During Elul and Y'mei Teshuva We Try to Emulate Our King
Chazal say: ח י יבְ א ד םְ לוֹמ רְְמ ת יְ י ג יעוְּ מ עֲ ש יְְ ל מ עֲ ש הְ א בוֹת י A person needs to aspire to reach the lofty heights of the Avos. Chazal also say “Be from the Talmidim of Ahron” and “Be from the Talmidim of Avraham Avinu”. And the Rambam says that every person can become like Moshe Rabeinu. Of course, all the Tzadikim of Tanach and Chazal etc. are there for us to emulate. However, when it comes to Elul, the Zman of Teshuva (Maharil), I would suggest that Dovid is our special address.
Chazal say: ל ֹּאְ ח ט אְְד ו דְ אֶ ל אְ ל הוֹרוֹתְ ת שוּב הְְ ל י ח יד Dovid sinned only in order to teach us how to do Teshuva. We see that Dovid was concerned about our doing Teshuva, and he was M'vazeh himself with the most shameful sin, just so WE should do Teshuva. Similarly, the Gemara says that Dovid overheard Yidden wishing he’d be dead, so that Shlomo can build the Bais Hamikdash and we will be Oleh Regel (since Dovid wasn’t allowed to build the Bais Hamikdash) and Dovid was happy.
We see the selflessness of the true Melech, and Malchus means being “above” the normal person’s way of thinking (only about himself). On Rosh Hashanah, we blow the Shofar to be: ל ְמ ְמ ְיךְ coronate Hashem with great Simcha over His beautiful world; where He isn’t seen, and He is the Creator Himself, who is constantly showering His world with goodness. Similarly, the: ק ר ש ים tall boards of the Mishkan are supported by silver “feet” called: א ד נ ים Adanim... the unseen bottom of the Mishkan is actually its “Adon”. (Meforshim)
The true Melech (Dovid) is always doing Chesed with his nation (Gemara) and all he cares about is their welfare. The Mesilas Yesharim mentions that when Dovid saw that Klal Yisroel was on a high level of Simcha, he davened that they should remain on that level. And here we see how Dovid was happy about their wanting to be Oleh Regel, and how he was Moser Nefesh (in the Ma'aseh of Bas Sheva) that Yidden should do Teshuva, and feel that they always have hope, no matter what they did, so he did the lowest of the low, being M'zaneh with: שְֶא ְתְ א ְיש a married woman and killing her husband!
To us it appears like a great Chizuk, that the greatest Melech Chasid should fall so low, and still remain a Tzaddik through his Teshuva. The Baal Teshuva needs Chizuk, and the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva goes all out to reassure and be M'chazek him.
Dovid HaMelech’s very essence is Chizuk for the Klal. When you see his unlimited horrific Nisyonos, you never feel like you’re inferior to others (since you have more challenges). And when you are overwhelmed by your scary impulses, like Ka'as, Kin'ah, Ta'ava, and Kavod, etc. then you remember that Dovid not only had arrogant Mo’avi blood, but he was an Admoni with a similar Yetzer Hara to Eisav HaRasha himself!
Many people feel shortchanged in Avodas Hashem, because they aren’t capable to do what is normally done. Like a weakness in learning abilities, the shortcuts in Tefila, or all kinds of Bedi'eved’s in Halacha that were made for the nebachs and Baalei Teshuva who aren’t capable of being “real”.
All those class-B Yeshiva Bachurim who cannot keep up with the normal Yeshivos, and all kinds of: ת ְהְֶיר ְים leniencies which make you feel inferior. The Din of Y’fas To’ar is a major: קוּהל ְ allowance, and ל ְֹּאְד ְר ְב ְהְתהְְר ְוֹ ל ְאְֶאְ כ ְגְֶנְֶדְ י ְצְֶרְ ה ְר ְעְ the Torah was acknowledging human weakness. A soldier is in a special difficult Pikuach Nefesh environment, and the Rambam says that he can even eat Treife.
If you had to be: מ ְיק ְלְ lenient and marry a Y’fas To’ar while you were in the army, it would make you feel somewhat embarrassed, since you needed this Heter because of your difficulty with self-control. Yet, Dovid HaMelech himself, the Tzaddik Yesod Olam of Klal Yisroel, had two famous children from two Y’fas To’ar’s that he married, Avshalom and Adoniyahu.
And indeed, they were not known to be Tzadikim, and he had aggravation from them. And the Gemara says he actually had 400 children from Y’fas To’ar women! How much Chizuk do we get from Dovid HaMelech, who opened doors for Baalei Teshuva and broken-hearted souls who feel inferior in different areas of Yiddishkeit.
Look how Dovid is always a source of comfort and hope for all of us, not to be Mya'esh on ourselves. And indeed, he is the author of the Chazal: א פ ילוְּחֶ רֶ בְח ד הְמוּנ ח תְע לְצ ו ארוְֹשֶ לְא ד ם,ְְ א לְ י ת י א שְ מ ןְ ה ר חֲ מ יםְְברכותְ יְ א As impossible as your situation may seem, NEVER give up hope! His grandson Chizkiyahu went against the Nevua of Yeshaya with this Yesod, and he succeeded. The opposite of Eisav, who: ו יּ בֶ זְ ע ש וְ אֶ תְ ה ב כֹּ ר הְְכהְ לדְ gave up and had no hope.
Of all the many Maalos the Mesilas Yesharim describes Dovid, he mentions that Dovid was concerned that Klal Yisroel should continue being on a high level of Simcha. Davka being B'simcha concerns Dovid the most. This is his life, giving Chizuk and hope, since Teshuva is his line to such a degree that he’s willing to do an ugly Chet (Bas-Sheva) just to be M'chazek us in Teshuva.
Just as: א לְ י ת י א שְ מ ןְ ה ר חֲ מ ים “never give up hope” applies to Gashmiyus issues, so does it apply to Ruchaniyus, i.e. you can always do Teshuva. The whole idea of Teshuva is strengthening yourself with Chizuk and not giving up. R' Nosson of Breslov Zatzal said that the whole Madrega of R' Nachman was his level of Chizuk, and the same with holy Baal Shem Tov, the Arizal, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; each one’s Madrega came from their high levels of Chizuk. How important it is to give time and Kochos to be: מְ רוֹמֵ ם uplift ourselves in Elul without Yi'ush, and be Zoche to: ת שוּב הְְ שלמה with Hashem’s help.
Notice how the last Passuk of the מ ז מוֹר of Elul and Teshuva is: ק וּ הְאֶ לְְה'ְְחֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵ ץ לִּ בֶךָ Have Bitachon in Hashem, and be M'chazek your heart. Chizuk! Chizuk! Chizuk! And the main Chizuk is in Bitachon (ו ק וּ הְאֶ לְה') and to never give up. Like R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal said towards the end of his life, that the main Teshuva for our Dor is Middas HaBitachon.
I have heard a great and awesome Yesod from Chasidim and Baalei Mussar. The main difference between a Tzaddik and a Rasha is that a Tzaddik doesn’t give up! Like it says: שֶ ב עְ י פוֹלְ צ ד יקְ ו ק םְְמשליְ כדְְטז A Tzaddik falls seven times, and gets up!
