Lively Repentance

 Chai – a Hebrew word that most people easily identify with life.  People like to wear Chai necklaces, and many give Tzedakah in multiples of 18, because the numerical value of the two Hebrew letters that spell Chai, chet and yud, have the numerical value of 18.  There are Chai Centers and Chai Clubs, and the word and what it represents are ubiquitous in Jewish culture.  This is also true on our calendar.  The 18th day of a month connotes a special kind of life on that day. 

 

Today is the 18th day of the Jewish month of Elul.  Therefore this is a day of special life in the month, and in the work of Elul.  Elul, the last month of the year, is a time for introspection and teshuvah.  Just as every business must from time to time, usually at the end of a fiscal year, make a full accounting of how the business is performing, so too each individual needs to stop and take some time to consider where we are in life.  The business person carefully reviews each aspect of the business, considering which areas are doing well and where the weaknesses are.  He or she will expand the successful parts, and do everything possible to rectify the problems.  This is the personal work of Elul, when we take a personal reckoning of our progress, our challenges, and where we stand in fulfilling our purpose in life. 

 

This accounting and Teshuvah can lead us in various directions.  Teshuvah means to return.  When a person finds themselves on the wrong path, they need to get back to the right path as soon as possible.  They don’t have to create a new path or change any existing paths.  They simply need to identify where they are, realize that they are not heading in the direction that they need or wish to be on, and head back to the right path.  The problem is that sometimes when a person realizes they are straying, or even worse if they are lost, they get frightened and depressed, and may give up hope of finding the right path.  This sometimes happens with Teshuvah.  We make an honest accounting of our connection to Hashem and the Torah, and we may feel as if we are lost and give up on being able to grow in our Judaism and rise on the ladder of Judaism.  Sometimes we try to fight with ourselves, to focus on how wrong we are or how far away from Torah we are, and this causes us to feel helpless in the face of our perception of ourselves as “not good enough,” or “not religious enough.”  Even if we do decide to change our ways, often it comes with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, which further hinder our growth and success.

 

Going back to the analogy of a person lost and on the wrong path, what he or she might need most is a guide to show them the right way to the path.  Someone who can give them hope and encouragement, and to lead them with confidence and faith.  Then the return trip becomes one of joy and happiness, one filled with life, with the knowledge that the return is possible, available and within reach.

 

Enter the 18th of Elul.  On this day, two of the greatest luminaries in Jewish life were born.  The Baal Shem Tov, who founded the Chassidic movement, and two generations later, the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad movement.  These two saintly people introduced the idea of an Elul filled with life.  They are the guides who show us how we can all, no matter where we might be in the path of life, find the way to connection, fulfillment of our mission and even holiness.  They taught us that, rather than wallowing in our faults and mistakes and succumbing to guilt and despair, we should focus on our potential.  We can all confidently move forward and upwards in our service to Hashem if we have faith in Him and the soul He gave us.  We don’t need to break our bodies or fight with our drives.  We just need to follow the guidance of these great luminaries and those who explained their teachings, to identify the correct path for us to follow, and get back on track.  Every individual can do this without exception. 

 

With this knowledge, with the faith that each of us can achieve greatness, our work of Teshuvah becomes filled with life and light, joy and happiness.  This helps and motivates us to do the necessary work of facing our challenges and instituting real changes in our day to day observance of Torah and Mitzvot.  We can begin to tackle the tough habits in the knowledge that if we set our minds to it, we will succeed.

 

One way to succeed on the Teshuvah of Elul is to make a concrete commitment to add one observance or enhancement of observance of a Mitzvah, to commit to refrain from a forbidden activity, and to accept one more good behavior for the coming year.  This provides us a bite size, realistic way to take a step or two up the spiritual ladder.  May you be blessed with great success in the Elul work, and may you be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet New Year.