Question: With Elul half gone, and Rosh Hashanah quickly approaching, what are some things we can do in order to be Zoche B'din?
Answer: To be Zoche B'din make sure you’re relaxed and happy. Being in “Din mode” is: ל ַאוַד ַו ַק ַא (not necessarily) good for the situation. Especially in our Dor, where: עַל מִי יֵשׁ לְהִשָּׁעֵן, עַל אָּׁבִינוּ שֶׁׁבַשָּׁמָּׁיִם משנה סוף סוטה we have no one to rely upon, other than our loving Father in Shamayim. You are not: סוֹמֵ ךְ (rely) on your Teshuva and Ma’asim Tovim (which you should try to do as best you can anyway). You could be loaded with sins, but as long as you run to Hashem then you’ll be okay, with Hashem’s help (but make sure to start improving!). Avoid stress and worry. Just let Hashem take over your life, and with Hashem’s help, someday you’ll have a Teshuva Shleima also.
Even Reshaim can make out better than Tzaddikim because they are more in a relaxed Bitachon mode. If you can’t stop your tension, you also don’t worry, since you try to be “chilled”. On Rosh Hashanah you can’t even say the word “Chet”! Just aim towards Hashem and His unconditional goodness, and you’ll be Zoche, with Hashem’s help. You may have to spend your Elul saying to yourself all day: אוֹנֵס רַחְמָּׁנָּׁא פַטְרֵיה ב"ק כח ב I couldn’t help it, and I’m not Chayav (responsible)!
Of course, we are basically serious people, and there is a time and place to make a Cheshbon HaNefesh (soul-searching) to improve on what we are capable of improving. But our main direction is Simcha and Bitachon and Hoda'ah (gratitude) and being close to Hashem, despite our worst sins. A Chashuva person once gave a Shmuess in Lakewood, and pointed out that the Tochacha (the horrible punishments mentioned at length in this week’s Parsha) was: תַחַת אֲשֶׁׁר לֹא עָּׁבַדְתָּׁ אֶׁת ה' אֱלֹקֶׁיךָ בְשִמְחָּׁה וּבְטוּב לֵבָּׁב תבא כח מז because we didn’t serve Hashem with Simcha, NOT because of Aveiros!
By the way, you don’t have to be such a Simcha’dik or Bitachon’dik person. You can remain a good old grouchy nervous frumie, as long as you try to be more thankful to Hashem and Simcha’dik, etc. It’s fine! And no matter how many Bain Adam La'chaveiro issues and Hakpados and anger, etc., you’re still 100% okay! We just try. And by some of us, as long as we want to try.
