Elul: The Month of our Meeting with the King

Elul is not just another month in the Jewish calendar. It is the month of the great "rendez-vous" a meeting with HaShem, our King. This time is filled with the joy of reunion, yet also with questions, introspection, and preparation.

The Torah teaches us that HaShem reveals His great mercy during these days. But at the same time, we know that we must come before Him ready for Rosh HaShanah, aware that He owes us nothing. In truth, we are compared to the poor, arriving with empty hands, waiting for all to be redistributed anew.

Like so many of the foundations of the Torah, this month is filled with paradoxes: joy and awe, closeness and trembling, mercy and responsibility.

So how do we prepare ourselves for this ultimate rendez-vous?

For me, it all comes back to one point, perhaps the greatest challenge of our time: Emunah and Bitachon.

I hear the voice of my Rav echoing within me: “Everything that happens in your life comes from HaShem. The world is full of puppets, and every event is for the best. So your task is to remain joyful , like playing a game of ‘statue’ all day long. Stay unmoved, unshaken, and recognize the Hand of HaShem behind everything.”

It sounds simple enough in theory, doesn’t it? But in practice, it is the work of a lifetime.

Today, more than ever, joy must be the background music of our lives. Even as we face deep, existential questions, only one thing can carry us through the fire surrounding us: our Emunah and Bitachon.

These are not just abstract concepts. They are the very pillars of our Jewish identity, our shield, our sign of belonging. They remind us of who we are:
“Am Segula”, a treasured nation, unique and beloved, the firstborn children of HaShem.