The Essence Of Elul

[Based on a talk I was zocheh to give the past Leil Shabbos before maariv at a local yeshiva. I skip the jokes and one-liners. I guess ya had to be there:-)]

Is Elul a scary time or a happy time? Fear creates distance while joy engenders closeness.

It is axiomatic that Elul is a scarrrry time. Last week a fellow approached me in the Central Bus Station and stating singing in the famous yeshiva tune "Eluuuuuullllll, even the fish in the sea are shaking!" Rav Yisrael Slanter said that in the olden days people would be overcome by fear when they heard the holy call of Elul.

Fear! Elul is scary. We might be judged for death and we have one month to get our act together. Last year at this time there were millions of people who are doing just what you are doing now, looking at the computer, possibly drinking a coffee or soda and today they are pushing daisies. That was all decreed on Rosh Hashanah last year. We don't want to be included on the list of such people this year and we have NOOOOOO guarantees. Remember the ol' line about death and taxes....?

On the other hand we all know the Roshei Teivos of Elul stand for אני לדודי ודודי לי - I am to my Beloved [Hashem] and my Beloved is to me". There is romance in the air!! We and Hashem are involved in a "love affair". We are enamored with Him and vice versa. Sounds more like closeness and simcha than fear.

So which one is it??

Both.....

A myseh she-haya [heard from the Rebbe Shlita to illustrate the point we are making]:

A young man heard about a certain investment that would reap HUUUUUGE dividends in a short time. So he emptied out all of his savings, his wife's savings, borrowed large amounts from parents and in-laws, friends and gemachs and put his money in this investment. After some time he called up to find out how it was going. No answer. He called again. No answer. Again. No answer. He made some more phone calls until he was apprised of the fact that the whole thing was a scam and all of his money is down the drain.

How does he feel at the second he finds out?? HORRRRRIIIIBBBLLLEEEEE!!

That is the feeling we should have when we sin. We have to know what tremendous harm we caused to ourselves, others and the whole world when we sinned. We must appreciate the severity of sin.

But let us say that afterwards this young man goes to Rav Chaim Kniyevsky, who tells him that if he learns all of Meseches Shkalim he will recover every penny [or shekel] that he invested, plus 20 percent, how would he feel? A-mazing!!!!!!!!!! Redemption!!

That is the process we must go through. First tremendous pain and fear over our aveiros. Then we transform that fear into tremendous joy because we know that we can fix everything - and turn all of our aveiros into mitzvos.

Av is the month of destruction, when we saw what happens when we sin. Elul is the month of renewal. The mazel of Elul is Besulah, symbolizing freshness and purity. A new start.

So Elul begins with fear but turns into great love and happiness. 

לרפואת זאב ישראל בן אסתר בתוך שאר ח"י