The new year is at our doorstep. The outgoing year is soon finished. This preparatory month of Elul is one of the most significant times of the year.
On the one hand, it is a solemn month, known as “chodesh hacheshbon”—the month for stock-taking and evaluating one’s progress in their service of Hashem. Yet, at the same time, this month is chodesh harachamim—a time when Hashem’s mercy is bountiful, an opportune time for our teshuvah to be accepted.
In the famous analogy regarding Elul, first told by the Alter Rebbe, of the “melech basadeh,” the king in the field, he writes of the King that, “He greets each one with a gracious and cheerful face.”
In our own avodah (service of Hashem) as well, these two positions are manifest. Solemnity on one hand, joy on the other.
Elul in Lubavitch
The most famous description of how a Chassidisher Elul is supposed to look can be found in the Previous Rebbe’s talk of Pesach 5694 (1934). He begins with the sudden change of atmosphere on Shabbat Mevorchim Elul in Lubavitch:
“True, it was an ordinary clear-skied day of sunshine, but the air had changed. One could already feel the Elul-scent. The ‘teshuvah-wind’ was already blowing in the air. Every Jew became more attentive and introspective, and began forgetting about all his weekday [mundane] activities...
“Every day of Elul was entirely different than the ordinary days of the year. Lying in bed at six o’clock in the morning, one could hear how the sunrise minyan completed their davening and the shofar sound was heard. The sound of the shofar woke you up to the fact that Elul is here!”
Our Work
It is important to remember that although the month of Elul is compared to the time when the king comes out to the field and is gracious to each and every person, we too must do our part. Especially given the fact that the “King” is so close by, we must work to better ourselves and not remain at the same level we were previously.
The Rebbe often quoted an instruction that during the month of Elul, one should focus on prayer and teshuvah more than the rest of the year. The Torah subjects studied during this period should also focus on arousal to service of Hashem; like the text Derech Chayim of the Mitteler Rebbe (the second Rebbe of Chabad) and Iggeret HaTeshuvah of the Alter Rebbe. The Rebbe also added that it is important to learn “avodah’dike” maamarim (Chassidic discourses that focus on one’s avodah).
“This is not to say that we should learn less,” the Rebbe cautioned. “Only that we are to add in prayer and avodah so much that it seems as though the learning is less. But in truth, we must increase in Torah learning during Elul as well...”
adapted from Derher
