The Zohar calls Rosh Hashanah- היום. This parashah – parashas Re'eh begins with the words היום לפניכם נותן אנכי ראה, which can be translated as, "See that I am giving you days before Rosh Hashanah (היום לפניכם), so you can prepare yourselves on these days for the judgment of Rosh Hashanah. This alludes to the month of Elul when we prepare ourselves with teshuvah and tefillah to merit good judgment for the new year.
When a person presses the brakes, the car doesn't stop instantly. The wheels turn slowly, and gradually the car stops. But if someone pulls the emergency hand brake, the vehicle will stop short immediately. There are times when teshuvah is compared to someone pressing on the brakes of a car. This alludes to the gradual approach to change, where a person gradually improves his ways. This is the standard path for teshuvah. But there are times when one should make an immediate change. Rosh Chodesh Elul is such a time. Although change is generally done gradually, step-by-steply, Elul is a time to make an abrupt change and improve one's ways. About this, it states (Yeshayah 55:7) און ואיש דרכו רשע יעזב 'ה אל וישב מחשבתיו, "The wicked shall give up his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and he shall return to Hashem."
A tightrope walker said that the most challenging part of his stunt wasn’t crossing the rope. The hardest part was when he reached the rope’s end and had to turn around to walk the other way. Turning around is always the hardest part. The same is regarding teshuvah. One must change his path, which is the hardest thing for a person to do.
Happiness
The Chasam Sofer zt'l says that when one does teshuvah, it is a grave aveirah for him to be sad. Now that it is Elul, a time for teshuvah, we should gird ourselves with a lot of simchah. We should be happy that we are returning to Hashem.
Take note of the many times the word שמחה is written in this week's parashah! (Hint, it is written seven times: 12:7, 12:12, 12:18, 14:26, 16:11, 16:14, 16:15.)
In a letter to his son, the Beis Aharon writes, "A person must work on simchah, on being happy, more than all other good middos."
Once, the Beis Aharon rebuked his son for not being happy. His son asked, " I have other faults, and you don't speak to me about them? Why do you rebuke me specifically about happiness?" The Beis Aharon replied, "You have Yiras Shamayim. When you do something wrong, I know you will regret it, so I have no reason to rebuke you in those areas. But people think that being sad isn't so severe. Therefore, I have to train you to always be happy."
Rebbe Yechiel of Alexander zt'l teaches that the roshei teivos of שמח אך והיית spell א"שו, which translates as a lie. This tells us that when it comes to being happy, one may pretend he is happy, even when he isn't. Generally, we avoid acting. A person must be honest and truthful. However, when it comes to being happy, you may pretend because pretending leads to genuine joy. א"שו is found in the roshei teivos. We can explain this because he will only need to pretend to be happy initially. Afterward, he will be genuinely happy. This is for two reasons: One is that a person’s thoughts follow his actions. If he acts like he is happy, he will become happy.
Secondly, people enjoy happy people. So, if you are happy, even if it isn't true at the beginning, your attitude will draw you to many friends, which greatly aids happiness. So, it begins with א"שו, fake, but ends with genuine joy.
Happiness is Mesugal for Parnassah
The final letters of שמח אך והיית spell ך"חת, which represents parnassah, as we say in the tefillos of the yamim noraim, חייים החותך חי לכל, that Hashem carves out life and parnassah for all living beings. Also, the final letters of ךיד תא חפות spell ך"חת, in reference to parnassah, as the holy sefarim tell us. This hints that if a person is happy (and even if it begins with an untrue joy), this will result in parnassah.
We can also prove that simchah results with parnassah from the pasuk (16:15), יברכך כי שמח אך והיית ידיך מעשה ובכל תבואתך בכל אלקיך 'ה, "Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy." If you will only be happy, Hashem will grant you success in all your endeavors.
The Targum Yonoson translates (16:15) שמח אך והיית like this: ָאָחוּתַצְלבְּא ַדְוָןח ַםבְּר ֱווֹןֶהוְת, "You will always be happy with your success." We see the connection between happiness and success.
It states (Devarim 33:18) בצאתך זבלון שמח, "Rejoice Zevulun on your departure," and Rashi writes, לסחורה בצאתך הצלח, "Succeed when you go out to trade." Rashi is saying that the translation of שמחה is הצלחה, because, indeed, happiness will result in your success.
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk zt'l said, "It is possible to become wealthy from any work one does. One can even become wealthy by selling sawdust and splinters. But that is only if he isn't disgusted with this work. If he doesn't like his type of work, there won't be a blessing in it."
Maasar
We discussed happiness as a segulah for wealth. Another segulah for parnassah and financial success is to give maasar, 1/10th of one's earnings, to tzedakah. It states (14:22) תעשר עשר, and the Gemara (Taanis 9.) states, שתתעשר בשביל עשר, "Give maasar so you will become wealthy," and the miforshim say that this also applies to tithing one's income.
Reb Shimon Trop zt'l explains why maasar, more than any other mitzvah, is mesugal for wealth. When one gives maasar, he demonstrates his trustworthiness to fulfill his mission to distribute his wealth to others, and therefore, he can be trusted with more money. It can be compared to someone who was hired to manage money. When he shows he can be trusted, his boss will give him more money to manage.
Derech Moshe (written at the end of Sefer HaGan, day nineteen) writes that he spoke with experts, and they told him that for a funnel to function correctly, its opening must be at least 1/10th of the width of the utensil. If the space is smaller than that ratio, nothing will funnel through.
This is an indication of the importance of giving maasar. If you give a tenth, you become like a funnel, and more will be given to you. But if you give less than a tenth, Heaven won't provide you with bounty.
The Mikor Baruch (written by Reb Boruch Paitusi, printed year 5550, הקודמנים וכת ה"ד נח) explains, "The early scholars say a nice mashal of two people, one was pouring wine through a funnel, and the other was receiving the wine. As long as the funnel is clear, the pourer continues to pour. But if a stone or something else clogs the funnel on the bottom, the receiver will shout, 'Stop pouring! Everything is landing on the ground.' The nimshal is, the one pouring is Hashem yisbarach, Who bestows His kindness to all, the funnel is the wealthy person, and the receiver is the poor person." As long as the wealthy person gives to others, Hashem will continue to give to him. But if he blocks the funnel, the bounty will end, r'l.
The Mikor Boruch offers another mashal, using a person and his shadow as an example. When the person's hand is open, the shadow's hand is also open. But when your hand is closed, the shadow's hand is also closed. The shadow represents Hashem,
