The Arizal (1534-1572) – the greatest of the Kabbalists – notes that the initial letters of the words “ina l’yado v’samti loch – [G-d] caused [accidental death] to happen to his hand, and I shall provide you [a place to flee]” (Exodus 21:13) spell the word “Elul.”
The Arizal comments that “G-d, in His kindness, gave us the month of Elul for whoever has transgressed during the year.” If a person “returns with teshuvah, he will be accepted [by G-d].”
In other words, just as G-d provides places of refuge – arei miklat – for someone who accidentally killed his fellow, so too He provides a special time – Elul – during which we can seek refuge from the effects of our sins (which are a form of “murder” for they misdirect our life-energy from its intended purpose).
A businessman, at the close of every period, takes stock of his inventory and examines his sales to determine how well the business is doing. We must do the same regarding our spiritual lives. We must make a cheshbon nefesh at the close of every period: at the day’s end during Krias Shma al Hamita, at the week’s end on Thursday night, at the month’s end on erev Rosh Chodesh, and at the year’s end during Elul.
Elul – the temporal “city of refuge” – doesn’t just exist for accidental murderers. It exists even for Jews who are free of wrongdoing since the literal translation of “teshuvah” is not repentance, but return, and every Jew needs to return to Hashem. Every soul is clothed in a physical body in a physical world – both of which conceal G-d’s presence – which means that even the most saintly Jew is not absolutely united with Hashem. Consequently, he too must “return” to Hashem by constantly advancing ever higher spiritual levels.
Deliberate murderers also benefit from cities of refuge. They stay in these cities, safe from the “blood avenger,” until their trials commence. Similarly, Elul helps deliberate sinners since no sin is absolutely deliberate. Our Sages say (Sotah 3a), “No one commits a sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters into him.”
The Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya, would say, “On his own, a Jew neither desires nor is able to become separated from G-d.” If he does anything wrong, it’s because even while doing the misdeed, “he imagines that he remains within his Jewish identity” (Tanya, chapters 14, 24, and 25). Accordingly, even a seemingly “deliberate” sin is not fully deliberate. Even such a person, therefore, can benefit from the refuge of Elul.
Routes to cities of refuge had to be publicized. Hence, we must publicize the existence of Elul to our fellow Jews. It’s not sufficient for us to take advantage of Elul’s “refuge” by learning more, praying more, giving more charity, and doing teshuvah. We must also “sound the shofar” to give other Jews the same opportunity. And when Hashem sees us helping His other children, He becomes more disposed to help us, as well.
May all our efforts bring a kesivah vachasimah tovah for a truly good and sweet year.
(Based on teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)