Elul תרל”א – תר”מ

בעת רצון כגון באלול וס”ג בשבת שמתעוררין י”ג מקורות הרחמים.
During times of closeness for example during the month of Elul, or seudas shlishis, when the 13 sources of mercy are awakened
פי’ י”ג מידות כי הש”י מלא רחמים רק להיות נמשך הרחמים במידות
This means the 13 attributes of mercy, for HaShem is full of mercy, however He desires that the mercy will be drawn in attributes (literally in measure)
ועי”ז יכולין לקבל מזה.
And then we can receive it.
כי הש”י א”ס ולא נוכל להרגיש רחמיו.
Because HaShem is endless mercy and we cannot feel His mercy (for it is too overwhelming)
רק ע”י שמשפיע במדה וגבול להנבראים.
Only when it is measured and limited for creation
וע”ז יש עתים שיכולין להתדבק בזה.
And only through this there are times when it can be experienced and connected to.
וגם זה תלוי באדם כפי שמבטל רצונותיו ועושה כל המעשים במדה שלא יתפשט לחוץ.
The level that one can connect to it is also dependent on the person. In as much as one nullifies his own will and does all actions in measure that they should not go out of the boundaries. (The physical needs that we have need to be also guarded and not overindulged. Or when we have sublime experiences they also need to be kept in checked that they shouldn’t be drawn too much towards physicality)
כדכ’ אום אני חומה.
As it says (Hoshanot Tefilla) “The Nation, I am a wall”
כך זוכה להביא אור התורה ורחמי הש”י ג”כ במדה שיוכל לקבל ולדבק בהש”י אף שהוא א”ס:
Through this one merits to bring the light of Torah and the mercy of HaShem also into a “measure”, that one can receive and connect to HaShem even though he is endless.

אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל פי’ על חודש אלול שהם לו ולא אנחנו קרי וכתיב במזמור לתודה.
The Chidushei Harim explained regarding the month of Elul that it is made up of the words לו to him and לא not. As it says in mizmor letoda Tehillim (100) “We are His” however it is written ולא we are not. (it is written one way and read the other).
ופי’ הדבר הכל א’ שכפי מה שלא אנחנו כן לו אנחנו.
And they are one and the same. That inasmuch as we are “not” that we nullify ourselves, we become “His”.
כי בגסות אין אני והוא יכולין לדור.
For when one is haughty HaShem says “I cannot dwell in the same place as him”.
צאן מרעיתו כי הוא ר”ה למעשר בהמה כו’ ע”ש במ”א.
We are his flock, for on Rosh Chodesh Elul it is the beginning of the year for tithing of the flock. (as we have written elsewhere)*
ובפשיטות ע”י הביטול שנעשין כל הדברים לא והבל וריק בעיני האדם.
And simply through nullifying oneself that one makes everything “not” and like nothingness in man’s eyes
וכל הרצון והתשוקה להשי”ת.
And all of one’s wants and desires are focused on HaShem
ממילא כמים הפנים כו’ ומתקרב עי”ז אליו ית’.
Automatically just like water reflects one’s face so ttk he automatically becomes close to HaShem through one’s own nullification.
וז”ש ר”ה למעשר בהמה.
This is also what is meant that it is a new year for the flock (animals)
שיש בכל נפש ישראל ג”כ נפש הבהמיות כמ”ש בספרים.
For every Jew also has an animal soul as is written (See Tanya)
וצריך כל אדם להגבי’ גם נפש זו להשי”ת.
And each person needs to also uplift his animal soul to HaShem.
והוא ע”י ביטול ושעושה היפוך התאוה.
And this is done through nullification when he does the opposite of what his desire is
עי”ז מגבי’ גם זה.
Through that process he uplifts the animal soul as well
כענין שכ’ בשני יצריך כו’.
Like it says one needs to serve HaShem with both of his desires. With the good and bad inclination.
וזה ג”כ שופטים ושוטרים. שופטים בבחי’ השכל ויגיעה בתורה. ושוטרים להכניע הגוף:
This is also the idea of shoftim judges and shotrim watchmen. That one needs both of these attributes. The judges symbolises the mind and toiling in Torah and the watchmen symbolises the body *

במנחה בשבת עת רצון וכן בחודש אלול ימי רצון.
During mincha time on Shabbos and during the month of Elul when these are times of mercy.
והלא השי”ת אין בו שינוי והוא למעלה מן הזמן.
However HaShem.is no different up above, for He is above time, so what is the meaning of a time when HaShem is close?
רק הפי’ שהשינוי הוא בהזמן.
Rather the explanation is that the change is in the time
שיש עת רצון שהזמן יכול לקבל הרצון והשפע מהנקודה שלמעלה מהזמן.
That there are times of closeness, which means that the time can receive the will and the bounty from.a place that is above time
ובש”ק שיש השפעה מהשי”ת לכל ימי השבוע מתקשר הזמן במה שלמעלה
Therefore on Shabbos when there is a downpour of blessing from HaShem to all.the days of the week the time can connect to something beyond time
וכן בחודש אלול קודם התחדשות שנה החדשה ולכן אז עת רצון שיכולין להתדבק גם בעוה”ז במה שלמעלה
And so too during the month of Elul, it is a time just before the renewal of the new year. Therefore it is a time of closeness that even in this world one can connect to something beyond this world
ובמד’ ואני תפלתי אוה”ע אוכלין ושותין כו’.
In the Medrash the nation’s of the world eat and drink *
פי’ שכשיש השפעה להם כל מגמתם לקבל לגרמייהו.
Meaning that when they have a bounty given to them all their nature is for personal gain
ובנ”י חפצים בהרצון יותר ממה שנותן להם צורכיהם ע”י הרצון.
However Bnei Yisrael desire the will of HaShem, that when He gives them brocha with desire
ומשתוקקין להתדבק בזה הרצון כנ”ל.
They want to connect to this Will of HaShem, (as above). (The nation’s of the world receive bounty but it is given to them in a backward way thrown from behind as opposed to face to face)
וכל הרצונות בימות החול תלוים ברצון שיש לאדם בשבת.
And all of the desires that one has in the days of the week are dependant on the amount of Will that the person had on Shabbos
לכן נק’ רעוא דרעוין שהוא הרצון שכל הרצונות באין ממנו כנ”ל:
Therefore Shabbos in mincha time is called the desire of desires because it is the desire that all desires are dependent on and all come from it. As explained.

הרמז על אלול אני לדודי ודודי לי.
The word Elul hints to the idea that I am to my beloved and my beloved is into me
כי הנה בנ”י צריכין להעלות ולתקן כל הברואים.
For the mission of Bnei Yisrael is to uplift and repair all of creation
אכן מעלתן גבוה להתיחד אליו ית’ כמ”ש בש”ק ביני ובין בנ”י אות היא כו’.
However they have an even higher level, which is to be one with HaShem as we say regarding Shabbos “it is between Me (HaShem) and them, a sign”
השי”ת די לו בעולם בבנ”י להיות מעידין עליו. כמ”ש עם זו יצרתי לי וכ’ אתם עדי.
For HaShem it is enough for just Bnei Yisrael to testify to Him. As it says “this nation I have created to say my praises” and it says “you are my witnesses”
רק בנ”י מטוב לבן צריכין להטות כל הברואים אליו ית’.
Just Bnei Yisrael out of the goodness of their heart turn all of creation toward Him.
אבל בימי רצון הללו בסוף השנה צריכין להתדבק בשורש העליון.
However during these times of closeness one needs to connect everything to it’s upper root
בשגם ע”י שכל השנה מתלכלכין בחטאים ע”י תערובות הרשעים בעולם.
Since during the whole year we are dirtied with sins, because of the mixture of the evil doers.
צריכין לברוח ולהציל את נפשותינו כענין חייך קודמין.
So we need to run and save ourselves first as it says when faced with saving your life or someone else’s, your life comes first.
(And therefore the focus during Elul is different to the rest of the year. That is why Ani ledodi is unique to Elul as opposed to the rest of the year when the focus is on uplifting the rest of the world. However during Elul.the focus is separating from the rest of the world and only focusing on HaShem.)
וזהו הרמז ר”ה למעשר בהמה כי כל עניני עוה”ז וודאי יש בהם צורך גבוה.
And this is hinted to that Elul is the new year for tithing of the flock, because all of this world definitely has a need for up above.
והאדם יש לו חלק בכל כדי לתקן הכל על ידו.
And man has a part of it all in order that all can be repaired through him.
אבל בימים אלו צריכין להפריש ולהרחיק מכל עניני עוה”ז כפי היכולת לקיים אני לדודי.
However during these days one needs to separate and distance oneself from all of the things of this world as much as possible in order to fill the role of “I am to my beloved”
ולזכור כי האדם נברא רק לעבודת הבורא ית’.
And one needs to remember that man is only created to serve HaShem
ובחודש אלול (הזה) מתקיים אני לדודי.
And in (this) month of Elul we merit “I am to my beloved”
וע”י כן מתקיים בחודש תשרי ודודי לי. שהוא השפעת חיים וקדושה על כל השנה:
And through that we merit in the month of Tishrei “my beloved is to me” which is the outpouring of bounty for the entire year.

חודש אלול שניתקן לתשובה קודם ר”ה שהיא קבלת מלכותו יתברך כמ”ש אמרו לפני מלכיות.
The month of Elu which is established as a time for repentance, and is before Rosh HaShana, which is when we proclaim Hashem’s dominion over the world, as it states (Rosh Hashana 16a) “Say before me (words of) Kingship”
ואיתא דמאן דכפות באחרא א”י לקבל עליו עומ”ש לכן צריכין בחודש הזה לצאת משיעבוד הסט”א ויצה”ר להיות נקי לקבל עומ”ש
It is written (Zohar 3:108:1) a person who is subject to another person can fully accept the yoke of Heaven. Therefore during this month one needs to remove himself from the yoke of the negative forces and the evil inclination, to be free to accept the yoke of Heaven.
[לכן נקרא מזל חודש הזה בתולה] [Therefore the month of Elul is virgo (which symbolises a pure service of HaShem)] וזה ג”כ הקדמת מחיות עמלק קודם מצות ביכורים שהיא קבלת עומ”ש:
This too is the intorduction of destroying Amalek before we were given the commandment of bikurim – first fruit, which is an expression of accepting the Yoke of Heaven.
(By bringing Bikurim one demonstrates how one intiates everything in his life to be focused on service of HaShem).