Continuing on this journey, we will now explain the fascinating relationship between the month of Elul and shevet Gad. We will refer to the explanation of the Panim Yafos (Acharei Mot) of the teaching in the Mishnah (Kesubos 57a): "נותנין לבתולה שנים עשר חודש"—a virgin is afforded twelve months. He asserts that the sages were alluding to the month of Elul whose zodiac-sign is a virgin. She is afforded from above the power to rectify via teshuvah all the wrongdoings of the past “twelve months.” Not only can a Jew mend his ways going forward, but he can make amends retroactively for the entire past year.
Let us elaborate. Through teshuvah in the month of Elul, not only are we able to rectify all our wrongdoing of the past year but also all the mitzvos we performed “lo l’shma” in the past year. Since they were “lo l’shma,” they failed to ascend to the Kisei HaKavod, but once they are rectified, it will be as if they were performed l’shma—exclusively for the sake of Hashem.
This explains fabulously the allusion of our early scholars originating in the commentary of the Rokeiach on the passuk (Shir HaShirim 6, 3): "א'ני ל'דודי ו'דודי ל'י ראשי תיבות אלו"ל, שהתשובה מתחלת באלול". This is a declaration of the mutual relationship and devotion between a Jew and HKB”H. Its first letters spell אלו"ל. By means of the teshuvah performed in Elul, we can confirm our relationship with the Almighty— "א'ני ל'דודי" –- by rectifying all of the mitzvos we performed, so that they will be for the sake of our Heavenly Father, referred to in the passuk as “my Beloved.” In return: "ו'דודי ל'י"—HKB”H supplies us an abundance of all that is good from above for the upcoming, auspicious, new year.
Now, we are familiar with the passuk (Iyov 1, 6): "ויהי היום ויבואו בני האלהים להתייצב על ה' ויבוא גם השטן בתוכם." “It happened one day; the angels came to stand before Hashem, and the Satan, too, came among them.” The Zohar (Bo 32b) interprets ״היום״—“the day”—as a reference to Rosh HaShanah, the day on which HKB”H stands in judgment of the world. It interprets "בני האלהים"—the sons of G-d—as the prosecuting angels, led by the Satan, who come to accuse Yisrael of wrongdoing. Therefore, the passuk portrays them as “standing before Hashem,” because in a sense they are opposing Hashem, Who wants to vindicate Yisrael.
This explains magnificently the connection between the month of Elul and shevet Gad. Moshe blessed them: “And he will tear off an arm as well as a head”—that they should be able to lop off the head and the arm of the klipah in one fell swoop. They merited this by performing the mitzvah of tefillin meticulously—without interrupting between the shel-yad and shel-rosh.
We have explained that the donning of the shel-yad and the shel-rosh without interrupting in between is to elevate the service of Hashem that was “lo l’shma”—alluded to by the left arm—to the status of service of Hashem l’shma—alluded to by the shel-rosh. This is precisely what we aim to accomplish via teshuvah in the month of Elul—rectifying all of last year’s mitzvos that were not performed l’shma. Thus, we will succeed in cutting off the heads and arms of all the klipos preventing them from prosecuting Yisrael on Rosh HaShanah. In this merit, we will deserve a “kesivah va’chasimah tovah,” and a year of redemption and salvation—swiftly, in our times! Amen.
