In the year ש"ת, at the outbreak of the War, many cities in Romania came under Hungarian rule. The city of Satmar is an example of this. It used to be a Romanian city, and during the war, it became part of Hungary. Moshe Friedman, a bachur from Earmanshtat, Romania, studied in Satmar. He was orphaned from his father. His mother rushed to the yeshiva to take her son home. She explained she was afraid that the borders might close, and then her son wouldn't be able to return to Romania. However, her son didn't want to leave Satmar. He said, "It is better for Yidden in Hungary than in Romania, and besides, my Rebbe is here." They went to the Satmar Rebbe zt'l and asked his opinion. He agreed with the mother that the bachur should return home to Romania and added, "If I could, I would also return to Romania."
During Shalosh seudos, the Rebbe mentioned in his divrei Torah the pasuk (Devarim 32:8) עמים גבולות יצב, "He sets the boundaries of nations." He explained that Hashem changes the borders of countries, ישראל בני למספר, and it is all for the Jewish nation so they can have a place to escape to. The Satmar Rebbe advised the bachur to escape while it was still possible. Had he waited, by year ד"תש, he wouldn't be able to escape.
This is a mashal for the month of Elul. Hakodosh Baruch Hu tells us that the days of judgment are coming, but now you can escape your enemy, the yetzer hara. You can run and improve your ways with teshuvah. It states (Shemos 21:13) מקום לך ושמתי לידו אנה והאלקים שמה ינוס אשר, "...I will make a place for you to which he shall flee." Seforim Hakedoshim write that the roshei teivos of ךל שמתיו ידול נהא spell out the word אלול. These are the days that we can escape from the yetzer hara and our deficient ways and set out on a new path.
It states (Devarim 3:23) לאמר ההוא בעת 'ד אל ואתחנן, "I prayed to Hashem at that time, saying..." When was that special time, that Moshe davened? When was the ההוא בעת? It was in the month of Elul. The proof is that Rashi writes that Moshe davened, לאחר ועוג סיחון ארץ שכבשתי, "after I conquered the lands of Sichon and Og..." The Midrash (Bamidbar Raba 19:32) teaches that the wars of Sichon and Og were in Elul. So ההוא בעת is in Elul. That is when Moshe davened. It is an eis ratzon for tefillah.
Bnei Yissaschar (Elul 1:9) explains that the months of Tamuz and Av are difficult months for the Jewish nation, they are months that fell into the portion of Eisav HaRasha. They are called רש דל, which both words mean poor. But Elul is ההיא בעת. Add the letters ת"ע to דל and רש, and they become ר"שע ,ת"דל, doorways and entrances. This hints that in Elul, the doors of heaven are open to accept our teshuvah and tefillos. As it states בתשובה לדופקי שער הפותח, "Hashem opens the gates for those who knock on it to do teshuvah." Heaven is also open during this month to accept our tefillos. It states (Eichah 3:44) תפלה מעבור לך בענן סכתה, "You have enveloped Yourself in a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." But in Elul, the gates of heaven are open and our tefillos can ascend. The Bnei Yissaschar writes, "In Elul, the gates of heaven are opened to accept our tefillah and teshuvah. Moshe Rabbeinu accomplished this for all generations. Moshe davened a lot ההוא בעת, in this month. לאמר, this means we should tell all future generations that this is the time the heavens are open to receive with compassion the tefillos of Yisrael."
