The month of Elul, which marks the end of the year 5744, requires us all to pause for thought and self-examination. We are going through a difficult and painful year, which began with a terrible massacre, and continued with a war that we are still in the midst of.
More than a hundred kidnapped men and women are still being held by the evil monsters in the Gaza Strip, and tens of thousands of residents of the south and north are still unable to return to their homes.
When the call to pause for reflection is heard, the natural tendency is to see it as a statement directed at publics, bodies, institutions, and organizations. It is worth internalizing that reflection is first and foremost something that every soul does among itself.
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This is a challenge facing each and every one of us.
The rule consists of specifications
With all the strong desire to fix public systems and the general atmosphere, it is worth remembering that the whole is made up of details. The sum of all of us creates the entire society. The more you and I, each and every one of us, strive to fix ourselves – to be more Jewish, better, more gentle, more considerate – the more the entire public will change for the better.
The month of Elul is the time to look inward, each one into themselves. The upheaval we have all been going through in the past year should lead to a desire to change, to be different. Not to stay in the same place we were last year.
It is possible to pass the month of Elul just like that, without giving it the attention it deserves, but then you miss out on the richness inherent in this month and the enormous contribution it gives us. It is better to stop and absorb the special messages that this month brings with it, and then life takes on new meaning.
This month we are called to slow down the routine pace of life. To devote more time to matters of the soul. To examine ourselves, to examine our actions in the past year, to face our failures and shortcomings honestly, and to decide to correct, improve, and add.
We do not do this important task alone. In the month of Elul, God draws closer to us than at any other time of the year.
He is likened to a king who goes out into the field, to the people. There is no need to go through checkpoints, officials, and heads of bureaus. Anyone who wants to can approach the king, get close to him, draw strength, and ask for the desires of their heart. God is now close to every Jew. It is easier to make good decisions, easier to improve and change.
Time to ask and pray
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 month of Elul is also a time to pray and ask. We are surrounded by enemies who are plotting against us, and we must face many threats. The rift in the nation has also reached alarming proportions, and it needs urgent reconciliation.
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. May the foundation of Israel be raised, may we defeat our enemies, may we return all our captives, may we strengthen our hold on the inheritance of our ancestors, and may we all have a good writing and signature for a good and sweet year.
