Friday, August 17, 2012

A Labor Of Love


בס"ד
 The great Mussar sages tell us that when they announced the upcoming Rosh Chodesh Elul in shul, people would already begin to tremble. The image we have of Elul is one of repentance and intense personal growth. We hear the shofar and say extra pirkei tehillim, all in an effort to become better people. Elul is a time of seriousness.
But, if we get hung up on the almost somber aspects of this intense month – we miss one of its greatest themes, love.
Amongst the few acronyms that spell out the letters of Elul is a passuk in Shir Hashirim, "אני לדודי ודודי לי" – "I am (devoted) to my beloved and my beloved is (devoted) to me". Elul is a time of renewed pledges and demonstrations of that love. Elul is not just a time when we invest in ourselves – it is a time when we invest on our relationship with Hashem.
If we spend our entire Elul trembling with fear, we will have totally missed out on an even greater opportunity – to spend this month basking in His love.
There is a world of difference between a worker hurrying to prepare a lavish feast for his master and a love-struck youth preparing a meal for his (or her) beloved. They are both intensely focused and exert great care to have the meal be at its utmost. But one is overawed, and works with an eye towards the door in fearful anticipation, while the other is overcome, and eyes the door in sweet expectation.
This Elul, let us realize our potential and devote ourselves to the loving service of our Creator. And in the same measure that we show our love – we will merit to feel His boundless love for us – as the passuk stresses – "I am to my beloved, and my beloved is to me"

A Gut Chodesh !

Hatzlacha !!



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