R’EY 5785

It’s Ellul, Let’s Get to Work

Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh—the 1^st day of the month of Elul before Rosh Hashanah. It’s one of the most important months of the Jewish year. It begins our prep before Judgment Day on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: If you think about it, a good lawyer always preps his client before trial. And for us to confront Gd before he judges us on Rosh Hashanah, it’s probably a pretty good idea to do what we can to get ready.

The rabbis understood how important this is and so they prescribed for us some extra things to do this month: we blow the shofar every day except Shabbat to wake us up out of our doldrums; we recite Psalm 27 twice a day that speaks about Gd being our light and savior; the last week of the month we recite Slichot prayers of forgiveness that spurs us to focus on doing better in the coming year. We do things to get us going because how can we confront the Supreme Judge on the High Holidays without being prepared.

The Sages point out that the name of this month, Elul, is an acronym for a phrase from King Solomon’s “Song of Songs” that tells us what this month is really about: aleph/lamed/vav/lamed: Ani l’dodi, v’dodi li (I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me). Who is our beloved that the Sages were referring to? Gd! So, “I am for my beloved as my beloved is for me” is a love statement between us and Gd.

Is this appropriate? Can you imagine a lawyer telling his client as he prepares for trial: “You are for the beloved judge as the beloved judge is for you”? Why is that the message? Why isn’t the message: “You’re going on trial? The judge will give you your annual review, so take this seriously.” Why isn’t it more fear and awe?  

Famous lawyer and Jewish teacher, Charlie Harary tells how a few years ago he was involved with a company that was doing annual reviews. One of the divisions they were reviewing had great leadership but, nevertheless, had a terrible year. The managing director began presenting to the Executive Team of the company his annual review. He was so negative and aggressive—blaming people for what happened. At the break Charlie asked him: “What are you doing? Why are you so negative about this?”

He replied: “Look at my year; look at my performance. It’s not my fault. It’s their fault. I’ll be blamed and the Executive Team will cut my bonus!”

Charlie said to him: “You don’t get it. These executives, they believe in you. Behind your back, they tell me you’re the future of this company. They really believe that you’ve got a shot at sitting where they’re sitting in the future. Business has its ups and downs. There are good days and bad days. Yes, you’ve had a bad year. But you’re coming at it totally wrong.”

He thought about it and asked the Executive Team to adjourn and come back next week to continue his presentation—they agreed. The following week he changed his whole approach and was on fire! Yes, he presented the same situation, but this time, his whole aura was positive. He generated excitement by presenting a positive plan.

My friends, this is what we must do now. Rosh Hashanah is the time for our yearly review. Many of us approach the high holiday season in a negative way. Many of us were taught growing up, that Gd’s always mad at you, that you’re never good enough.

Who sits in front of the Creator of the Universe on judgment day thinking, “No problem. I got this?” If you’re humble, you’re not thinking that. You’re thinking: “I’m not enough and I’m really scared.”

And then you might start having thoughts about: Why bother. Is Gd even paying attention? I’ll just put off thinking about it till the last minute. Why? Because confronting the behavior we need to improve makes us feel like we’re not good enough, and this brings along with it, negativity.

The Sages, however, prescribe this month of prep with King Solomon’s phrase that tells us what this month is really about: Ani l’dodi, v’dodi li, “I—meaning each of us—am here for my beloved, Hashem, and my beloved—Hashem—is here for us).   

My friends, Gd believes in you. When you take a step towards Gd, He’ll step right back to you. What does Gd want from us more than anything? A love relationship! Gd didn’t put us on this earth to torture us. He didn’t give us challenges because we can’t. He gives us challenges because He knows we can. Gd knows we’re imperfect. But He made the world the way it is for us—so that we can confront our challenges and grow, becoming more Gd-like.

The goal of this month Elul is NOT to shirk responsibility—NOT to think that I’ve gotten to be where I need to be. No, we’re NOT there; we’ve got a million things to work in our relationships to each other—becoming more understanding, more patient, more giving and less demanding.

        We’ve got so much work to do in our relationship with Gd—our observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, holidays, studying Torah.

 We have to work on our negativity and that includes our negative characters traits. No one wants to be around someone who is negative, always complaining, always looking out for himself.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are when you stand before Gd admitting, “I’ve got stuff to work on; I want to do it, but Gd, I need Your help. I started praying more. I made amends to people I offended. I watch more carefully what I eat and what I say. I started, but I’ve got a lot more in me. I want more; I want You Gd!

The perspective of the High Holidays is the positive energy of … Yes, it was a tough year … Yes, I’m not perfect, but I want to be better. Know, that when you take the Ani the “I”—which is you—and go l’dodi—to my beloved—towards Gd, Gd goes towards you! He doesn’t sit behind the bench telling us: “You’re lucky I let you live this time.” Gd doesn’t say: “Listen, I’m sorry it didn’t work out; I got someone better; I’m cutting your division.”

Gd is saying to us in this month of Elul: “Really, you want a relationship with Me? Well, I’m all in because I always wanted a relationship with You. That’s why I created you!” Today’s Torah portion has Gd saying to us: Banim atem l’Hashem Elokeychem (You are children of Hashem your Gd).

Gd is telling us: “I’m your father! I love you. I want a relationship with you.”

In Psalm 121 King David teaches us that: Hashem tzilcha (Gd is your shade). Why the metaphor of a shade? because just like shade moves with our actions wherever we go, so does Gd move with our actions wherever we go. He waits for us to define the relationship.

My friends, this month of Elul before Rosh Hashanah is the time when we’re supposed to stop what we’re doing and make time preparing for the High Holidays—but not in a negative I can’t wait for it to be over way … but in a realization that I can have a moment before my Creator where He can help me overcome more challenges—to be a better me, to work on myself, to refine my traits and to build a stronger more holy life!

If we think about it now as Elul begins, and try to start doing things to get us in the zone, to start fixing some problems, start doing new things—harder things than we did last year. Then when we stand before Gd on Rosh Hashanah and say: “I still have got a lot do. I’m sorry for so many things. But I want in, Gd, and I want You.

And as King Solomon suggests, Ani l’dodi (I am for my beloved—for Gd), when we do that, we will see just how much Gd is there for us in the New Year. Amen!