“The L-rd, your G-d, shall you follow and Him shall you fear; His commandments shall you observe and to His voice shall you hearken; Him shall you serve and to Him shall you cleave.” –Deuteronomy 13:5
AND TO HIM SHALL YOU CLEAVE: The way one cleaves to G-d is by emulating His ways. Just as he performs kind deeds, so should you; just as He buries the dead (Moses), so should you; and just as he visits the sick (Abraham), so should you.” – Rashi ibid quoting Talmud Sota 14a
Following the Torah reading this Shabbos morning, an unsettling scene occurs in synagogues throughout the world. In the midst of our vacations and respites from the humdrum of our usual schedules, we are awakened by the reality that somebody awaits us upon our return: G-d Himself! This Shabbos we bless and herald the upcoming month of Elul, the month that engenders repentance and introspection, and is the forerunner of the High Holidays. In many congregations, the sound of weeping is heard at the proclamation of the new month, as people realize that our books must be balanced by the collections day. For the young men and women in yeshiva and seminary, Elul is a month of increased study in the ethical realm, and increased seriousness in their attitude and mindset as preparations for the New Year begins in earnest.
For the vast majority of us however, the announcement of the month of Elul is no different than the requisite announcements following services regarding the upcoming community events. The only difference being that the announcements following services are actually in English and understandable. What should our approach be toward the month of Elul, and what is our mission for the next month?
This coming Thursday, we begin reciting Psalm 27 twice a day for the next seven weeks. In this Psalm, King David lays bare his true desire in life: “One thing I ask of G-d, that shall I seek: That I dwell in the House of G-d all the days of my life; to behold the sweetness of G-d and to contemplate in His Sanctuary.” (Psalm 27:4) As we seek to ready ourselves for Elul, we reflect on the approach taken by King David: the yearning to make G-d a part of our lives. We seek to welcome G-d into our home and we hope that G-d will in turn welcome us into His inner chambers.
G-d does not respond to evites and tweets. He has His personal code for connection. In this weeks parsha we are told that the purpose of the numerous mitzvahs is to connect and cleave to G-d. We were even given the method: Emulate His ways by being caring and kind.
AND TO HIM SHALL YOU CLEAVE: The way one cleaves to G-d is by emulating His ways. Just as he performs kind deeds, so should you; just as He buries the dead (Moses), so should you; and just as he visits the sick (Abraham), so should you.” – Rashi ibid quoting Talmud Sota 14a
Following the Torah reading this Shabbos morning, an unsettling scene occurs in synagogues throughout the world. In the midst of our vacations and respites from the humdrum of our usual schedules, we are awakened by the reality that somebody awaits us upon our return: G-d Himself! This Shabbos we bless and herald the upcoming month of Elul, the month that engenders repentance and introspection, and is the forerunner of the High Holidays. In many congregations, the sound of weeping is heard at the proclamation of the new month, as people realize that our books must be balanced by the collections day. For the young men and women in yeshiva and seminary, Elul is a month of increased study in the ethical realm, and increased seriousness in their attitude and mindset as preparations for the New Year begins in earnest.
For the vast majority of us however, the announcement of the month of Elul is no different than the requisite announcements following services regarding the upcoming community events. The only difference being that the announcements following services are actually in English and understandable. What should our approach be toward the month of Elul, and what is our mission for the next month?
This coming Thursday, we begin reciting Psalm 27 twice a day for the next seven weeks. In this Psalm, King David lays bare his true desire in life: “One thing I ask of G-d, that shall I seek: That I dwell in the House of G-d all the days of my life; to behold the sweetness of G-d and to contemplate in His Sanctuary.” (Psalm 27:4) As we seek to ready ourselves for Elul, we reflect on the approach taken by King David: the yearning to make G-d a part of our lives. We seek to welcome G-d into our home and we hope that G-d will in turn welcome us into His inner chambers.
G-d does not respond to evites and tweets. He has His personal code for connection. In this weeks parsha we are told that the purpose of the numerous mitzvahs is to connect and cleave to G-d. We were even given the method: Emulate His ways by being caring and kind.
When we hear the call of Elul this Shabbos, let us use the opportunity to think of new ways that we can invite G-d into our homes. Let us commit to one extra kind act a day for the next month. Let us brainstorm for ways to create a spiritual feng shui in our homes that is inviting and appealing to G-d. And let us use this Elul as an opportunity for engaging ourselves and our fellow Jews to enter the House of G-d, to behold His sweetness, and become acquainted with his inner sanctuary. Amen.
