Psalm 27: I Want More!
King David
David asked the Holy One, Blessed is He: “Master of the Universe, when will the light come?” God replied: “When the time of redemption comes and Jerusalem is rebuilt, I shall make the light come, saying to Israel ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come.’ (Isaiah 60:1) [See Haftarah for Ki Tavo] But as for the idol worshipping nations of the earth, for them the light shall be made into darkness, as it is said, ‘And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and it shall burn and devour his thorns and weeds in one day.’ (Isaiah 10:17)” Who are the thorns and weeds? They are those officials of the nations who maintained themselves in luxury at the expense of their people. (Midrash Tehillim 27)
How interesting that the Rabbis of the Midrash use a verse in which King David speaks of God as his light to tell us a story about David asking “When will the light come?”! The Midrash wants us to understand that once David acknowledged God as his light, the Sweet Singer of Israel would ask for more.
David uses this psalm to describe his experience of safety, security, passion, and direction as deriving from God’s light. The more King David came into contact with God’s light, the more he grew, and the more he was drawn to God, his desire for more light, infinite light, expanded.
Elul and all the Holydays that follow are opportunities to experience God’s light. As we draw closer to Him, participating in His Coronation, and repairing our relationship, the more we will sense His light. Our desire for that light will only expand, and we will have openings each day to receive more light and come closer to the Source of all light.
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When you talk about G-d being closer to us during Elul, are there steps we can take to utilize this special time and feel it more? Is it working on our awareness of His involvement in our every day lives? How do we work on repairing our relationship with Him?
Rav Yaakov Weinberg ztllh’h suggested that during Elul one should make an accounting of their past year’s activities, reviewing what they’ve been doing and where they’re heading as a result. One can even expand this further back and look over one’s whole life, summarize each significant period or year up until now and review it: this was my life up until now. Now, what are the next steps?
Rav Yaakov said, “You can’t have a Rosh Hashanah without an Elul.” He said that the composer of the prayer was accurate when he wrote that “as sheep, who pass one by one under the shepherd’s staff at the end of the day to be counted, so too do we.” We will all pass *INDVIDUALLY* before the KING OF KINGS on Rosh Hashanah for our personal Judgement!! (“What? The Shepsheleh wants to go – it doesn’t want to go? It is gonna go!!”, exclaimed Rav Yaakov.) Please read on:
Rav Simcha shlitah taught our class that on Rosh Hashanah we can ask for the *potential* for *EVERYTHING* and *ANYTHING* we would like or like to do. The King can grant us as much potential as we can imagine, articulate and ask for. And then it is up to us to realize as much of the potential that we asked for during the coming year.
I put these lessons together to suggest the following:
(a) we are going to have a particular moment during the course of Rosh Hashana when we are going to stand before the King of Kings as we pass before Him. This may only be an instant. During that instant we’ve got to be prepared. We will only have a moment to “blurt out”: this is the potential I need this coming year! Before we are pushed along. (Some mekubalim say that if you find yourself suddently in tears at some point on Rosh Hashana, it is a sign that your neshamah has just received its Din.)
(b) So during Elul – get prepared for your audience, your moment before the King! Do a cheshbon ha-nefesh: exactly as Rav Yaakov prescribed: review what you have done over the past year and where you are going
(c) then I add: Juxtapose what you come up in (b) with where you would like to see yourself going. Do the paths match? Now think about what Rav Simcha taught us: are you being too timid or too limited in what you are asking for? Don’t set your sight’s too short! You can achieve anything you truly *WANT*. “Harchev picha v’amalayhu – open your mouth wide (in prayer) and I will fill it!”, says HaShem!!!
So set your sights high! As high as you can!
(d) Now – are you only thinking of yourself? What about your spouse, family, friends, Am Yisrael, the other nations and the world at large? What do you want to ask the King of Kings for them?
(e) Put it all together into a concise bullet list.
(f) Ask your Rebbe to review it and for any comments / amendments. (In fact, Elul would be a great time to also schedule a Spiritual checkup with Rav Simcha.)
(g) When your cheshbon list is finished, print it out and put it in your prayerbook for Rosh Hashana so that you can periodically review it at every meal and during your tefillot.
Remember after all, Shanah Tovah U’Metukah can be translated: “A good and sweet *change*…”
Please also, see this beautiful (no pun intended
)suggestion from Rav simcha in a more recent post: http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2009/08/31/elul-dress-up/