Elul bittul: created only to serve Hashem

ועיקר פי' אני לדודי להיות איש ישראל יודע שנברא רק לשמש את קונו ואין לו מציאות וצורך אחר כלל בעולם.

And the essential meaning of "I am to my Beloved" is that a Jew should know that he was created only to serve his Maker, and that he has no other existence or purpose at all in the world.

"Ani l'dodi" (the theme of Elul) means recognizing that one's entire reason for being is avodas Hashem, with no independent self-purpose.

והגם כי כל מה שברא הקב"ה בעולמו לא בראו אלא לכבודו.

And although everything that Hashem created in His world He created only for His honor.

All of creation exists for the sake of Hashem's glory.

אבל הוא להיות לצורך בנ"י כמ"ש [לא נבראו] כולם [אלא] להיות צוות לזה וכן אי' הם נבראו לשמשינו ואני נבראתי לשמש את קוני.

But that is in order to serve the needs of Bnei Yisrael, as it is said, "[they were all created] only to be company for this one"; and so it is taught: "they were created to serve me, and I was created to serve my Maker."

Creation serves Bnei Yisrael, while the Jew in turn exists solely to serve Hashem — a chain of purpose culminating in avodas Hashem.

וז"ש ולא אנחנו בא' שאיננו שלנו כלל.

And this is the meaning of "and not we ourselves" (read with an aleph, "v'lo anachnu") — that we do not belong to ourselves at all.

Reading the verse as "He made us and we are not our own," a person belongs entirely to Hashem, not to himself.

רק לו אנחנו.

Rather, we are His.

We belong wholly to Hashem.

וז"ש וצאן מרעיתו.

And this is the meaning of "and the flock of His pasture."

We are likened to Hashem's flock, entirely dependent on and belonging to Him.

כדאיתא בתנא דבי אליהו יושב והוגה בתורה כבהמה החורשת בשדה.

As it is taught in Tana D'vei Eliyahu: one sits and toils in Torah like an animal plowing in the field.

True Torah study is done with the selfless, uncomplaining devotion of an ox plowing — without ego or self-interest.

פי' כמו הבהמה שיודעת שמוכנת רק לרכוב עלי' ולעשות רצון בעלה ואין לה דעת אחרת כלל.

The meaning is: like the animal, which knows that it is set only to be ridden and to do its owner's will, and has no other thought at all.

Like a beast wholly devoted to its master's will, a Jew should have no agenda other than ratzon Hashem.

וז"ש הנביא ידע שור קונהו כו'.

And this is what the navi said: "an ox knows its owner" etc.

The prophet praises the ox that recognizes its owner — a model of knowing to Whom one belongs.

ובנ"י נאמר עליהם אדם ובהמה ערומין בדעת כאדם ומשימין עצמם כבהמה.

And of Bnei Yisrael it is said, "man and beast" — they are shrewd in da'as like a man, yet they make themselves like a beast.

Bnei Yisrael combine human intelligence with the self-effacing simplicity of an animal before its master.

הוא הביטול כנ"ל.

This is the bittul (self-nullification) mentioned above.

This making oneself "like a beast" is the essence of bittul before Hashem.

שיודעין שאין להם מציאות אחר רק לדודי.

For they know that they have no other existence except "to my Beloved."

Their entire being is dedicated to Hashem alone — "ani l'dodi."

וכן ודודי לי הפי' כן כי כל מה שצימצם הש"י כביכול להיות נודע בעולם ושיתגלה שם הוי' ב"ה בעולם הכל לי.

And likewise "and my Beloved is to me" — its meaning is thus: that all that Hashem, as it were, contracted (tzimtzem) in order to become known in the world and to reveal His Name in the world — it is all "to me."

"V'dodi li" means that Hashem's entire tzimtzum and self-revelation in the world is for the sake of the Jew — all directed toward us.

כמ"ש בשביל ישראל שנק' ראשית.

As it is written, "for the sake of Yisrael, who are called 'reishis' (the first)."

The world was created for the sake of Bnei Yisrael, who are called "the first."

וקודם ר"ה שמתחדש הבריאה צריכין לברר זאת שכל הבריאה עבור בנ"י.

And before Rosh Hashanah, when Creation is renewed, we must clarify this: that all of Creation is for the sake of Bnei Yisrael.

As creation is renewed at Rosh Hashanah, we must internalize that the whole world exists for Bnei Yisrael.

ותכלית בנ"י לעשות רצון קונם.

And the purpose of Bnei Yisrael is to do the will of their Maker.

And in turn, the purpose of Bnei Yisrael is solely to fulfill ratzon Hashem.

לכן בחודש אלול צריך כ"א להבדיל עצמו מהבלי עוה"ז להיות מוכן רק לעבודת הש"י בלבד:

Therefore in the month of Elul each person must separate himself from the vanities of this world, to be prepared only for the avodah of Hashem alone.

Elul is the time to detach from the emptiness of Olam Hazeh and ready oneself entirely for avodas Hashem.

Summary: "Ani l'dodi" means a Jew must recognize that he was created solely to serve Hashem and belongs entirely to Him — like an ox devoted to its master, combining human da'as with the bittul of a beast. "V'dodi li" means Hashem's whole tzimtzum and self-revelation are for the sake of Bnei Yisrael, for whom the world was created. As creation renews at Rosh Hashanah, Elul is the time to separate from worldly vanities and prepare exclusively for avodas Hashem.