BS”D
SMOOTH
SAILING –
ELUL
Shira
Smiles shiur –
August 25, 2013/Elul 19, 5773
Summary
by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Dedicated
in honor of the yartzeits of Tova Yehudis bas
Meshalum, 17 of Elul (Edith Gross) &, Chava bas Aharon,19 of Elul
(Audrey
Seide) by Holly Gross of Miami Beach.
Among the verses that provide an acronym for Elul is a lesser known one
that
comes from the chapter in the Torah about cities of refuge. What
connection can
there be between someone who is forced to flee to a city of refuge for
negligent manslaughter and Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah?
Perhaps we can
see the connection if we recognize the city of refuge as a holy place.
Here, in
the city of refuge, one can escape the dangers and lures of the
physical,
material world that have contributed to his negligence, and he can let
his soul
break free. Here he has the opportunity to live again and develop his
spiritual
essence.
How can we also enter into a holy enclave? In giving instructions for
the
service of the High Priest on Rosh Hashanah, the Torah says, “B’zos
yavoh Aharon
el hakodesh –
with this shall Aharon come into the Sanctuary.”
Simply interpreted, “this”
refers to the
incense pan and the incense which Aharon brings into the Sanctuary to
perform
the service. But our rabbis see many layers of meaning in this verse,
instructions on how we, too, can enter into our personal sanctuaries
and holy
places.
We each have a sanctuary within ourselves, our holy souls, and our wise
men see
the instructions to Aharon as he enters the Sanctuary as having
relevance to
each of us, to help us enter our personal sanctuaries. Indeed we have a
very
strong holy place to enter into on earth. Rabbi Shlomo Friefeld in In
Search
of Greatness discusses how we can enter into a holy realm through
the
portal of Shabbos. Rabbi Friefeld explains that when one lets the
sanctity of
Shabbos enter his soul, his entire being becomes suffused with
sanctity, a
sanctity that will permeate not just Shabbos, but the entire week.
R.Matityahu
Salamin draws on a line in the beautiful Lecha Dodi poem with
which we
greet the Shabbos Queen each Friday night: “To
greet the Shabbos Queen let us go, for it is the source of the blessing.”
How can we tap into the blessings of Shabbos? Our Rabbis teache
us that
the anticipation of Shabbos should prompt us to greet it early, to
bring
Shabbos into our homes earlier than the time of candle lighting, and in
this
way show our love for this special gift Hakodosh Boruch Hu has given
us. By
doing so, we tap the wellsprings of blessings Hashem wants to rain down
upon
us, from our physical sustenance, to finding our soul mate, to raising
children
in the proper environment. When we show Hashem that we can’t
wait to spend
intimate time with Him, He reciprocates that love with material as well
as
spiritual blessings. Therefore, anticipate its arrival all week, and
remember
it both with preparation and by keeping Shabbos as the focus of the
week.
When we tap into the sanctity of Shabbos, we must be even more aware of
our
actions and speech. Shabbos is a time for tranquility, for pleasant
speech, for
a table aglow with the spirit of Shabbos even as the candles may be off
on an
adjoining ledge.
Rabbi Friefeld quotes from the Midrash an additional method by
which we
can enter the sanctuary, through Torah learning. The light of Torah
will
suffuse our beings if we take the time to toil in Torah. While women
may not
have as strong an obligation to study Torah as do men, (According to
the Maharal,
this is because women by nature tend to be more tranquil than men, and
therefore more receptive to spirituality than men.) they are
nevertheless
required to study those laws pertinent to them. These include all the
negative
commandments, the laws of Shabbos and kashrus, and many others. By
creating a
timeframe in which one can immerse oneself in Torah study, even for
just a few
minutes each day, says Rabbi Segal, we demonstrate that the resolutions
we make
on Rosh Hashanah are not just empty words.
We live our lives on the stormy waters of a physical world, yet our
souls yearn
for the spiritual and holy. Here again Rabbi Friefeld instructs us by
using one
word that Rabbi Yochanan says in the Midrash“Captain.”
We are not in control of the sea, but we must be in control of our
actions, and
we must accept responsibility and the consequences of our actions. To
get
through our lives and reach our destination of actualizing our
spiritual
potential, we must retain control and be consistent in our actions.
Hashem
sends us choices and challenges. If we are the captains, we must
recognize that
the constantly frustrating situations we face daily may be there to
teach us
patience, that this is the character problem our particular voyage
faces. This
is the attitude we must assume whenever we are faced with multiple
challenges
of a similar nature. Perhaps we need to learn how to navigate toward a
generous
spirit, and so we are constantly fielding requests for charity. Hashem
has sent
our souls to school with the particular curriculum designed for each of
us.
We live in a physical world with other people. We are responsible for
our
actions and our speech towards them as well. As such, continues Rabbi
Friefeld,
we must be cognizant of how our words and actions may impact someone
else. Do
we take the time to acknowledge the efforts of someone serving us with
attention to detail (even if it takes a few moments away from Torah
study)? Are
we careful not to denigrate someone, especially a child or a student,
for he
may keep that hurt and that label within himself for a long time? We
are the
captains; we must always act responsibly, in our private lives, with
our family
members, and with the world.
Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller offers us food for thought. She asks us to
contemplate how we define ourselves. Do we base our worth and self
image on
externals, such as the size of our office, the luxury of our car and
home, or
on the potential of our holy soul and the talents and characteristics
Hashem
has invested in us? We live in reality, not in practice, and the
choices we
make must be carefully considered.
In Sichot Hitchazkut, Rabbi Zvi Mayer Silverberg points out
that each of
us has two major names signifying our identities. One name is given us
by our
heavenly Father and the other by our earthly parents. Our lifelong
challenge is
to synchronize the two so that our earthly identity matches our God
given
potential.
Along these lines, Rabbi Leff in Shiurei Binah explains that
when
Hakodosh Boruch Hu called to Avraham Avinu as Avraham was about to
sacrifice
Yitzchak, Hashem called out Avraham, Avraham, signifying that Avraham
had
reached the point where his physical existence matched his spiritual
potential.
Rav Avraham Yaakov Pam uses the concept of our heavenly image and name
to offer
guidance in doing teshuvah. We must be aware, writes Rav Pam,
that the
image of our perfected selves already exists and is real. We are not
creating
something new. Our mission is to exercise our independence as human
beings to
achieve the reality of our true selves, a reality that already exists.
Our
choices must reflect the vision of our higher self, the one God has
created
exclusively for us. Each of us is the “master
of my fate; the captain of my soul,”
and we must steer the ship of our lives to the safe shore our souls
demand.
Shana
Tova