Special Features
for Parshat R'ei
ELUL
What's in a name?
The word ELUL - ALEF-LAMED-VAV-LAMED - is an acronym (Rashei Teivot) for several phrases
that have meaning relevant to the themes and mood of this pre-
Yamim Nora'im month.
Most famous is probably ANI L'DODI V'DODI LI from Shir HaShirim (6:3), which beautifully
and succinctly describes the love relationship between HaShem and the people of Israel. To
know that we approach Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur in a mood and mode of AHAVA - in
addition to the awe and dread - is (should be) truly inspiring and encouraging. The
thought of facing an angry king in judgment is daunting. To know and feel strong AHAVAT
HASHEM and love from Him, can help tremendously in our task of T'shuva. In addition to the
Rashei Teivot of this phrase spelling ELUL, the Sofei Teivot, final letters, are each YUD,
for a total of 40, a reminder of the 40 days and nights Moshe Rabeinu spent on Har Sinai
pleading on our behalf.
In D'varim 30:6 we find: U'MAL HASHEM ELOKECHA ET L'VAV'CHA V'ET L'VAV ZAR'ECHA. Part of
the RETURN process, return to the Land, return to Torah, return to G-d, is "and
HaShem, your G-d, will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your children. The initials
of ET L'VAV'CHA V'ET L'VAV spell ELUL. T'shuva, with a big helping-hand from G-d, is the
hallmark of the month.
In Megilat Esther 9:22 we find the mitzva of Mishlo'ach Manot, which we can take as
symbolizing interpersonal mitzvot. u'mishlo'ach manot ISH L'REI'EIHU UMATANOT
LA'EV'YONIM.These last four words also spell ELUL and typify the concerted effort at
improving our rela tionships with others.
L'DAVID (Psalm 27)
Although Shabbat is the first day of Rosh Chodesh, it really belongs to the previous
month. Most authorities hold that the customs of the month of Elul begin on Motza'ei
Shabbat & Sunday, the first day of the month of Elul.
L'DAVID: HASHEM ORI V'YISH'I - is said throughout the month of Elul and through more than
half of Tishrei, until and including Hoshana Rabba. It is said each day (including Shabbat
and Yom Tov) at Shacharit and at either Mincha or the previous Maariv, according to
custom. Those who say it at Maariv, begin on this Motza'ei Shabbat, August 22nd.
Shacharit-Mincha people will say it first on Sunday morning, August 23rd.
Based on the Midrash, there are hints
to Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in this chapter of T'hilim, which accounts for the
custom to say it during this period of the year. This mizmor conveys a warm feeling of
Divine protection. One of its central p'sukim sums up the goal of the Jew: One thing I ask
of G-d, says David HaMelech, let me dwell in G-d's house all my life, to behold the
sweetness of HaShem... A good focus for ELUL.
IF A SHOFAR SOUNDS IN THE CITY, PEOPLE WON'T TREMBLE?
Beginning on Sunday-Rosh Chodesh, and throughout the month (excluding Shabbat and Erev
Rosh HaShana), the Shofar is blown at the end of Shacharit, to announce the coming of the
Days of Awe and to awaken us to the task and challenge of T'shuva. The custom is to blow a
T'KIYA, SH'VARIM-T'RU'A, T'KIYA. Other customs exist.
In Rambam's Laws of Repentance (3:7) he describes one aspect of the Shofar as calling to
the sleepers and slumberers to awaken, to undergo self-examination of their deeds, to do
T'shuva, and to remember their Creator.
Personal Audit Season
Scrupulous observance of mitzvot - both those that are between person and G-d, as well as
interpersonal mitzvot, serious introspection, and Repentance are always appropriate - but
they are the special focus of the month of Elul.
One can picture it like this: On Rosh HaShana, each of us is audited. We are challenged to
spend the month prior to our audit, putting our affairs in order, reviewing our books,
going over the entries and perhaps doing things a bit better, so that when the audit takes
place, we will pass it smoothy. And remember that both our relationships with and behavior
towards G-d and each other must be carefully
examined, and specific plans for improvement must be hatched. The worst possible scenario
(as they say) is going into Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur unprepared. Just as we prepare for
Pesach for a month before the Chag (or so) - buying matza and wine and food, etc. - so
that everything is ready and in order, so too during this spiritual season, must we
prepare.
Greetings
It is customary that from Rosh Chodesh on, one greets his fellow with blessings for a
SHANA TOVA and/or K'TIVA VA'CHATIMA. This custom applies to face to face meetingas as well
as written correspondence.
Misc.
Elul always has two days Rosh Chodesh in our fixed calendar, because Menachem Av has 30
days. Elul has 29 days in our fixed calendar.
Of greater interest and significance is the fact that Elul almost always had 29 days in
the flexible Kiddush HaChodesh calendar also. This allowed for the planned beginning of
Rosh HaShana on the eve following the 29th of Elul, without leaving a question mark as to
whether or not Yom Tov would begin on that night. Then, based on witnesses (or not) there
would be one or two days of Rosh HaShana in Yerushalayim, but two days elsewhere.
Again... but More
You are going to read something that will be familiar from recent issues of Torah Tidbits.
Your first reaction might be "There he goes again". Keep the following in mind -
the Torah keeps repeating this message, possibly because it takes repetition to sink in.
And this message contains more than previous similar ones, and its prime target has
expanded as well.
An interesting point was raised by the one who gave the Drasha last Shabbat in the
"other" shul in Ramot Eshkol (MaMaD Pardes). In the first part of the Sh'ma
(from Va'etchanan), we have the commands to learn and teach Torah, wear T'filin, affix a
Mezuza to our doorposts. Shortly after that, in Eikev, we find the second part of Sh'ma
with the same mitzvot. Why repeat them so soon?
In the first instance, we have the straightforward presentation of the mitzvot. In the
second passage, the mitzvot follow the warning of what will happen if we do not keep
faithful to G- d - G-d will be "angry", He will lock the Heavens, hold back
rainfall, the earth will not produce its yield, and we will be quickly exiled from our
Land. Then the Torah repeats these mitzvot. Rashi says that even if we go into exile, we
should still carefully keep the mitzvot, wear T'filin, put up Mezuzot, etc. - why? - so
that when we return to Eretz Yisrael, the mitzvot will not be new and strange to us.
Rashi seems to be saying the same thing
that the Ramban is famous for saying, that THE venue for mitzvot is Eretz Yisrael - that
mitzvot are to be performed outside of Israel for practice purposes. It all goes back to
the "deal". G-d took us out of Egypt and made us into a Nation in order to give
us the Torah and Eretz Yisrael. Torah is incomplete without Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael
is incomplete without Torah. Many Jews throughout history have made the mistake of
thinking that one or the other could be complete on its own. Jews are still making that
mistake. And the consequences of those mistakes are often monumental.
The Meraglim made that mistake. The
thought that they had a perfect Jewish Life in the Midbar. Wrong. Moshe Rabeinu says it
over and over again. In this week's sedra, he reminds the people that they "have not
yet arrived at the Menucha and the Nachala that G-d has given them". He adds that
they will cross the Jordan River and dwell in the Land that G-d is giving them, and there
they will live in security and tranquility, unmolested by the surrounding enemies.
And here's the next part...
Torah and Eretz Yisrael is still incomplete - without the Beit HaMikdash and everything
that goes with it. We say it at the Seder table in DAYEINU. First G-d took us out of
Egypt, etc. and we have sufficient cause to thank him for the many miracles and kindnesses
He performed. Dayeinu does not mean that it is enough and we don't need more. That would
be absurd in light of G-d's "purpose" for taking us out of Egypt.
He brought us to Sinai and gave us the Torah. And we acknowledge and thank Him for it all
the time. Enough?
No.
He brought us into Eretz Yisrael, the nature environment for Torah and mitzvot, for Jewish
Life. Enough? To thank Him - yes. But there has to be more.
The Beit HaMikdash. The full potential of spirituality of the Jew can be realized only
through Torah, in Eretz Yisrael, with the Beit HaMikdash, with the Ingathering of the
Exiles, with a Sanhedrin, with a complete Torah way of life, with the Mashiach.
In the pasuk mentioned before (D'varim 12:9), one can say that Menucha (which Rashi says
is Shilo) is coming to Eretz Yisrael, and Nachala (which Rashi says is Yerushalayim) is
the Beit HaMikdash.
To the Jews who had come out of Egypt
and stood at Sinai and built the Mishkan and traveled to the threshold of Eretz Yisrael
(the next generation), Moshe has to remind them that "they've come a long way",
but there is plenty to go. To the Jews of our time, we must receive the same message -
we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. With HaShem's help and our
untiring efforts, we'll get there, BB"A.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
AW is the prize for the best PPP solutions; AW is the prize for the best solution to the
Radio Riddle on Torah Tidbits Audio, Thursdays 10:08-11:00pm, on Arutz-7, which just moved
to 98.7FM; AW is the source of a dvar Torah in Torah Tidbits and a different one on the
radio show; some of the songs from the AW will be played (are being played, were played -
depends upon when you are reading this) on TTA.
This week's Album of the Week:
Ha'Neshama Lach
Live recording of SHALHEVET
The album consists of four medleys and a couple of separate pieces, 16 songs all together,
to match almost any mood. The dance medley will have you toe-taping and finger-drumming if
not up and at it. Then there is a Carlebach medley for your nostalga mood - beautifully
done. The third medley is a set of "soul music". A lively Hora medley
Meiron-sytle follows. Then the Chaim Banet hit, Machnisei Rachamim. And finally, ANI
MAAMIN (a slow one, by Miami). An altogether, a lot of Carlebach and a very pleasurable
musical experience.
And now a short Dvar Torah on one of the songs from the Album of the Week:
LULEI SORAS'CHA, a classic nigun by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z"l, comes from T'hilim
119, the longest chapter in all of Tanach. It is comprised of 176 p'sukim, 8 for each
letter of the Alef-Bet. The p'sukim each stand on their own and express, in different
ways, the joys of a Torah way of life. Pasuk 92 in the Lamed section says: Had not Your
Torah been a delight to me, I would perish in (because) of my afflictions. Atypical of
T'hilim (and of every other book of Tanach, the p'sukim of 119 do not flow one into the
next, but rather they mostly stand on their own. The connection among the p'sukim of 119
is the Alef-Bet, and Torah. Lulei Soros'cha is a beautiful pasuk expressing a beautiful
idea and sung to a moving, almost haunting, beautiful melody.
There will be another DT for another song, IY"H, on Torah Tidbits Audio on Thursday
night.
Ponder this: Is a dolphin not kosher because it does not chew its cud or because it does
not have scales? On what days were the dolphin and the bat created? Does it matter?
Torah Tidbits Dedications
You can insert a dedication in Torah Tidbits on the occasion of a Yahrzeit or in honor of
a birth, Bar or Bat Mitzva, engagement, wedding, anniversary, birthday, graduation,
someone's starting the army or Sherut Leumi. Call us.
[The R'ei Homepage][The TORAH tidbits Homepage]
[How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center][About TORAH tidbits]
|