Elul Awakening From Below
בפסוק כי תצא מחנה כו' ונשמרת מכ"ד רע כו' כי ה"א מתהלך כו'
On the verse, "When you go out as a camp against your enemies, you shall guard yourself from every evil thing... for Hashem your God walks in the midst of your camp" (Devarim 23:10-15).
The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's description of Bnei Yisrael going out to war, where they must guard against evil because Hashem's Presence accompanies the camp.
רמז לימים הללו קודם ר"ה שהוא יום מלחמה כידוע ולכן יום תרועה כמ"ש במלחמה והרעותם בחצוצרות ונזכרתם כמ"ש בזוהר
This is an allusion to these days before Rosh Hashanah, which is a day of war, as is well known, and therefore it is a day of teruah, as it is written regarding war, "and you shall sound a teruah-blast with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered" (Bamidbar 10:9), as is explained in the Zohar.
He reads this 'going out to war' as a hint to the days before Rosh Hashanah, a spiritual battle, which is why the day is marked by the teruah blast, just as trumpets were sounded in war to be remembered before Hashem.
לכן יש חודש אלול מקודם להיות נשמר לזכות לסיוע משמים כמ"ש ה"א מתהלך כו' "להצילך "ולתת "א' "לפניך ר"ת אלול
Therefore there is the month of Elul beforehand, so that one may guard himself and merit Heavenly assistance, as it is written, "Hashem your God walks in your midst," "to deliver you (l'hatzilcha) and to give over (u'lotes) your enemy (oyivecha) before you (lefanecha)" — the initial letters of which spell out Elul.
Elul is given as a preparatory month to earn Heavenly help, and the very words describing Hashem delivering us from our enemy form the acronym Elul.
כמ"ש בספרים הרמז "אני "לדודי "ודודי "לי פי' שבוודאי בנ"י צריכין עזר משמים רק כפי הקרבות אליו ית' כמו כן עוזר לנו השי"ת
As the sefarim write, the allusion is "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me (Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li)" (Shir HaShirim 6:3) — the explanation being that surely Bnei Yisrael require Heavenly aid, yet in the measure that we draw close to Him, Yisbarach, so too does Hashem Yisbarach help us.
He cites the well-known allusion that the letters of 'Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li' spell Elul, teaching that Hashem's help to us matches the degree to which we draw close to Him.
וצריכין רק הכנה לקבל השראת שכינתו ית'
And we need only the preparation to receive the resting of His Shechinah, Yisbarach.
All that is required of us is to prepare ourselves as a vessel ready to receive the resting of Hashem's Shechinah.
וכמו שבנ"י מכינים עצמם בימים הללו לשוב אליו ית', כן הבורא ית' מגלה הארות הקדושה בלבות בנ"י בימים הללו
And just as Bnei Yisrael prepare themselves during these days to return to Him, Yisbarach, so too does the Creator, Yisbarach, reveal illuminations of kedushah within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael during these days.
When Bnei Yisrael make the effort to return to Hashem in these days, He reciprocates by revealing sparks of kedushah within their hearts.
ז"ש ואני תפלתי לך ה' עת רצון כי בנ"י מכוונים ויודעים להתעורר בתפלה בימים אלו
This is the meaning of "And as for me, may my tefillah to You, Hashem, be at a time of favor" (Tehillim 69:14) — for Bnei Yisrael set their hearts and know how to arouse themselves in tefillah during these days.
This explains the verse that our tefillah comes 'at a time of favor' — because in Elul Bnei Yisrael know how to direct their hearts and awaken themselves in prayer.
שגם בשמים מתעורר שערי רחמים כי אני ה' הוא שמי "וכבודי "לאחר "לא "אתן
For in Heaven, too, the gates of rachamim are aroused, for "I am Hashem, that is My Name; and My glory (u'chvodi) I shall not give over to another (l'acher lo eten)" (Yeshayahu 42:8).
Our arousal below triggers a corresponding arousal Above, opening the gates of mercy, which the verse about Hashem's glory hints at.
ר"ת אלול
The initial letters of which spell out Elul.
The initial letters of that verse, too, spell out the word Elul.
שמסירין בימים אלו הסתרות הקליעות וסט"א ויש התגלות הקדושה כנ"ל:
For during these days the concealments of the klipos and the sitra achra are removed, and there is a revelation of the kedushah, as explained above.
In these days the screens of impurity and the forces of evil are stripped away, allowing the inner kedushah to shine forth.
Summary: The Sfas Emes reads the Torah's command about going out to war as an allusion to the days of Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah, which is itself a day of spiritual battle marked by the teruah blast. He shows through several acronyms — including the verses of deliverance from our enemy, 'Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li,' and 'My glory I shall not give to another' — that the word Elul is woven into this theme of drawing close to Hashem. The central principle is reciprocity: in the very measure that Bnei Yisrael prepare themselves and return to Hashem, He in turn reveals illuminations of kedushah within their hearts and opens the gates of rachamim Above. All that is asked of us is to ready ourselves as a vessel to receive the resting of His Shechinah. During these days the concealments of the klipos and the sitra achra are removed, and the hidden kedushah is revealed.