Seize the Moment - Ki Tetze/Elul 5785

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 How often do we get “can’t miss” offers?  They used to come in the mail. “A sale you can’t miss.” “An opportunity for you! Don’t miss it!”  Now it seems we are bombarded with these urgent offers every day all day on our phones. We have become jaded and actually cautious. I hardly believe any of them. 


But… there are in fact opportunities that we should take notice of and not miss. Sometimes we have a life-altering opportunity but we are too busy to take notice and let it slip between our fingers. 


Rosh Hashana is hard to miss. It’s safe to say that any Jew who feels a connection to Judaism and Jewish communities notices Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The synagogues fill up, the impressive voice of the cantor and the unique High Holiday liturgy and melodies move us. The sound of the Shofar penetrates our hearts and the priestly blessings uplift us. The special foods we eat, Challah dipped in honey, apple dipped in honey, and as I learned when I came to California, the most important part of Rosh Hashana - the brisket. 


Elul doesn’t feel so special. We are going about our day, working as usual, eating ordinary food, and at risk of missing out on perhaps the greatest opportunity of the year. As I write a couple of weeks ago, this is the time when “the King is in the Field,” meaning that while there are no great awesome revelations, Hashem is here with each and every one of us. Yes, we are going about our day to day work as usual, but that is the whole point. As we are and whoever we are, even if we perceive ourselves as completely distant from Hashem, His presence is right here. 


It’s not something we can see with our physical eyes, but there is something in the air in Elul. All we need to do is tap into it. How do we do that?  


It is interesting that there are no special Mitzvot in the written Torah for Elul, and the observances like saying extra prayers and blowing the Shofar every day are “just customs.”  But that is the whole point!  This is the time when we turn to Hashem of our own volition, without all the laws and inspiration of the High Holidays. Because if we just desire it, Hashem offers us a unique opportunity to turn to Him and receive His blessings. This opportunity in turn inspires us to Teshuva, to reconnect with who we are and what our inner core essence is - a soul that is one with Hashem. 


Taking time in Elul to prepare for the great and awesome days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur completely transforms the experience. Imagine a child going to a museum of modern art. The kid has no idea what it’s about and probably thinks his classmates hung their art on the walls. Now let’s suppose that child has a teacher who is passionate about art and spends time explaining to the class the incredible beauty and meaning of those pieces. Then the trip to the museum is a completely different experience. 


So how should we prepare?  There are guidelines, but the main point is for us to initiate a new relationship with Hashem. Of course connecting to Hashem means observing the Mitzvot as commanded in the Torah and studying the Torah. But the specific approach to coming closer and “greeting the king in the field” is up to each of us. What is the area in practical Mitzvot that you can improve. What can you refrain from doing to follow the negative Mitzvot. How can you be conscious of Hashem’s presence right here with us in our day to day activities. 


It is advisable to start now to read as much as you can about the significance of Elul, the meaning of each of the upcoming holidays, and their laws and customs. It’s easy to put it off as we go about our days. But it truly is an opportunity to raise ourselves up specifically now before the holidays arrive. Let’s not let it pass. 


And a relevant word about the Parsha. The opening verse is: When you go out to war against your enemy, Hashem will deliver him into your hand…. The literal translation though is not “against your enemy.”  It is “over your enemy.”  Because when we follow the Torah’s instructions on war, we are assured that we will be on top. 


Mystically speaking, the “war with the enemy” is the struggle we all face constantly with our evil inclination. Here too, the Torah is assuring us that we have the inner strength to overcome and be “on top of” the negative drives within us. This is especially so in Elul. When “the King is in the Field” - Hashem is here with each of us wherever we are in the battle, we are assured that our Divine Soul will prevail and we can master our drives, and harness our body and natural drives to Hashem’s service. 


May you be inscribed and sealed for a wonderfully good and sweet year.


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