As we are coming closer to Rosh Hashanah we begin to study how we behaved during the past year, what has to be improved and what are going to be our resolutions for the new year.
We all know that the Month of Ellul is a month of Teshuva and prayer. Many have the Minhag to say Selichos the whole month of Ellul and many start a week before Rosh Hashanah.
Although we spend time doing Teshuva in Ellul and we will be able to wipe out all our sins, it isn't enough. We also have to improve our ways and improve our Mitzvos. It isn't enough just to be 'Sur Mera' to avoid doing bad. We also have to be 'Asei Tov' to do good.
By doing both we can hope we will be able to tip the scales in our favor.
Rabbi Yosef Sisu Hakohen zt"l the Rabbi of Tunis brings down the following story in his Sefer Avoseinu Sipru Lanu.
A big Rabbi arrived in a town. The Rabbi, on his travels when arriving in a town or village, he would check out if the townsfolk were studying Torah and doing Mitzvos properly.
He stopped someone and asked him what was the spiritual situation in town.
The man replied that everyone was very particular not to murder, not to steal, no swindlers.
"And what about Shabbos, Kashrus, Chessed, Tzedaka and Torah study," asked the Rabbi?
"Rabbi,” replied the man, “one can't have everything. Isn't good enough that we are particular not to do anything wrong?"
The Rabbi understood and didn't say anything more.
He continued walking deep in thought trying to find a way to open the eyes of the townspeople that they had to rectify their behavior.
As he was walking he smelt a very strange and strong smell. As he looked he saw a dead donkey covered in flies.
He was ready to throw up. But then it hit him.
He turned to his attendant and asked him to go and buy a thick black sheet.
When the attendant returned he took the sheet and told him to go and announce in all the local Shuls that there is a Mes Mitzva - someone who died and no one to take care of the burial and everyone should attend the funeral as a big Rabbi will be given a hesped - an eulogy.
Burying a Mes Mitzva overrides other Mitzvos and the Jewish area of the town came to a standstill. All the stores closed and everyone, men, women and children came to pay respect.
But they weren't sure who had died or been killed.
The Rabbi started his eulogy.
When we have a Mes Mitzva it overrides all other Mitzvos. But in this case all the more so. We are paying our final respect to a great Tzaddik. He never spoke idle talk and of course never spoke Lashon Hara or evil talk.
If anyone spoke badly about him or insulted him, he never replied. He suffered embarrassment in silence.
If anyone hit him he just accepted it and never fought back.
Furthermore he was distant from any gashmiyos - materialism. He never ate meat, never drank wine and never slept on a bed.
"Oy oy," cried the Rabbi, "we had such a Tzaddik in our midst and we never respected him as befitting for such a great person,"
By now everyone was in tears. Everyone was trying to figure out who was the hidden Tzaddik that lived in their town and they never knew his greatness.
"Rabbi," they called out, "tell us who was it?"
The Rabbi stepped down and pulled off the black sheet and everyone reeled in shock to see a dead donkey smelling to the heavens.
"Rabbi, is this meant to be a joke," they asked?
"Why a joke," replied the Rabbi. "Everything I said was true. The donkey was humble, never spoke, survived on the basic minimum and did nothing wrong. But even so the donkey stays a donkey."
"Why," asked the Rabbi?
"Because it never did anything to elevate itself spiritually. It never learned Torah, never davened and never fulfilled any Mitzvos. So it remained a donkey. My dear townspeople if we don't learn Torah, keep Shabbos, Kashrus and fulfill Mitzvos, even if we do nothing wrong we are just like the donkey."
The truth is, there is a difference. The donkey doesn't have an evil inclination. We have a Yetzer Hara that tries to make us do bad and if we control ourselves we are fulfilling our purpose and growing spiritually as well.
But even so we have to try and improve our Mitzvos, Torah study and our prayer to ultimately reach our purpose in life.
