Novardok ELUL

ELUL

In Novardok, the same person could suddenly be told to go in an opposite direction when needed. Chaim is using a super vitamin which is curing him. But Berel shouldn't get near this vitamin. It's poison for him, since he has a totally different nature, and he needs different treatment. Every Elul and Adar, the Novardokers would have Bedidus for four weeks. They would reassess their Matzav, with their Vaad friends deciding.

"At this point, you need more Mussar or more Torah or more Chesed”. Or “stop your Chasadim; you aren't learning enough”. Or “stop your learning, the Klal needs you”. Every Prat (detail) of their lives and their Hanhagos were tailor made for each Yachid (individual). The #1 Shita of Novardok, of course, was Bitachon. Their positivism was unreal. R' Gershon said publicly that these days, our main Teshuva in Elul should be to improve in Middas HaBitachon.

During Elul, even the biggest Tzaddikim would disappear to be alone with Hashem. R' Elchonon Wassermann Zatzal would visit the Chofetz Chaim during Elul, and later he would visit the famous Mussar Yeshiva, Kelm. Although in those days they had much more Mussar than our Yeshivos have, yet, during Elul there were Yeshiva Bachurim who would visit special Mussar Yeshivos to give themselves an extra injection of Yiras Shamayim. Some of these Mussar Yeshivos could learn Mussar for hours!

Many of these Mussarniks would cry whenever they davened Shmoneh Esrei, and this was all year round! Imagine Elul! During Elul, they would be extra careful with Shmiras HaChushim watching their “senses" i.e. they would watch their mouths, ears, and eyes. They felt that learning Mussar doesn't accomplish that much, if you are always exposing yourself to the opposite of Mussar.

This "Shemira” was from the [unwanted] sights of pre-war eastern Europe, where the streets were a “dream” compared the American streets of today [the Treife Gass street]. The overexposure can hurt your Yiras Shamayim. However, in a sense, our Dor can be considered greater, since we try despite being in a mud-hole of Goyish'keit and materialism.

Imaging the high Madrega of a person in our lowly generation who makes a slight attempt to copy our glorious past! And if he can't do a decent Shmiras HaChushim, then he davens before learning Mussar, and he begs Hashem that the Mussar should sink into his Neshama and turn his Lev Even unfeeling heart into a Lev Basar sensitive heart.