We are now in the Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is considered an auspicious month for Jewish weddings because its letters are an anagram for Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li, which means “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” This quote from the Song of Songs is a metaphor for the distinctiveness and beauty of a loving couple; each one being central in the other person’s life, each giving a piece of themselves to the other, and each person holding within themselves a part of their beloved’s unique self. I believe this metaphor is a wonderful concept to keep in mind as we approach the new Jewish year, 5783.
As the New Year, and with it, the Days of Awe draw near, it is time to account for our actions in the year that passed. Did we act mindfully in this world, giving everything we can to make this world a better place? Did we achieve our goals? Did we live our lives to the fullest, enjoying every moment and learning from our experiences? As I think about these questions I start wondering about my answers. And I am afraid that most of my answers cannot be an unmitigated YES. I know that as a human being I will fall short, I will sometimes miss the mark and I will make mistakes. I am not always able to be the person I aspire to be. I am not always able to listen with a good ear, to say the right thing, to create a perfect piece, to be there at all times for everyone.
In many ways, Elul becomes a month of trembling as I review my life. This is the moment when the metaphor of Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li comes to my aid.
This is the moment when I am reminded that the month of Elul is also a month of spiritual union between the people of Israel and God. God is our beloved and we belong to God. God is central to our lives, and we are in God’s focus at this time. We have a part of ourselves that belongs to God and a part of God that belongs to us. We are made in God’s image, in Tzelem Elohim, and that connection is celebrated at this time of the year. Just as a loving couple has a distinct and beautiful relationship with each other, so do the Jewish people and God. Just as each partner in a loving relationship is able to judge each other’s actions with tenderness and in friendship, God can understand our limitations and shortcomings. Therefore, in the month of Elul, we should review the past year and scrutinize our connections with the awareness that God welcomes our Teshuvah (repentance, turning back to God) with the love and fondness of a devoted partner.
In this month of Elul we are not supposed to be perfect; we are supposed to recognize our mistakes and ask forgiveness for them. We can truly look into ourselves and be confident that God is standing by our side, encouraging us to be better people. We can review without feeling guilty; the more we trust in the love in our relationship with God, the deeper we can examine our actions.
I wish for you all a very emotionally profitable month of Elul. I hope that you can engage in the process of Teshuvah and trust that God’s energy can be moved to Hessed, to love, away from Dyn, from strict judgment. As we go through this process of spiritual growth may we be blessed with recognition of the tenderness, friendship, love and fondness of our partner, so we can truly recognize our shortcomings and have a meaningful and blessed new year.