As we continue the process started in Ellul, we know that we are engaging in a long process of separating ourselves from this world in order to perfect ourselves, spiritually, as Jews. Some people think this process ends on Yom Kippur when we are “as angels” - no food, no physical needs. However, while this process to Yom Kippur is necessary and essential to our growth as Jews, the process does not end there.
Rav Mordechai Elon Shli”ta once told a story of himself and his Dad when he was younger. I’ll try relating it as I can remember it. On the first Yom Kippur on which he fasted, Rav Elon got very excited towards the end of Neila. He really felt purified; all of his sins were cleansed. However, as soon as the shofar of Yom Kippur was blown, and as soon Yom Kippur ended, he heard the congregating, RIGHT AWAY, start Maariv with the words: “Vehou Racoum Yechaper Avon” - “And he is the merciful who will forgive our sins”. At this point, Rav Elon asked his Dad - Dad, we were just cleansed from our sins, we are pure and clean: Why do we need to ask for forgiveness now? Maybe by the time the Shmona Essrei comes around, we will have problems of Kavanah in our Tefillah or something - but right now? Why do we need this? Yom Kippur just ended!
Rav Elon’s Dad answered - You think Yom Kippur just ended, and ask why we should ask for forgiveness? Well, the reason why we need to ask for forgiveness is for thinking that Yom Kippur is over!
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I think its very interesting that I’m writing this for the day on which Ashkenazim start to say slichot (even though I’m only posting it a few days late), when I started saying slichot a month ago since I am Sfardi!
So then, I took the slichot which were said yesterday night to find something nice to say and I saw that the slichot start with a sentence which I find has a lot of chutzpah: “We are coming on Erev Shabbat to say Slichot Early” We are coming early? A week before is early? Maybe I should say skoyach: better late then never? What is this?
I then decided to explore the difference between the askenazi minhag and the sfardi minhag.
The reason for the sfardi minhag is clear: No, its not because we eat kitniyot on pessah that we need to compensate. Its known that these 40 days are days of forgiveness and so we do slichot on these 40 days.
The Askenazi minhag is summarized in the Mishna Brura. Orignally, they wanted to do slichot during assara yemei tshouva. This makes sense, they blow the shofar from rosh chodesh ellul and then say slichot on level 2. Then level 3 is kippur and soon I will make a post letting you know that level 4 is sukkot.
Then, they realized that on 4 of the 10 days, you don’t say slichot: Rosh hashana is 2 days, then there’s Shabbat and on yom kippur. So, they added 4 days before rosh hashana.
Then, in order to add even more days, They arbitrarily chose a day in which slichot will be said each year, on Yom Rishon.
Now, we understand everything except for one thing: Why Saturday? Which is yom rishon.
We could say its arbitrary but it doesn’t seem right! Things in Judaism are not usually arbitrary.
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One thing that I have always felt to be lacking in our generation is spirituality within Judaism. So many Jews today, ones who consider themselves very pious, have gotten to the point where ritual is done out of nature. That is what I feel has become mainstream in Judaism- robotically perform the ritual, absentmindedly say the words written on the page. No attention needed. Of course, there are exeptions to the rule, and of course, this is only my opinion. Even if you disagree, indulge me for a m
oment, look at the picture through my point of view.
I believe deeply, with my entire being, that a person can grow only to his heighest potential when there is spirituality involved. Second-nature ritual done with no thought can only get a person so far: only one who concentrates on the act he is performing, who tries to understand and appreciate the significance of it, can raise himself to a level of greatness. As we find ourselves now in the month of Elul, we have now the best opportunity to connect to our spiritual sides.
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Suddenly the magnitude of Elul is here, and I find myself struggling to fit in all the lea
rning and preparation that this introspective month demands. Furthermore, it’s in the middle of the summer and not so long after the “3 weeks.” What’s going on here, what’s the connection? Couldn’t we have a break just a little longer?
All year round the chagim (festivals) focus on the community. Pesach we left Egypt; Yom Haatzmaut we got Israel; Yom Yerushalyim we got Jerusalem; Shavuot we got the Torah; Tisha B’Av we lost our Temples; Sukkot we dwelled in Sukkahs in the desert; Chanukah, Purim and Yom HoShoah we survived after our enemies tried to destroy us, etc. But Elul, it seems, is entirely different. It’s a time for the individual. Each and everyone of us must reflect upon our year, make changes and draw closer to Hashem. This process climaxes on Yom Kippur when our sins are hopefully atoned. Why should Elul (and Yom Kippur) be any different from the above?
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