By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
With Rosh Hashana a mere three weeks away, and no special license needed to do teshuvah, it’s time to get serious.
The pasuk in Bamidbar says “Al kein yomru hamoshlim bo’u Cheshbon,” therefore, the prophets who speak in parables say to come to [and capture the city of ] Cheshbon. On a simplistic level, this refers to an episode in the midbar; Sichon, king of the Emori, had gone to war with Moav and conquered Cheshbon. Although the Jews were forbidden to start wars with Moav, there was no such prohibition on Cheshbon, since it no longer belonged to Moav.
But Chazal read another meaning into this pasuk. Moshlim can mean “rulers”; these are the tzaddikim who have overpowered the yetzer hara. They say, “Come and make the cheshbon, the calculation of eternity: the loss incurred through a mitzvah versus its reward, the benefit of an aveirah versus its punishment.”
The Ramchal writes that the moshlim, who rule over their yetzer hara, advise others to make the calculation. A person spends most of his time engaged in affairs of this world, which are merely temporary. Why not engage his heart in serious thought, even for just a short while? Who are we, and why have we come to this world? What does the Melech Malchei Hamelachim want from us? What will be our end? This is most potent cure for the yetzer hara: to stop and think.
“He shall seek in his heart,” the Ramchal writes. “What did the early ones, the Avos, do that Hashem loved them so much? What did Moshe Rabbeinu do? What did David, the mashiach Hashem do, and all the great people who preceded us? Thus it will enter his heart to do what is good for a person to do all of his days, so that it will be good for him.”
The simplest and best method for taking life seriously, for focusing on our mission in this world. No charge. No license needed.
This is the essence of what we need to do in Elul, to prepare for the day of judgment, and hope and pray for a kesiva v’chasima tova.
