Rabban Gamliel calibrated the calendar in a manner questionable to his colleagues. When R. Yehoshua announced his intention to follow a different calculation, Rabban Gamliel sent him a message: “I decree that you come to me with your cane and money on the day that according to your reckoning is Yom Kippur!”
Rabban, “master,” alludes to the Master of the universe, Who is “Gamliel”? Gomel means benevolent bestowal, as in gemilas chessed, bestowal of kindness, and E-l is the Divine name of chessed, kindness.
“Come...with your cane”: A stick indicates actions necessary to rescue oneself from the accusatory forces. “Come with...your money” is an allusion to good deeds. These we acquire during Elul. We subsequently approach G-d to repay His benevolence with good currency—our positive efforts—and collect blessings of great abundance in return.
However, one who lacks genuine currency repays with blemished coins. The twenty-two letters of the Torah are “the King’s currency.” If they are blemished coins, they are a list of sins, as per the Yom Kippur confession (based on the twenty-two letters): “Ashamnu, we transgressed, bagadnu, we acted deceitfully, gazalnu, We robbed, etc.” He offers G-d a payment of falsehood.
When he wishes to borrow further blessings for the coming year, he receives blemished currency, as per the liturgy: “Ashamnu mikol am, we are guiltier than all people, boshnu mikol dor, we are more shameful than all generations, gallah mimenu massos, joy has departed from us... Our Land’s beauty went to foreigners, our strength to strangers... Many troubles encompassed us...” etc.
Focus: All the Master of Benevolence asks of you is sincere effort.
