Rebbe Shmelke of Nickelsberg zt'l said he doesn't want to go to heaven because there is no Elul in heaven.
Reb Chaim Vital zt'l writes, "In Elul, HaKodosh Baruch Hu becomes a ואהוב ידיד, a friend and beloved to the person who does teshuvah."
The Alter of Kelm zt'l writes in a letter that Elul is beloved in heaven. He quotes the Ramban that says that Elul is the mazal of a besulah- virgin because it represents Hashem’s love for Bnei Yisrael. "Hashem chose this month to prepare their hearts for their Father in heaven, and he loves them even more than before they return to Him."
The Beis Aharon says that the name of last week's parashah, ראה, is the roshei teivos for הולך אלול ראה, "Take note that Elul is leaving."
One can ask, why do we say at the beginning of Elul that Elul is leaving? We should say that Elul has arrived! But the answer is that when Elul arrives, we are happy and simultaneously disappointed because we know that in thirty days, Elul will pass.
וינפש שבת השביעי וביום הארץ ואת השמים, "in six days Hashem created the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested," and Chazal say that we should read it נפש-וי שבת, "When Shabbos passes, woe! The nefesh yeseirah left us."
But this is difficult to understand. The pasuk refers to the arrival of Shabbos, so why do Chazal translate it as though it refers to the leaving of Shabbos?
The Baal Shem Tov zt'l answers that when Shabbos arrives, we are happy with Shabbos, and we are simultaneously disappointed because we know that in twenty-four hours, Shabbos will pass.
There was a businessman who would often seek business counsel from the Sfas Emes. Once, the Sfas Emes told him, “Now it's Elul. The wisest investment, which earns the greatest dividends, is to invest in this month.”
Rebbe Mordechai of Lechovitz zy'a arrived at an inn with his chassidim, and they overheard the innkeeper say to his staff, "This month is the peak season for our business. There is more work now than the entire year. Whoever will work hard this month will earn enough money to last him the entire year. Therefore, my dear workers, I recommend you work extra hours this month and be devoted to your chores. Later on, you will be glad you did so."
Rebbe Mordechai of Lechovitz turned to his chassidim, "We heard enough. Now we can return home." They heard the lesson of Elul.
The Or HaMeir's sister was making a chasunah, and she told her brother, the Or HaMeir, that it would mean a lot to her if he could be by the chasunah. The problem was that the chasunah was in Elul, and the Or HaMeir generally didn’t travel in Elul.
He decided that he would set out on the journey, and if Hashem didn’t want him to go, Hashem would send him a hint that he should return home.
At the beginning of his journey, he saw a young goy beating an old man. Startled, the Or HaMeir asked the young goy why he was hitting the old person.
The goy replied, "This old man is my father. We agreed that he must care for my children, so I can work and plant in the fields. But he sleeps all day, and I have to take care of my children. But if I don’t plant this month, we will lose the entire year’s crops."
The Or HaMeir understood that Hashem was sending him a message: If you miss this month, the results will be felt the entire year, and he returned home.
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk zy’a didn’t see visitors during Elul because he was so involved in the avodah of Elul. Once, however, a wealthy person decided to go to Rebbe Elimelech, even if it was Elul. His son had become insane, r'l, and he needed an immediate yeshuah. He figured that because of his wealth, an exception would be made, and he would be able to get an appointment with the Rebbe.
As the father traveled with his son toward Lizhensk, they met a poor person asking for tzedakah. The son told his father, “Give this man a generous donation.”
This was the first intelligent sentence that the boy had said in a long time. The father was astounded. Since he was so pleased with his son’s improvement, he gave a half-gold coin to the poor man.
The poor man asked, “Where are you traveling?"
The wealthy man told him they were going to Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk because his son had become insane.
The poor man replied, “But don't you see that your son is healed! Why should you bother the tzaddik? The Rebbe doesn’t see visitors in Elul.”
But the wealthy man decided that since he had traveled so far, he would continue.
When he came to Lizhensk, he gave the Rebbe twelve gold coins. The Rebbe said, “You gave Eliyahu HaNavi a half-gold coin, and you give me twelve gold coins?”
That's when the father understood that the poor man he met was Eliyahu Hanavi.
Reb Yisrael Avraham Tchernostrau zt'l (the son of Rebbe Zusha of Honipoli zt'l) told this story and added, “Notice how precious Rebbe Elimelech’s Elul was to Hashem. Eliyahu Hanavi was sent to heal the wealthy man’s son to prevent them from disturbing Rebbe Elimelech's Elul.”
