Dear Friends,
Do you love Fish?
Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski would often share a teaching about selfish love versus true love. When a person says they "love fish" while eating one, what they actually mean is they love themselves and how the fish satisfies their appetite.
This does not mean that they actually love Fish.
True love is not about what is in it for you, but about giving to others rather than taking for self-gratification.
Which brings us to the new Jewish month of Elul, which although it carries a somber and serious component as we approach Rosh Hashanah, it is also the season of Love, as the tagline of Elul is "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me" or in Hebrew "Ani LeDodi Vedodi Li".
Indeed the Hebrew Letters of the word Elul, spell, Aleph, Lamed, Vav, Lamed, which form an acronym for "Ani LeDodi Vedodi Li".
These words of "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me" are what reflect the message of the month of Elul, which begins this evening and will carry us forward to Rosh Hashanah.
It is a reminder to stop and think about, what is it that we live for and are passionate about in life? What is it that makes all the challenges we face important to confront and what is it that should encourage us to be positive and joyful even if we face adversity, and finally what is the essence and message of life that we wish for our own children to embrace and value as they grow up and build their own lives.
Judaism teaches us to take time in the month of Elul, not so much to think about what is in it for us, but what is the bigger reason as to why we are here collectively and as individuals and as we do so, to ask of ourselves how are we doing in making sure we are producing good things, facing our challenges, and bringing healing, light and improvement to the world around us.
Elul is a time when we remind ourselves, that this process is a two way street, and as we do soul searching and reflection and think about what really matters in life and what we should channel our passion and love towards, likewise G-d is looking to embrace us during this time, to encourage us, to remind us how unique the mission and milestones of each one of us are to the big picture happening around us.
We sound the Shofar each day of Elul, we give extra charity, we prepare for the Holidays, we say extra Prayers and Psalms, but the underlying theme is a time of closeness with our inner essence and with G-d who enlivens and sustains us.
We may or may not love fish, but the core idea of learning to love and live for what is right and dear, simply versus what is in it for us, is one we can all relate to.
Elul is a time to calibrate and make sure what we love, is a reflection of something higher than ourselves, and is a love that expresses the Divine potential invested and embedded within each one of us, on the dark as well as the light days and the painful and hard days days as well as the joyful days.
"I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me"
Remember what has been invested in you, and remember to invest back in the world around us, and let your soul shine it's unique G-dly light to beautify the world.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel
P.S Besides the Shabbat Serv