Rosh Hashanah and Elul, the month preceding it – why are they so important? Each of us has their own particular pivotal experiences or realizations. Those “ah-ha” moments that are so crucial to anyone who is involved in personal growth and development, especially spiritual growth and development. It is those “ah-ha” moments that you remember when you feel frustrated, at those “no options” moments, that help us reframe and move forward. These same “ah-ha” moments will be shared with future generations, to assist them along their own personal Jewish journey. If someone would write a book about you or tell an anecdote, what they will remember more than anything else are those special moments you were able to communicate.
I had one of those moments as a yeshiva student on an August Shabbat in 1976, in a storage room at the back of 770 Eastern Parkway (Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, NY). The Lubavitcher Rebbe was farbrenging – sharing Jewish ideas with thousands of chassidim who were intent on his every word. Raising up their plastic shot glasses to say l’chaim with wine or vodka and the Rebbe nodding to each chassid directly, eye to eye contact. In between each sicha, (sections of his talk), all the English speakers would scramble to this tiny storage room and M, himself a young man but fluent in English and Yiddish, would repeat, and where possible explain, what the Rebbe had said. Until the next sicha began when we all scrambled out again to retake our places.
What did I hear that was so important? The Rebbe explained the deeper meaning of the word rosh (head). Our Jewish new year is called Rosh Hashanah. Why do we call it Rosh Hashanah – the head of the year, and not, new year, or year’s beginning or the inauguration of the year? The Rebbe explained that just like the head controls the body, directing its every move, so the head of the year controls the year. How we behave on Rosh Hashanah affects our effectiveness in all aspects of our lives for the coming year. If a person sleeps in, misses prayers, wastes time or is focused on side issues – that is how their year will be. If a person focuses their strengths, decides what they are going to do and how they are going to do it, using every minute possible to make G-d King, then that is how their year will be. A very important message!
How do we guarantee that we will maximize Rosh Hashanah? The secret is the month of Elul. Chassidic tradition teaches that during the month of Elul, the King (G-d) is in the field. The whole year He is in His palace. Only the privileged can enter. For one month a year the King goes out into the fields to see His people. Even though they are in their work clothes, even though they are involved in their mundane activities. And whoever makes an effort to come to see the King, right there, in the fields, the King will welcome them to His palace on His return. This is the analogy. It is telling us that the month of Elul is the time to break out of our regular ingrained activities, to change our negative behaviors. This is the guarantee that the King will accept our prayers during Rosh Hashanah and all the High Holidays.
Those five minute in the storeroom at the back of 770 changed forever the way I behave in Elul.
I just shared one of my first Jewish “ah-ha” moments with you.
What “ah-ha” moment are you going to share with your family at your Shabbat and festival table?
Wishing you a very meaningful Elul!
Shaul