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Elul – Ki Seitzei Taking Advantage of Elul

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Elul – Ki Seitzei Taking Advantage of Elul Learn Now. Timely Torah Insights by Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim Associate Rosh Yeshiva Elul – Ki Seitzei Taking Advantage of Elul Like many people, I took my family on a little end, 28th-of- ofsummer Av getaway. We loved it — change of scenery, peace and quiet; a respite before the rush of fall activities begins. This year, we ended up finding a newly renovated five-bedroom home in Fleischmanns, NY in the Catskill Mountains. It’s a tiny place known for its Jewish hotel called Oppenheimer’s. Sure enough, we felt we entered a different world up there. No hustle and bustle. Even quiet by mountain standards! Locals drove their pickup trucks and people like me drove their minivans. Nearby, we saw a retreat for Satmar Chasidim with a small Satmar camp and yeshiva, plus a new shul. The air was clean, the stars were bright at night. It was just what we needed. The Jewish calendar now puts us in the month of Elul. For many, this time of year can get overlooked because of summer plans and trips and the whirlwind of getting ready for a new school year. Often, we might only begin to think about Rosh Hashana when Selichos begin. Nonetheless, the period from Elul until Yom Kippur is a unique time when Hashem is more approachable. This elevated period started when Moshe ascended Har Sinai for his third set of forty days to receive the second set of luchos and descend with them on Yom Kippur, indicating that Hashem had forgiven the Jewish nation for the sin of the Golden Calf1. It’s not surprising that some people associate Elul with a feeling of nervousness. It’s a time to focus on changing for the better… Rosh Hashana is coming! Perhaps, that's why many people don't like thinking about Elul - there’s so much at stake! However, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel explains that Elul should evoke a feeling of great joy, as it's a truly auspicious time. In no other time period does Hashem openly make Himself so available to us. Elul is a gift! Rav Wachtfogel equates Elul to spending time in a remote vacation village. We take ourselves outside our “normal” world to cocoon with the Almighty! I look back now at my time in Fleischmanns, NY with a whole new motivational perspective. Many pesukim allude to this 40-day period. One famous one is “ani l’dodi v'dodi li” -- I am to my beloved as my beloved is to me. Here, the first letter in these four words spell Elul. The Mishna Berura2 points out these four words all end with the letter yud which has the numerical value of ten. The sum of these last four letters equals forty, alluding to this 40-day period. The Bnei Yissaschar3 notes the minimum size of a mikvah is 40 se'ah of water and equates the period of Elul thru Yom Kippur to a mikvah. Forty se’ah is equal to 960 lugin (measurement used in time of the Gemara) which is the same number of hours found in 40 days. When we emerge, we are new and purified. The ‘Mazal’ (Zodiac sign) for the month of Elul is a besulah (an unmarried girl), signifying this time period is one of creating a new relationship and marriage with Hashem. The start of any relationship needs quality time and attention As expressed in Parshas Ki Seitzei, the first year of marriage absolves a man from his army service, as he needs to be home with his new wife to develop their relationship. The month of Elul provides us with the opportunity to renew our relationship with Hashem and we need to invest time to develop this relationship. With every step we take to get closer to Hashem, He takes a step closer to us. Everything we do pays dividends and catapults us further! In many airports you’ll see “moving floors.” Some people stand on them for the ride, not having to walk. Personally, I get a thrill to walk on them and see myself zooming by the people walking on the regular floor. Every step I take, I move at double or triple the speed! This is Elul. Every positive move we make to increase our commitment to Torah and mitzvos propels us forward spiritually for the rest of the year. We have a gift in this 40-day period between Elul and Yom Kippur. We can accomplish so much more. Now is the time to sow simple seeds and watch them grow. With every little increase in Torah study, starting a new shiur, focusing a bit more on just one part of our davening, making a phone call to someone who needs our help- the payoff in making these efforts is huge. A student of mine just completed learning the entire Mishna Berura; it took him five years. He studied one page a day. It took focus, persistence and perseverance. A day at a time — and he gained a life-changing accomplishment. 1 Mishna Berura 521 introduction to Hilchos Rosh Hashana 2 ibid 3 Elul 1:15 The most effective steps are baby steps -- slow and steady wins the race. One small change can transform your Elul… and your life! Halacha in the Parsha – Parshas Ki Seitzei by Rabbi Moshe Silverstein Maggid Shiur, Yeshiva Ner Boruch-PTI In Parshas Ki Seitzei, we read the mitzvah to is forgotten until the full cycle passes without remember what Amalek had done to us and not to conjuring the memory. Perhaps based on this we can also explain another .זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק וכו' לא תשכחforget - 1 Sefer Hachinuch2 quotes the sifre that says that in difficulty in the calculation of a year’s time addition to simply “not forgetting” in the heart or regarding this mitzvah: implies that there is also a requirement to Even in a non-leap year it is sometimes more than זכור ,mind verbalize with words. We typically fulfill this twelve months from the first year’s Parshas Zachor obligation through the special Kriyas Hatorah of until that of the second year. For example: If Purim Parshas Zachor on the Shabbos before Purim. falls out on Friday in Year 1, Zachor is read on the Maharam Shick3 assumes that this must be done at 9th day of Adar. If Purim falls on Sunday in Year 2, least once every twelve months based on a gemara4 Zachor is read on the 13th day of Adar. There has that says that the time it takes to forget something been a period of twelve months and four days is twelve months. If Zachor is read at least once between the two readings. Seemingly, this scenario every twelve months, it is assured not to be should present the same problem as a leap year. forgotten. He points out that a leap year, which has However, with the understanding that the period of thirteen months between one year’s pre-Purim twelve months is not intended to be a set time reading of Parshas Zachor and the next, presents a measured by hours and days but rather a full problem, as more than twelve months pass without annual cycle, then as long as Parshas Zachor has “remembering” what Amalek had done. For this been read once in each annual cycle the reason, he writes, in the year preceding a leap year, requirement has been fulfilled timely despite the his Rebbe, the Chasam Sofer, made sure to have in lapse of more than twelve months. mind to fulfill the obligation when reading Zachor on Based on the Chasam Sofer’s explanation, we can the Shabbos that read Parshas Ki Seitzei is read. understand another mitzvah in this week’s Parsha נקי Rav Moshe Shternbuch5 writes that this is not that is also associated with a year’s time span - 8 colloquially - יהיה לביתו שנה אחת ושמח את אשתו אשר לקח necessary. He explains that the Torah does not give any prescribed frequency to read Parshas Zachor. known as “Shana Rishona”, in which the Torah He quotes the Sefer Hachinuch6 that says that the requires a Chasson and Kallah to be together, verbal part of the mitzvah is sufficient to be done specifically for a year’s time rather than any other once every two or three years. Chazal merely prescribed amount of time. The idea behind the instituted the practice to fulfill the mitzvah annually mitzvah is for the couple to become familiar and on the Shabbos before Purim to connect it with the comfortable and fully acclimated with each other9. theme of the Purim story, but since there is no This can only be accomplished if they have had the biblical requirement to do so every twelve months, opportunity to experience a full annual cycle with all we need not be concerned if sometimes thirteen the emotions that it elicits, assuring they have had months pass between readings. the opportunity to get to know all aspects of their The Chasam Sofer7 gives a psychological spouse’s personality. Indeed, the Chasam Sofer explanation to explain why it is not necessary. In a maintains that this mitzvah too is extended for a full year we go through all seasons including their period of thirteen months in the case of a leap year. holidays and fast days, and we experience the different emotions, thoughts, and feelings דברים כ"ה : י " ז - י "ט associated with them which trigger different 1 ספר החינוך מצוה תר" ה memories and sentiments. One must go through a 2 מהרם שיק על תרי" ג מצוות מצוה תר" א full annual cycle to assure that each experience will 3 ברכות נ"ח ע"ב elicit its related emotion.
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