On Rosh Chodesh (new month) Elul, in the Musaf of Rosh Chodesh, we make a very interesting statement. We ask Hashem, “Bring to the nation the love, the eternal love.” It’s a very strange expression. You don’t say to your friend, “I bring you love.” You say, “I love you.” Why don’t we say that to our G-d? Why don’t we say? Why is he saying? That’s extremely unusual language.
It occurred to me that perhaps Chazal are telling us, “Bring us the love of the world.” You look around the world today, and the world hates the Jewish nation. There’s a tremendous amount of sin, and it’s not just that the world hates us. Unfortunately, within Klal Yisrael (Jewish nation) as well, there’s a tremendous amount of hatred. Certainly at this time, the divide, the lack of unity within Klal Yisrael, is terrible, and there’s a tremendous amount of hatred. And maybe we're saying that in Rosh Chodesh, which is a time for rethinking, we're saying it's time to rethink our relationships. Hashem, help us bring back the love that should be within the members of Klal Yisrael.
Elul is a time of Ani leDodi veDodi li (I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine). Elul is expressed as a love between Klal Yisrael and Hashem. Of course, the love between Klal Yisrael and Hashem is the expression of a connection, but it’s expressed through love. Maybe it all adds up to the same concept. We have to think about how to return the love within our nation. And once we do that, Be'ezrat Hashem (with Hashem's help) will bring back the love in the world to the Jewish nation.
It’s very interesting that in the introduction, or prelude, to the Geulah (redemption) Purim, it says that the rashei medinot (heads of provinces) were supporting the Jewish people. Before Geulah from Mitzrayim, it says, it was an appreciation of G-d Israel that preceded Geulah.
At this time of Elul, as we come to a fresh Shana (year), we want to bring a Geulah. We have to bring about Ahava (love). We have to bring about a connection between us, Ahava between the people, Ahava of the nations of the world to Klal Yisrael, and through that the shleimut (wholeness) of our Ahavat Hashem (love of Hashem), and that will bring the Geulah shleimah (complete).