Elul: drawing near through earned closeness

הקדמונים נתנו רמז בפסוק אני לדודי וד"ל.

The early authorities gave a hint in the verse "Ani LeDodi" (I am to my Beloved) — and a discerning person will understand more (v'dal).

The Sefas Emes invokes the classic acronym: "Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li" (Shir HaShirim 6:3) whose initial letters spell Elul, alluding to this month of drawing close to Hashem.

והענין הוא כי בלוחות הראשונות היו בכח אתערותא דלעילא.

And the matter is that the first Luchos (Tablets) were through the power of an isarusa dile'eila (an awakening from Above).

The first Luchos came entirely as a Divine initiative from above, without being earned by Bnei Yisrael's own effort.

אבל האחרונות היו בכח התקרבות בנ"י.

But the latter Tablets were through the power of Bnei Yisrael drawing themselves near.

The second Luchos, by contrast, were achieved through Bnei Yisrael's own effort to come close to Hashem — an awakening from below.

ולכן נשאר קיים לעולם.

And therefore it endured forever.

Precisely because they were earned through Bnei Yisrael's own initiative, the second Luchos lasted permanently.

וגם הראשונות היו בקולי קולות ובאחרונות אמר הקב"ה אין לך יפה מן הצניעות.

And also, the first Tablets were given amid thunder and great fanfare, whereas regarding the latter the Holy One, Blessed is He, said, "There is nothing more beautiful than tznius (modesty/privacy)."

The first Luchos came with public spectacle; the second were given quietly and privately, teaching that the loftiest things come through modest concealment.

ופי' הענין כי בראשונות הי' הכוונה לתקן כל העולם והיו יכולין כל האומות להתקיים באמצעיות בנ"י.

And the explanation of the matter is that with the first Tablets the intent was to rectify the entire world, and all the nations would have been able to endure through the medium of Bnei Yisrael.

The first Luchos aimed at a universal tikkun, in which the nations of the world would draw their existence through Bnei Yisrael.

כמ"ש והייתם לי סגולה מכ"ה.

As it is written, "And you shall be to Me a treasure from among all the peoples" (Shemos 19:5).

Bnei Yisrael were to be the "segulah," the cherished channel through which all peoples relate to Hashem.

אך עמלק הרשע ימ"ש הוא גרם חטא העגל.

But the wicked Amalek, may his name be erased, is what brought about the cheit ha'egel (sin of the Golden Calf).

Amalek's earlier assault opened the breach that ultimately led to the sin of the Golden Calf, derailing that universal plan.

כי אין הרשעים כדאי שיתקרבו.

For the wicked are not worthy to be drawn near.

The lesson of the Golden Calf was that the resha'im are not fit to be brought close, so the universal scope had to be withdrawn.

ולכן היו האחרונות בצינעה להיות מיוחד רק לבנ"י.

Therefore the latter Tablets were given in privacy, to be dedicated to Bnei Yisrael alone.

The second Luchos were given quietly because their bond was now exclusive to Bnei Yisrael rather than open to all the nations.

וז"ש אני לדודי בפרט.

And this is the meaning of "Ani LeDodi" — in a private, particular way.

"I am to my Beloved" expresses this intimate, exclusive relationship between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem, fitting the private nature of the second Luchos and of Elul.

וחודש זה נתקן לדורות להתקרב אליו ית'.

And this month was established for all generations as a time to draw near to Him.

Elul became the fixed time, for all generations, to come close to Hashem — modeled on the second Luchos earned through Bnei Yisrael's own drawing near.

כי באותן מ' יום תיקנו בנ"י החטא.

For during those forty days Bnei Yisrael rectified the sin.

Those forty days, from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur, were when Bnei Yisrael repaired the sin of the Golden Calf.

ונפתחו שערי תפלה לדורות.

And the gates of tefillah were opened for all generations.

Through that original teshuvah, the gates of prayer were permanently opened for Bnei Yisrael in every generation.

וכ' קרוב ה' לכל קוראיו ואיתא במד' יכול לכל ת"ל לכל אשר יקראוהו באמת.

And it is written, "Hashem is close to all who call upon Him" (Tehillim 145:18), and it is brought in the Midrash: one might think to all — therefore the verse teaches, "to all who call upon Him in truth (b'emes)."

The Midrash limits the promise: Hashem is close not literally to all, but to all who call upon Him sincerely, "in truth."

ואמר אמו"ז ז"ל דאעפ"כ כ' לכל קוראיו.

And my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, said that nevertheless the verse does write "to all who call upon Him."

The Sefas Emes cites his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim) noting that the pasuk still says "all who call upon Him," not only the sincere — so the word "all" must carry meaning.

רק ע"י אותן שקוראין באמת מתעלין כל התפילות של פשוטי בנ"י ג"כ עכ"ד ז"ל.

Rather, through those who call out in truth, all the prayers of the simple folk among Bnei Yisrael are elevated as well — these are his words, of blessed memory.

The resolution: those who pray sincerely lift up even the prayers of simple, less-focused Jews, so that "all who call upon Him" are indeed drawn close — carried along by the truthful ones.

וכמו כן בדורות בימים אלו שנתקבלו תפלות אבותינו.

And likewise in the generations, in these days, when the prayers of our forefathers were accepted.

In this same way, the days of Elul are days when the prayers of our ancestors were once accepted, opening a channel for us.

יכולין לעלות תפלותינו דלים ורשים בהתדבקות באותן התפלות שהתפללו אבותינו ומשה רבינו ע"ה:

Our prayers — poor and impoverished as they are — can be elevated by attaching ourselves to those prayers that our forefathers and Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, prayed.

Even our weak, lowly tefillos can rise if we cling to and join them with the powerful prayers of the Avos and of Moshe Rabbeinu during these days of Elul.

Summary: "Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li" alludes to Elul. The first Luchos came through an awakening from Above, with public fanfare, and aimed at a universal tikkun in which all nations would endure through Bnei Yisrael — but Amalek caused the sin of the Golden Calf, showing the wicked unfit to be drawn near, so the second Luchos were given privately and exclusively to Bnei Yisrael through their own effort to come close, and therefore endured forever. Elul, the forty days in which Bnei Yisrael rectified that sin, was established for all generations as the time to draw near and opened the gates of prayer. Citing the Chiddushei HaRim, the Sefas Emes adds that those who pray "in truth" elevate even the prayers of the simple, so that our own poor tefillos can rise by clinging to the prayers of the Avos and Moshe Rabbeinu.