Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
(based on a derasha from HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita, Ravad of Yerushalayim
Leil Shabbos Re'eh)
What Elul Once Was
Sefer Ohr Yisrael describes what Elul once was. The mere mention of the word "Elul" in shul on the Shabbos Mevarchim before Rosh Chodesh would cause people to faint in trepidation. Jews felt that Rosh Hashanah was quickly approaching and expressed this recognition through total involvement in Torah and mitzvos.
Rav Yoshe Ber Solevetchick, the Beis HaLevi was known for his elevated level of yiras shamayim. Every day he would place his hands over a fire, in order to instill within himself a feeling of what it would be like to have to pass through the purification of Gehenom. The Brisker Rav testified that Rav Yoshe Ber's hands were black from this daily torching.
All year long Beis Halevi's avoda was unparalleled. However during Elul his Divine service took on a completely new dimension. Anyone who saw his face realized that the Day of Judgment would soon be here.
Rav Shternbuch relates that when he was a young boy his father would learn Hilchos Teshuva of the Rambam at the Shabbos table during Elul. When his father passed away his mother carried on the tradition. Rav Shternbuch testifies that just hearing the nigun that his mother used to teach these halachos instilled within his heart a fear of the upcoming din.
One time a non-Jewish women came in Elul to the home asking Rav Shternbuch's mother for help. Rebbedson Sternbuch said that she had a court case coming soon, and asked if she could be in touch with her when it was finished. When the non-Jewish women offered her assistance, Rebbedson Stherbuch replied that she could only take care of this mater herself.
Elul in our days has certainly taken a radical shift from what it once was. However even in our generation we can still reap the tremendous gift of Elul. If we use these days of mercy properly we will come to the Yom Hadin prepared to be successful in the judgment that awaits us.
See For Yourself
"See what I have placed before you (the Jewish people)"… (Devarim 11,26 )
The Torah starts off writing the word see in the singular. However the verse concludes with the word the word lifnechem, which is plural. What is the deeper significance of this phrasing?
Hidden in this grammatical discrepancy Torah is the key how to successful teshuva. Many of us look around and think to ourselves that we are not doing so bad considering the lowly state that the world is in today. Comparing ourselves to others can bring us to a feeling of complacency that we really do not need to change.
For this reason the Torah addresses each and every one of us in the singular. Hashem is telling us "See yourself as an individual and do whatever is in your power to fix up, and disregard what is happening in the rest of the world." Only then will we be able change the bad habits we have acquired during the year that have caused us to stray from Him.
Take a Close Look
Looking around at people who are not keeping the Torah should provide us with another impetus to teshuva. Some of them spend their life in the pursuit of happiness, but how many of them can say that they have actually found it. Running after worldly pleasures usually brings one to depression, for it is impossible to attain even a small portion of what one desires.
Leading one's life like an animal filling his physical desires causes one to feel that his life is empty and without reason. On the other hand, someone who keeps the Torah can fell that there is great purpose to their existence. Every mitzvah that a person performs is a great pleasure and fills one's life with meaning.
Looking around superficially could cause one to make the mistake that those seeking physical pleasure are really fulfilled in their existence. For this reason the Torah commands us "See!", take a deeper look, and try to fathom what is really going on. Once the mask has been removed it will be self apparent that they are really not satisfied with their lives, and the empty outer façade is just a front to cover up their feeling of nothingness.
However if you look deeper at the Torah lifestyle you will see how substantative it is. Every mitzvah a Jew performs brings him joy in this world, and eternal life in the next. The Jewish people were given the "Living Torah", and only it contains the directives to a truly happy life.
Starting Fresh
"…before them today, a blessing and a curse…"(Devarim 11,26 )
Once again the Torah is revealing a powerful tool when addressing us with this directive "today". When involved with teshuva don't get caught up in the past and become overly involved with how low we may have fallen. Pick yourself up and start from fresh today, as if you had never transgressed.
Focusing too much on our misdeeds can be a cause to stop us from doing teshuva. Especially in our generation, it is very easy to get depressed and give up hope that we will ever be able to overcome the desires which can pull us far away from a true Torah lifestyle. In this vein the Torah guides us that we should start anew, with the happiness and freshness of someone who has never sinned.
Rav Chaim Brisker explained that this is why we mention every day in Krias Shema that the commandments were given hayom, today. Rather than living in the past or the future, we should place our main focus on the present. Every day we should feel that this is the first time we are keeping the Torah, and infuse our avoda with the freshness that comes with this outlook.
The Zohar speaks of the great praises of the Mara D'Chusbana, those people that make an accounting each day. Every day we should start our lives with a clean slate, and leave the past behind us. Each day should be viewed by itself, and at night, we should make an accounting if we succeeded in serving our Creator properly that day.
A Date in Court
Rav Yisrael Salanter asked in his generation why people are not more afraid in Elul? When we see someone getting ready for a court case he loses sleep at night trying to think of was that he can be victorious. How come we are so passive when our lives are on the line?
Rav Yisrael Salanter concludes that the source of the fear of someone who is awaiting a court case is that they feel that there is something for them to do. As long as they feel that they could do more they will try to accomplish whatever they can. We however feel that we are who we are, and tat we are unable to make major changes in our lives to influence the Divine ruling on Roish Hashamah.
Herein lies a fundamental error. Elul is a time of great heavenly favor and we can definitely make use of it to change our ways. If we connect to these days of mercy by trying our best to do teshuva, Hashem will respond accordingly.
In our generation where depression is rampant, we should not focus on the fear and trepidation of Elul. Rather we should strengthen within ourselves the feelings of the great privilege we have to serve the Creator of the universe. This will bring us to a state of great joy and closeness to our Father in Heaven.
The Torah hints to the aforementioned world outlook: "See what I have placed before you, a blessing and a curse, the blessing if you listen to the mitzvos of Hashem your G-d…"(Devarim 11,26 ). Fulfillment of the blessing is listening to Hashem's mitzvos and understanding the opportunity we have in our hands to serve the King of kings.
This is what Chazal meant when they said, "The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah." Our greatest remuneration is the fact that we can continue to serve Avinu Malkeinu.
(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)
