A speeding train does not stop all at once. The brakes should be applied now, in the month of Elul, and not five minutes before 'Kol Nidrei''
The media and political systems are trying to get us all geared up for the elections that are about two months away. They dramatically report every bit of turmoil within the parties, as if these are the important things in our lives.
Really? Not really.
Yes, we must prepare and get ready, but not so much for the elections, but for something infinitely greater and more important - for the High Holy Days and for a happy and sweet New Year. On Election Day we will go to vote, but most of our attention these days should be directed to the spiritual realm. We do not have to breathe in the incessant clashes between politicians and journalists during the days of Elul.
Now it is possible and recommended to stop, to take a break. This is the time to clear our heads, to transcend the temporary and the fleeting, and to place our spiritual and moral lives at the center of attention.
The essence of life
Hasidism interprets the concept of 'foreign thoughts' in an original way. It is customary to interpret this as invalid, inappropriate thoughts. But if so, they should have been called 'forbidden thoughts.' 'Foreign thoughts' can be good and appropriate, but they are foreign to the particular time and place. Thinking about a question in the Gemara is a wonderful thing, but when it bothers a person during prayer - it is a 'foreign thought.'.
Now, during the days of Elul, all political matters are considered 'foreign thoughts.' This is not the time for clashes, for slandering each other, for wringing hands. This is the time when the Creator of the world showers us with love and stirs our hearts to draw closer to Him, as "I am to my uncle and my uncle to me," and we need to seek common ground and prepare our hearts for the Great Day.
In about a month, on Yom Kippur, we will stop the polemics and arguments. The media will be silent. The sounds of fighting will fade. Every person in Israel will gather within himself, stand before his Creator, and think about his life. In his heart will pass reflections on the inner essence of life, and how to bring about real change in everyday life.
But a speeding train doesn't stop all at once. Yom Kippur is a culmination of a profound process that begins in the month of Elul. The brakes should be applied now, not five minutes before 'Kol Nidrei.'.
Stop, relax.
The month of Elul is a time for personal introspection. What does our life look like? How much do we invest in Torah study, in spiritual ascension? To what extent do we deal with our instincts and succeed in refining our virtues? And do we truly give due attention to the education of our children? And what about the investment in the family unit, which is the foundation of the Jewish home?
Ultimately, this is real life. It may not make headlines and earn hours of airtime, but it is where personal happiness and the fulfillment of our true life purpose lie. The blasts of the shofar of the month of Elul are a wake-up call. To stop, to calm down, to lift our heads above the surging current. To shift the center of gravity to ourselves.
This is the time to think about our lives, as Jews. About being a link that continues the golden chain of the people of Israel. This is the time to strengthen the connection with our Father in Heaven. And this is also what will bring us good writing and signing, for a good and sweet New Year.
