HaRav Rebbe Elazar Brazil, when he was in the ninetieth year of his life, once attended the Bris Milah of one of his grandsons, he approached the baal simcha and asked that if is given any kibud [honor], they should not any important description to his name. But his son-in-law replied that it is brought down in the sefer ‘Agudah’, that everyone must hold his father as a tzaddik, and so it is permissible and fit to call up his father-in-law as ‘HaRav HaTzaddik...’
When Rebbe Elazar heard the response, he said, “I knew that you would not listen to me, and I also know that the descriptions that they will hear will not be right because 'לב יודע מרת נפשו' – ‘the heart knows its own bitterness’ (Mishlei 14:10), But I can at least try that from now on it should be true, and I can accept upon myself to be a tzaddik, as I have never been late.” He then began to speak about himself, “Come, and let us be strengthened in the love of Hashem. Come, let us be strengthened in yiras Shamayim [Fear of Heaven]. I have never been late, and from now on I will be better.” He repeated this to himself many times for several minutes.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu, in His abundance of mercy, gave us days of mercy and selichos, which start from Rosh Chodesh Elul. He wants us to return with Teshuva and correct our deeds. Now, we find ourselves towards the end of the month, even Ashkenaz begin to say selichos, and it is at this time it is possible ‘to sneak’ a strange thought in our hearts that most of the days of mercy have already passed, and perhaps we have lost the opportunity, perhaps by the time we wake ourselves up, the gates Above have already closed?
The ‘invitation’ to return with Teshuva is offered to everyone equally, small and great, young and old, but the yetzer hara as is its way, tries to confuse us with all sorts of lies, and even here it does what it can to confuse us. It tells the young that they do not have to rush now to do Teshuva, when you get older you will have plenty of time for that. It tells the elderly, “Now you remember? It is already too late!” But the truth is that it is ‘never too late’, but you definitely must hurry! It is in regard to this the Tanna said (Avos 2:10), ‘Repent one day before you die’, and this refers to every day, how much more so to days designated for Teshuva! Come and spend these days well, so that we merit a kesivah v’chasima tova.
-Tiv HaMoadim – Yamim Noraim
