Rabbi's Corner

We journeying forward in this month of Elul in the Jewish calendar toward the ultimate time of the “Yamim Nora’im” – the “Days of Awe, the period of time beginning with Rosh HaShanah and ending with Yom Kippur.  During this journey, we are commanded by our Tradition to engage in “t'shuvah” (repentance/returning) in order to cause us to come back to our Tradition, to our people, and, most important of all, to HaShem.  Ashkenazic minhag (custom) during this month bids that we sound the shofar at the end of the Shacharit service each day except for Shabbat.  Why do we do this?  We do this, because the blasts of the shofar are meant to awaken our souls, to spur us to action, and to inspire us to became actively engaged in doing t'shuvah.  But I ask you: should it only be the blasts of the shofar that lead us to take action?  Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev answered this question with a resounding "No!"  He taught that there exist two kinds of "awakenings:" an "Awakening from Above" and an "Awakening from Below."  But what did he mean by this?

Reb Levi Yitzchak taught that one must not rely solely/”soul-ly” upon the "Awakening from Above" to spur him/her to action.  S/he must rely on his/her “Action from Below.”  How does one do this?  Each person must benefit from the work of his/her own hands in order to become inspired to action.  It is only when s/he does this that s/he will merit the feeling of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of Hashem) resting upon him/her.  How does this happen?  It is only when we take the first step, it is only when we inspire ourselves by actively engaging in a more spiritual lifestyle creating a greater connection to HaShem that we create an "Awakening from Below."  This, in turn, will create an "Awakening from Above" resulting in the fulfilling of HaShem's promise to us as imparted in the words of the prophet Zecharyah: "Return to Me and I will return to you!"  (Zecharyah 1:3) We know that this is HaShem's desire for us by way of the name of the month in which we currently find ourselves.

The Hebrew letters which make up the name of this month leading up to Rosh Hashanah are Aleph, Lamed, Vav, Lamed which, when put together, are read as "Elul."  What is most interesting to note is that the word Elul is an acronym formed by the first letters of the following words found in Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs) written by Shlomo Hamelekh: "Ani L'dodi ve-dodi li!" --- "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me!" (Shir HaShirim 6:3) This pasuk (verse) speaks of desire.  It is interesting to note that the days of the month of Elul are known as "Yamei HaRatzon" (Days of Desire).  Why are they called this?  Because it is during this month of Elul that we, the People Israel, seek a special closeness with Hashem.  It is during this time of the Jewish year that we desire to do t'shuvah in order achieve that closeness with Hashem.  Is this a very difficult process in which we must expend a great deal of effort and a lot of expense to achieve our desired result?  No.  When all is said and done, all it takes for Hashem to come closer to us, all it takes for Hashem to love us is for us to want to be closer to and to love H-m.