeinu Yonah, in several different places, writes that the fundamental of teshuva is merely the determination and resolve to mend one’s ways. Once one makes that commitment, he is already considered a ba’al teshuva.

Similarly, the Pesikta writes in the name of Rebbi that the power of teshuva is so awesome that the moment one just decides to do teshuva, he immediately ascends. He rises all the way to the kisei hahavod as the novi, Hoshea says, “Shuva ad Hashem”.

Proof to this is in the Gemorah in Mesechta Kidushin. There it says that if one who is a rosha gamur married a woman on condition that he is a tzadik gomur, the marriage is still valid. Even though, at that moment, he is a full-fledged rosha, we can speculate that he may have done teshuva. This is true even if he did not take any of the steps of teshuva delineated in hilchos teshuva!

How do we understand that a person can achieve the status of ba’al teshuva and tzadik gamur without having taken even one step of the tedious demands of teshuva?

Rav Yerucham Levovitz taught us a fundamental yesod regarding teshuva. People mistakenly understand teshuva to be relevant exclusively for one who sinned. The more sins one has, the more teshuva one is required to perform. It is not so. Teshuva, in essence, means to connect and come closer to Hashem regardless if one sinned or not. Certainly, if one did sin and in turn became distanced from Hashem, he is required to return to Hashem, but teshuva is not exclusive for aveiros.

There is a well-known question. How can it be counted that we have aseres yemay teshuva- ten days of teshuva? If included in them is two days of Rosh Hashanah and one day of Shabbos, then three teshuva days are missing from the count? Vidui is not allowed to be said on these three days, and on Rosh Hashanah we refrain from even making any mention of ‘chait’! Ten days of teshuva does not seem to add up!

According to Rav Yerucham’s yesod, indeed all ten days are definitely considered days of teshuva. However, some of the days are not days of teshuva from sin, rather they are days designated to be miskareiv to Hashem. Shabbos presents a great opportunity to connect and grow closer to Hashem. Rosh Hashanah are days of being mamlich the Eibershter on ourselves and on the entire universe, broadening our connection and hiskarvus to Him.

The avoda of the month of Elul is teshuva- returning to Hashem and forging closer ties to Him.

How are mitzvah objects and kedusha objects treated differently?

A mitzvah object (such as an esrog, shofar or schach) may be used for a mundane purpose. Even if it was only created for the sake of the mitzvah (e.g. a dedicated schach mat), it may be used for a non-mitzvah purpose before and after the time of the mitzvah. In contrast, a kedusha object (e.g. tefillin) may not be used for a lower purpose even after it is no longer fit for the mitzvah.

ס"ק כב; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 3

May new seforim be placed on the floor?

Sifrei kodesh or written papers which contain divrei Torah are considered kedusha objects and may not be used for writing mundane matters. They may not be placed directly on the floor, either, but must be placed upon another item which is at least a tefach off the ground. Some poskim are more stringent with hand-written seforim than with printed seforim that have not yet been used for learning.  Some allow new printed seforim to be placed on the ground with only an insubstantial divider that is not a tefach high.

ס"ק כג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 34

Can one make a stipulation regarding the kedusha of klaf?

As we have learned, a kodesh object may not be repurposed for a matter of less kedusha. If, however, at the time of the original designation, the designator stipulated that he may choose to downgrade the item to a lower kedusha, he can do so. He may even stipulate that the item can be used for a mundane purpose. If the kedusha of the item came about through an action, though, such as processing klaf for Sta”m, a stipulation of this kind is ineffective and the item may not be designated for a lower purpose. 

סעיף ג וס"ק יח-כא

• There are three categories of sacred objects: kodesh items, tashmishei kedusha (objects that serve the kodesh items), and tashmish d’tashmish (objects that serve tashmishei kedusha). In earlier times, a tefillin bag may have been a tashmish d’kedusha if the tefillin were stored directly inside it.

• A tallis is not considered a kodesh item. Therefore, a tallis bag is not in the category of tashmishei kedusha. Other items may therefore be stored in a tallis bag.

• A tefillin case only becomes forbidden for other uses if it was once used for tefillin. If it was not yet used, it may be repurposed even if it had already been designated for tefillin.

• Can a tefillin bag become a tahsmish d’kedusha if it was not previously designated as such?

• Can a stipulation prevent a tefillin bag from becoming sacred?

• Can money be stored together with tefillin?