The full moon outside testifies to the approaching of Tishrei. I don't know where the time went, but it's already the middle of Elul. We're two weeks away from Rosh Hashana, two weeks away from an entirely new year. This month that's been leading up to Rosh Hashanah is a time for Tshuvah. We turn around to take a look back at where we were last year at this time and we try and set a new course for the year ahead. Dwelling on the past can be depressing, ya know? Depression isn't really such a great spring board to making change; instead it encourages us to keep the status quo. Rav Shlomo Carlebach reminds us, however, that Tshuvah is not about being sad, and it's not even about me thinking that I sinned. What it IS about is realizing and caring that I hurt someone else. The word "elul" has the same root as "eelel," to search for. When we're searching back over the past year trying to find new ways to return to G-d and to each other, we have the advantage of the searching energy this month brings with it. This energy to bring close that which is far penetrates down to the subconscious level. Down to the "pinteleh yid," the tiniest spark of our Jewish Soul that is always clinging to that road back to our true self. This little guy has to fight tooth and nail to be heard sometimes. That's the biggest fixing we have to do this month, says Rav Shlomo; we have to feed that spark to create a blaze. Don't worry so much about what you did wrong, he says, worry instead about what you did "right" without your whole heart in it.
"Hayom Hazeh," this day Hashem your G-d commands you; "Hayom Hazeh," this day you have become a people; "Hayom Hazeh " -- Hashem did not give you a heart to know, or eyes to see, or ears to hear until this day. Three times in this week's parsha we're reminded of the importance of making each day NEW. The Torah was given to us years ago, but we have to receive it, we need to search for ways to bring it close to us, and us close to it, EVERYDAY.
The easiest way to insure that my whole heart is "into it," is to make the endeavor new and exciting. Make caring for another an exercise in engineering, and build bridges. Make learning Torah a time to read a letter from an old friend, and write back with mitzvot. Make Shabbat an adventure in time travel, and feel the joy of a just born world. We're blowing the shofar every morning this month - it takes a big noise to wake up that little "yid" inside us. May we all be shofars this year, and make the noise needed to wake each other up and keep each other burning with a blaze.