[Avodah] vidui with a list

[Micha Berger]

On Sat, Sep 15, 2018 at 10:32:45PM +0200, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
: A rav I heard today gave a suggestion that instead of (or in addition
: to) a commentary on the al cheit, people should make short list of
: things that they need to say "al cheit" on. Look at that list when
: you say the al cheit.

The Chayei Adam has a long list of suggestions, in alef-beis order, like
Ashamnu. See siman 143, which R' Jon Baker translated in 1999 and put
up online at http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/vidui.htm

In capital-M Mussar, a person was keeping a cheshbon hanefesh all year.
(Or, more realistically, most had ChN notes for stretchs of the year
until resolve flagged, restarting when they felt bad that they let it
drop, etc...) And reviewing that ChN in late Elul and the 10 Yemei
Teshuvah was de rigor.

You can then see patterns. The things we think we're messing up on may
not be the core point of the problem; a symptom, not the disease. Or
conversly, may be too core to tackle head on; you might choose to chip
away at the edges. (And, sadly, how much it looks like last year's list
of things to work on. <sigh>)

Making meaningful qabbalos about what to work on during the next year
and a more on-topic vidui are natural fallouts.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

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