Elul Day 16 - ט"ז באלול
Dear Elul Writers,
There is an uneasiness that I sense amongst some of my friends and colleagues during this month of reflection. Is it possible that Elul is being co-opted by the self-help-industrial-complex? Where, traditionally, the month is about a careful accounting of one’s deeds, making teshuvah in our relationships and focusing on the mitzvot that need more intention, a fear arises that these 29 days might becomes a time for cultivating more #gratitude or the saccharine “spreading of more light.” Believe me, I can sympathize with such resistance towards bite-size, social-media-centered practice. Yet, I am torn; because, embedded in my own skepticism is a judgment that feels generally unhelpful. Who am I to speculate on whether a new Elul app is meaningful or superficial? (Just checked, there is no Elul app…yet.)
What I do know is that even the most “serious” voices on the subject of cheshbon hanefesh are willing to offer validation, gentle encouragement and love. To understand Elul as a joyless period of time, full of harsh self-assessment, is to run counter to the traditions that we’ve inherited. The great mashgiach ruchani (spiritual guide) of the Mir Yeshiva, R’ Yerucham Levovitz, speaks to the need to take note of both our flaws and our attributes. He writes, “Woe to a person who is unaware of their shortcomings, because they will not know what to work on. But even greater woe to a person who is unaware of their virtues, because they don’t even know what they have to work with.”
DAY 16 PROMPT
This teaching, as conveyed by R’ Shai Held in his book Judaism is About Love, can, hopefully, help us let go of some of our skepticism. A spiritual stock-taking that focuses on the positive within our lives is not just the stuff of TikTok. Understanding our virtues, the best qualities that we carry with us, as R’ Yerucham teaches, allows us to know what materials are onhand for our work this month. So, I will not feel self-conscious at all, about inviting you to consider what positive attributes you bring with you into this month. Don’t worry, we’ll circle back to the places where we are screwing things up; but let’s pause for a moment to take stock of what we’re doing remarkably well. What high-quality materials do you already have to work with this Elul? Don’t be shy, sing your own praises!
With #blessing,
Jordan