QUESTION
What should we think about during Chodesh Elul when we hear the shofar?
ANSWER
When you hear the shofar being blown there are many things to think about; not one thing. But the first thing you have to think is: Could it be that they blow a shofar in the city and the people are not afraid?! (Amos 3:6). You have to be afraid right away! Eimas hadin – fear of the judgment. It’s very important. The day is coming and you have to be afraid; you must be afraid.
Now, being afraid however, has to have some practical results. You’re saying in selichos all the time something that you never do. “We will search out our ways.” Do you search your ways? You never do it! Did you sit down for five minutes once in your life and search out your ways? Never! Oh, but he’s saying selichos; “We will search out our ways.” Mmmmuh mmmmuh. He’s mumbling the words. What a pity.
So the shofar says, “Start searching your ways!” At least five minutes. Five minutes by the way is a very small time to make an inventory on your business. A businessman who makes a five-minute inventory will go broke. He needs much more than five minutes. But at least five minutes! At least you shouldn’t be a shakran. The whole world is deceiving Hashem. With his mouth and his lips he honors Me; he says “I will search out my ways,” but his heart is far away from Me (Yeshaya 29:13). He doesn’t think about it at all. It’s a terrible thing.
So when you hear the shofar, think about your ways. Why is it that people, frum people, live their entire lives in sin. He’s trying to kill his wife by saying mean words to her and she wants to shorten his life by saying mean words to him. They don’t want to do it chas v’shalom, but that’s what they’re doing – they’re hurting each other. A whole life of ona’as devarim. Each time you say it it’s a terrible sin. A terrible sin to say mean words to each other. And it’s being done in so many houses!
Nachpisah! If you search you’ll find. It’s terrible what’s going on in the houses. People hurt each other’s feelings tremendously. And don’t think it doesn’t have an effect on that person’s health. It affects the health; sure it does. And therefore there’s no lack of things to discover. Once you search, you’ll find. Oh yes, there’s plenty to find.
TAPE # E-124 (September 1997)
