We are now at Erev Rosh Hodesh Elul. Rosh Hodesh is Thursday and Friday. Sephardim start selichot this Sunday.
We are about to enter a special time in the calendar, and it is worthwhile to make note of it. Of course, it had to do with Emunah and bitachon, because we have to believe that Hashem will take us back in teshuva. That is a fundamental. Rambam writes that we have to believe in Teshuva and the power of Yom Kippur, and we are embarking on a 40-day journey, which starts tonight, to get there.
Rav Yehezkiel Levenstein once said that the number 40 has much significance in our religion, in many different areas.
One of them is that it says in the Gemarah that it takes 40 days from the time of conception until the embryo is considered a vital, living being. Rav Chatzkel said that if one of those days are missing, the embryo is not yet complete. Likewise, he says, Hashem chose 40 days from Rosh Hodesh Elul until Kippur, to teach us that every single day is valuable. We need to use every single day, and every day will get us closer to Yom Kippur. So, one aspect of the month of Elul is preparation for Yom Kippur. Another aspect of Elul is that it is a preparation for Rosh Hashana. Rav Wolbe used to say that a person has to have a dual track of preparation for these two different days. Rosh Hashana is a day when Hashem becomes King over us, whereas Yom Kippur is a day when we come close to our Father in heaven, who is going to forgive us. Hashem is Avinu, our Father, and Malkenu, our King, and we have to get ready for both of these meetings- with G-d as the King, and G-d as the Father. That takes preparation. Therefore, since back in the time of Moshe Rabbenu, the rabbis have dedicated these days as special days of Teshuva. We have to believe in their power. They are not regular days; they are special.
Rav Yerucham Levovitz once said that when he starts the month of Elul, he feels like he is going to a health spa. People at a spa have everything needed to be in the best of health; the right foods, proper exercises, doctors, therapists... and whatever else is necessary to get in good physical and mental shape. When you get to a spa, you do not want to wait- you run to get a massage right away, because you want to take advantage of every minute. Rav Yerucham says this is how we have to look at the month of Elul. There are opportunities and ways to prepare. And Bitachon is definitely one of the things we have to work on.
We will find out, as we get closer, that bitachon is one of the integral parts of our success in our high holiday prayers.
In the middle of our prayers we say Alenu Leshabeach. We say Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad. These are statements of bitachon.
Rav Wolbe used to say that a person should start paying attention to Keriat Shema, saying Shema Yisrael with more understanding and intention, from Rosh Hodesh Elul, in preparation for that Shema Yisrael that you’ll be saying in the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashana. Say Alenu Le’shabeach more slowly, with more intention. Use these times.
(My whole understanding of Elul came from my years under Rav Wolbe’s tutelage, so I will be quoting from him a lot)
He also said we should use this time to focus on the words of Kaddish- Amen Yehi Shemeh Rabbah. The whole reason we are in this world is that G-d׳s name should be great.
There are many fundamental principles we need to know as we get ready for the high holidays. Hashem gave us thirty days. As the joke goes, “Repent before the holiday rush.” Just like you want to get new clothes before the holiday rush, and don’t want to wait until there’s nothing left on the shelves, so you take advantage and shop before everyone gets back to Brooklyn, that’s how we have to look at Elul. It is not too early. We have to start preparing. Yes, we are in the middle of August, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too early. The earlier the better.
The Gemara says, in Masechet Avodah Zara, that when a person is judged, the earlier they come to judgment the better. A mashal of court case is given- one wants to get to court in the morning, when the judge is still in a good mood, before he’s had a chance to get upset or angry. So too, when someone needs surgery, it is preferable to do it first thing in the morning when the surgeon’s mind is clear.
When moving, we want the mover to come in the morning, not two jobs into the day when he is falling on his face from fatigue. Likewise, the Gemarah says it is good to be judged early. That is why some people pray Netz on Rosh Hashanah. A lot of people pray Netz, but how do we really get judged early?
One of the rabbis said to get in line early, like the sales that people sometimes wait on for from the night before. How do we get online early? The rabbi’s say by preparing early, in the month of Elul.
Some people might be thinking to themselves, “Come on, Elul? Now? Do we have to be talking about the high holidays now?”
Yes, we do. Not just because we have to decide where we will pray (which is important, because we want seats in a good minyan), but because there has to be a focus on getting ready for the great awesome days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the Yamin Nora’im- Awesome Days. The Chida calls the entire month of Elul Awesome Days.
BeEzrat Hashem, we will get ready, and we will use these days well, beginning on Thursday and Friday Rosh Hodesh Elul, which stands for
אני לדודי ודודי לי(אלול)
Ani Ledodi V’Dodi Li
“I am to my beloved as my beloved is to me”
Beautiful, wonderful days. BeEzrat Hashem, we will gain from these days, and Hashem will see that we are taking this seriously, and give us Siyata d’Shmaya- Help from Above. As it says. “One that comes to purify himself is helped.”
I bless everyone that they should have help from Above, have a successful month of Elul, a month of Selichot, a successful Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and Bezrat Hashem a beautiful year will come upon us. But we have to put our preparation in. We have to believe in the power of this preparation.
Have a wonderful day.