A Guide to Celebrating Elul
By Jemima Schoen
As we know, Elul is a very special spiritual time: We say L’David Hashem Ori (Psalm 27), blow the shofar, give tzedakah, and eat enough to make up for Yom Kippur (just kidding about that last one). We intensify our Torah study and ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged in preparation for Yom Kippur. This is a serious month, so of course, we have a lot to learn about atonement. One place to learn about it would be in Pirkei Avot 2:10, where Rabbi Eliezer says, “Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death.” The first two thoughts are nice sentiments, but what does “repent one day before your death” mean? And why are all of these virtues listed in the same mishnah?
Rabbi Ovadia Bartenura explains that “repent one day before your death” is a relative term. We can never truly know when exactly we will die, so we should live every single day like it is our last. “Living each day as your last” is not exactly an original thought, but Rabbi Eliezer puts a new spin on it: We should live every day like it is our last chance to repent. If you were going to the Gates of Heaven in 24 hours to be judged (G-d Forbid), what would you do? Maybe you would feel that all is lost, and this tiny day will not make a difference to your overall life. Or maybe, you would apologize to everyone that you have wronged (and you will not be embarrassed), pray, spend time with your loved ones (as on Rosh Hashanah), and cherish the time you have left on this beautiful world (not specific to just Elul). This is how we should treat the days of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur — we should straighten out our priorities, view life with a fresh outlook, and not get hung up in the unimportant details. Hashem gives us this amazing opportunity every year to live like it is our last day.
We can never truly know when exactly we will die, so we should live every single day like it is our last.
As to why these topics are all in the same mishnah, the Bartenura says that “let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own” and “be not easily provoked to anger” are really part of the same point. This is because, if we are easily provoked in anger, we could never truly honor our friends correctly. We could not purport to love our friends if we ran the risk of exploding at them at any given moment. But, how are we supposed to control anger, a completely natural emotion? Rabbeinu Yonah (commenting on this mishnah) clarifies, saying that Rabbi Eliezer really implies that we should take the time to wholeheartedly consider if something is worth being angry about. This ties into repenting before you die because the slower one is to anger, the less they will have to repent for.
We can learn from Rabbi Eliezer to put everything in perspective. When we have a lot of homework or are going stir-crazy at home, we can think about how much potential these experiences are giving us to grow. Elul and the Days of Awe are a terrific opportunity for us to reconnect with Hashem and our best selves. With judgment looming, we can channel our absolute awe of that unknown to become better people this year.
Just as Hashem gives us a second chance, so too, we should treat our friends and fellow human beings the same way. With an opportunistic outlook on life, straightened priorities, and proper focus, we can all experience Elul fully and beautifully.
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