This Shabbat we mark the beginning of the month of Elul, the month of summarizing and reflecting on the year, the month of repentance and mercy. In Sephardic communities, the recitation of the Selichot is already beginning.
A spirit of refinement and purification is beginning to permeate hearts, and the scent of the approaching terrible days is already felt in the air.
It is possible to pass the month of Elul just like that, without giving it the attention it deserves, but then we lose the richness inherent in this month and the enormous contribution it gives us.
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It is better to stop and absorb the special messages that this month brings with it, and then life takes on new meaning.
A loving hand from heaven
Our lives are characterized by a constant and rather boring cycle. Day follows day, week follows week, month after month, year after year. Many seek external means to break the routine. Some change professions and workplaces; others move from city to village and village to city. But the truth is, a Jew who lives according to the Torah is freed from the burden of routine and drabness.
The framework of Jewish life gives content and meaning to each day and each week. Each month has a special character and character. The holidays and festivals bring with them their own unique content. There are days of mourning and days of joy. The weekly Torah also gives special content and meaning to each week. This is especially evident in the month of Elul.
The days of Elul are similar to the days of annual balance sheets in the business world. A business owner will never be able to know whether he is progressing or regressing, making a profit or losing, unless he stops from time to time and takes a detailed stock of the state of the business. Similarly in spiritual life - a person cannot know where he stands, and it is certainly difficult for him to improve and progress, if he does not stop and take stock of himself.
For this purpose, we were given this month. A month in which we stop the routine race of life. We observe the course of our lives, examine our achievements in the past year, face our failures and shortcomings honestly, and decide to correct, improve, and add.
To accomplish this mission, a loving hand is extended to us from heaven. In the month of Elul, God, the Holy One, draws closer to us than on any other day of the year. He is likened to a king who goes out into the field, to the people. There is no need to pass through checkpoints, officials, and heads of bureaus. Anyone who wishes can approach the king and ask for the wishes of his heart.
True self-examination
Self-examination should be personal. Not beating the chest of others. Criticism should be directed first and foremost at ourselves. A Hasidic proverb states that self-criticism brings edification, correction, and renewal, while humiliating others does the opposite.
The reality in which we live is disturbing. The rift in the nation needs to be healed. This is the time to turn to our Father in Heaven and ask for mercy for the people of Israel and the Land of Israel, so that the Israel Fund may contribute. Let us make good use of the month of Elul, and may we have good writing and signing for a good and sweet year.
