Elul: Pachad, Teshuvah, and Hiskarvus

Topics

• Elul and the Avodah of Fear
• The Remazim of Elul
• Three Different Dimensions
• Elul as Teshuvah and Tikkun
• Elul as Hiskarvus
• Pachad in Elul
• Fear of Elul and Rosh Hashanah
• Elul and the Trembling Fish
• What Changed
• The Connection to Yirah and Tumah
• Numbness, fear, and the effect of aveirah
• Two reasons we do not feel the ariyus millei
• Rashbi’s shmuess on Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li
• Elul as a time of tikkun
• Shaifti v’Sha’arim and the Avodah of Elul
• Preparing for Rosh Hashanah
• The Shofar and the Meaning of Milchamah
• The Fear of Elul and the Return to Hashem
• The Brisker Rav: Running From Him to Him
• Two Pesukim in Shir HaShirim
• Ani leDodi and Dodi li
• Isarusa d’letata in Elul
• The ro’eh and the sheep
• Ro’eh b’sheishanim
• Tikkun and the Love of Return
• Shoftim, Milchamah, and the Work of Elul
• Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof
• Lifnim Mishuras Hadin in Mishpat
• The Gemara in Bava Metzia
• Tzedek Tzedek
• How This Helps in Judgment
• Lifnim Mishuras HaDin
• What Lifnim Mishuras HaDin Means
• Gezel and Things Beyond the Letter of the Law
• Examples of Being Careful
• The Result of Acting This Way
• Dan L’kaf Zechus and Ayin Tovah
• Ma’avir Al Hamidos
• Yishmael B’ni and the Meaning of Sonship
• The Chasam Sofer on Banim and Middos
• Yom Kippur, Banim, and Lifnim Mishuras Hadin
• Mavir al Ha-Middos and Yosef
• The Kedushas Levi and Ahavas Yisrael
• Avos Yisrael and Mevater Al Midas
• A Meir Dei Kamaisa About Giving to Enemies
• Toila Eretz Al Blimah
• Making Up and Bringing Shalom

Transcript

# Elul and the Avodah of Fear

This Torah class is brought to you by TorahAnytime.com.

Elul is a month in which tzaddikim and baalei mussar placed great emphasis. There was a time and a place when Elul had tremendous significance for every yid. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, in his famous letter in R. Yisrael Yudaled, letter Yudaled, writes: “M’lefnim kasha yodati” — as I have known in the past, to the best of my knowledge, every person would be gripped with fear. “M’koy l’akoy re’kidaysh Elul” — when they heard that it was Elul, when Elul was announced, this seemed to be the norm in Europe. Elul brought about a certain pachad; it brought out a certain fear.

Today, somewhat, it is watered down. We do not feel the same feeling of platzoys. The word platzoys means an uncontrollable fear; we do not have that so much today. Maybe in the yeshivas a little bit there is the avodah of Elul, but unfortunately not the way it was years ago. In the yeshivas as well, this feeling of Elul deteriorated.

So what is Elul? What is the avodah that is necessary, the avodah of Elul? What are we supposed to do? If we understand Elul properly, maybe we can reattach, reconnect to Elul the way our forefathers, so to speak, and the people before us saw and felt Elul. If we understand Elul, then we will know what to strive for, what to grow in during Elul.

## The Remazim of Elul

What is Elul? The Mishnah Berurah tells us there are two remazim for Elul. One is “Ani l’dodi, v’dodi li” from Shir HaShirim: I am to the Ribbono Shel Olam, and the Ribbono Shel Olam is to me. Then he brings another remez, from “Umal Hashem Elokecha es levavcha v’es levav zar’acha” — the sof teivos of that pasuk is Elul. “Umal” means that the Ribbono Shel Olam will cut off the orlas haleiv, the tumah of the lev. So these are the two remazim of Elul: “Ani l’dodi, v’dodi li,” and “Umal Hashem Elokecha.”

The Shelah brings another remez for the days of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabbah: “Aryeh yishog, mi lo yira?” If the lion roars, who is not afraid? Aryeh, aleph, is Elul; the reish is Rosh Hashanah; the yud is Yom Kippur; the hei is Hoshana Rabbah. The days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabbah are called the Yamim Nora’im. Nora’im means great and fearful, fierce — the great days, the days of awe.

## Three Different Dimensions

So I see three remazim. One is “Ani l’dodi, v’dodi li,” and that identifies Elul. I see “Umal Hashem Elokecha,” and that identifies Elul. And I see “Aryeh yishog, mi lo yira?” I believe all three are different bechinos, different dinyonim, different points of the avodah that are necessary in Elul.

First of all, Elul is a time of pachad, as we will explain and show from Gedolei Yisrael the tremendous fear that came over the tzaddikim in the days of Elul. That is “Aryeh yishog, mi lo yira?” There is a chelek and an avodah in Elul that has to be “Aryeh yishog.”

# Elul as Teshuvah and Tikkun

Pachad, fear of the roar of the lion. Elul, I think, is also a time of teshuvah, tikkun. A person has to correct his ma’asim. I think that is hinted at in, “Umol Hashem Elokecha es levavcha ve’es levav zar’acha.” Umol — cut the orlah, cut the tumah, cut the aveiros. Tikkun. Bris is a tikkun. It is mesaken. It fixes the person from his orlas haleiv. And that is the avodah of Elul: “Umol Hashem Elokecha,” to fix the orlas haleiv, to purify the heart, to prepare itself for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

# Elul as Hiskarvus

Yet there is another bechinah in Elul, another avodah in Elul: “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” the first remez. That is hiskarvus. It is the month in which a person gets close to the Ribbono Shel Olam, with love, with feeling of nankite, of closeness. Hiskarvus. “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li.”

And like I said, if we understand Elul, and what Elul was designated to be, what it is meant to be, then it will be easier for us to do the avodah of Elul and to identify with Elul and connect to Elul. Otherwise, Elul is just a month, and life’s situations and the daily activities of life become shigra, become the norm, and then it becomes like any other day and any other month. If we properly understand what Elul is, we will connect properly to Elul and utilize it to its fullest extent.

# Pachad in Elul

I told you Elul is about pachad. In Sefer HaYirah of Rabbeinu Yonah, Rabbeinu Yonah writes at the end of the sefer, in a kuntres that he wrote, that from when Elul comes in until after Yom Kippur, a person must be with pachad. We have in the Koran, Rabbeinu Yonah, that from Elul — pachad. A person should be afraid. It is brought down.

Rav Yitzchak Blazer said over about Rav Yisrael Salanter that when Elul came, you saw the fear on his face. You looked at Rav Yisrael Salanter — it was Elul. His entire demeanor was that of fear. And someone turned to him and asked: Tell me, Rav Yitzchak, is Elul a dove? Is it a bear? A bear? You look like you saw a bear. You look like you saw who knows what. I guess in Europe that was the expression of the ultimate pachad: Is Elul a bear? Is Elul a bear? What are you so out of control with fear for?

So he answered: I want you to know that Elul is more than a bear. It is even more than a bear. Why? He says, take a look at Dovid HaMelech. Dovid HaMelech tells Shaul in Shmuel Aleph that he is not afraid of nothing. He was able to wage war and battle. He is not afraid of Goliath, not afraid of nobody, Dovid HaMelech. Yet Dovid HaMelech says about the mishpat, the upcoming mishpat: “Sarai basar mi-pachadekha, umishpatecha yareisi.” My flesh becomes like needles from fear of Your mishpat.

So the same Dovid HaMelech who is not afraid of the dove is terrified from the mishpat of the Ribbono Shel Olam. You are asking me if I saw a dove? I saw worse. I saw much more scary than the dove. I see Rosh Hashanah coming — fear. And the fear was noticeable. It was noticeable in the demeanor of Rav Yisrael Salanter for the month of Elul. He was in tremendous fear. I saw that the crazy Magid wrote...

# Fear of Elul and Rosh Hashanah

He has a letter in his hands, a letter he owns, in the *Sefer Dei V’etaira*, one of the sefarim of the Kleis Megarebbe on Chumash, Parashas Ki Savo, Tavshin Samech-Daled. There he brings a letter from the Bnei Yissaschar, the heilige Bnei Yissaschar, written in such a way that the lines are not straight and the letters are not written properly. Everything is off. He writes that the reason he can no longer continue writing is that his hands are shaking. When he writes in the month of Elul, his hands tremble, and therefore the letter was written almost illegibly. You hear the pachad. You hear the pachad. He could not write, he could not use a pen properly, because his hands were shaking, the heilige Bnei Yissaschar.

Shmuel Rzavsky would relate that the Vrisker Rav, two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, would tell people: it is already that he has no more enjoyment from anything. Nothing. He cannot enjoy anything from fear. When people are tense from fear, they cannot eat, they cannot sleep; nothing gives them any pleasure, nothing speaks to them, so to speak. Two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, the Vrisker Rav said: that is it already, he has so much pachad that he has no hanah from anything anymore.

When they asked him about this, he said: of course. We say it in Selichos, “Zochalim v’ro’adim mi’yom bo’echa.” What is zochalim? You know what zochalim means — like a stream, zachal — completely shaken. V’ro’adim means the body trembles. It is a physical fear, “mi’yom bo’echa,” from the day that You come, meaning from Elul, from Rosh Hashanah. A person is supposed to be like that. We say it, we announce, “Zochalim v’ro’adim,” because this is what it is, this is what happens, this is l’maaseh.

But look around: do you see zochalim? Do you see v’ro’adim? Do you even see any change in the heartbeat? At least sometimes you put on a cardiogram and see that the fellow is a little nervous. Does anyone’s blood pressure ever go up? I want to know. They should take the blood pressure and see whether it went up a little, whether something moved him a little, whether he was a little scared. When they take your blood pressure and it is a little high, they take it a second time. Why? There is a rule the doctors came up with: the very fact that they are taking the blood pressure gives a person chills, a little nervousness, and that itself can raise the blood pressure. So for that little thing, that he has to have his blood pressure taken, he is already a little nervous, and therefore the reading is not accurate. Let us take the blood pressure now and see what happens. You will notice, maybe it is even down; this fellow is more relaxed. I never heard anybody say that he needs special blood pressure medicine.

But that is really what it should be: the pachad, the fear of the Yom HaDin. I saw in that sefer, my zayde from Pesach, and when he brings the toldos, it says there that it was a normal occurrence, not even something out of the ordinary, that people had to be dragged out of shul in the days of the Yamim Nora’im, Elul and Rosh Hashanah, by the drashah. During the drashah, the Beis HaRav spoke such mussar, and the olam was overwhelmed with emotion and pachad, that it was normal that those who fainted had to be dragged out. Do you know anybody that Hatzalah would have to come for? Imagine Hatzalah — what happened? Elul, Rosh Hashanah, code Rosh Hashanah. Imagine when they have a code this, a code that — code Rosh Hashanah. I never heard it. I would say there was a time in Klal Yisrael, not long ago, when there was such a thing as code Rosh Hashanah, that the olam was in pachad. The famous line is always, the famous line is always, the famous...

# Elul and the Trembling Fish

Mentioned, it is always said over that, “Elo la-filo” — even the fish in the sea start to tremble. But tell me: do fish really tremble? Is the story true?

I heard from my uncle, I’m high in Balkan, shlita, from Muskeg, a beautiful place. When you look at a building, if you are not a builder, you look only at the outside. But if you are a builder, you look and say: look at this brick, look at this foundation. An electrician looks at the electricity. A painter looks at the paint. Every person identifies with what he is holding and where he is.

He gave a very nice mashal for this. He once told the vort to a travel agent, and the travel agent enjoyed it very much. He said, “This vort, I’m going to tell over to a lot of people. I’ll get a lot of mileage out of it.” An expression, then he’ll use it, then he’ll speak it over. Why? Because since he is a travel agent, that is what he thinks about — mileage. That is what he sees, that is what he speaks about.

When they said that in the fish in the sea tremble during Elul, it is not that the fish actually shake. Rather, when people saw the fish swimming around, they said: oh, it must be because of Elul. Elul meant so much to them that whatever they saw, they saw Elul and the fear of Elul. That was on their minds. They saw something moving — oh, the chair is moving, it must be because of Elul. The chair is moving because of Elul. Yes, but that is what they saw, because that is what they were holding. That is what was going through their minds: Elul, the pachad. That is all they could think about. This is the inyan of “Ari yishog mi-milo.”

# What Changed

The question is: what happened? What changed? The fish in the sea is recent — seventy, eighty years old. They used to say it seventy years ago in Europe, in America, yes. It would be a joke to say over, “Well, the fish in the sea...” What happened?

And the question is not only what happened, but if we understand what happened, perhaps we will understand how to return to that matzav. How can we bring back the pachad? How do we do it?

The truth is that Rabbi Yisrael Salanter himself discusses this in that letter, in Yud-Daled, in Ish Yud-Daled. He discusses what went wrong, what happened, what changed, why there was a time and a place where Elul had such significance, such meaning, such fear in a person’s heart, and then it changed.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter says there are one of two reasons. The first reason is hergel. You get used to it, year after year. After a while, you are not so scared. You ever see a guy scared of the deep water in the pool? Little by little, he gets used to the deep water. Everything in life you get used to, and then it becomes normal.

Every year the rav gets up and frightens us during Elul. Okay, we survived it. Hergel — it is okay, we got used to it.

A second reason, says Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, is that the more aveiros we do, and based on the fact that we live longer, every year we add more and more, the heart becomes numb. Aveiros are metameh. Aveiros are metameh. But mainly, we do not feel the Elul. We do not feel it.

# The Connection to Yirah and Tumah

I saw a gevaldige vort from Nachman Breslov. In Likkutei Moharan he says that if you notice, it says, “Ani le-dodi ve-dodi li.” And yet it says, “Umal Hashem Elokecha.” Later we are going to talk about this. They seem like contradictory things: one is ahavah, and the other is yirah and pachad. He says that “Umal Hashem Elokecha” will help you reach “Ani le-dodi ve-dodi li.” The reason we do not feel the “Ani le-dodi ve-dodi li” is, ha-gufa, because our hearts are full of tumah. So we need the “Umal Hashem Elokecha,” “es levavcha ve-es levav zar’acha.”

You know what it feels like? Meiridik vort, meiridik. It is beautiful, yes. So Reb Yisrael is saying this regarding the fear, the “Ari yishog.” Why do we not feel the “Ari yishog” and the terror? “Umal Hashem Elokecha.” We have to first cleanse ourselves in order to have the yirah. The fact that we do not have the yirah is because of tumah, and amidst Hashem later on we will talk about how it affects the “Ani le-dodi.” But here you see that Reb Yisrael Salanter says that the “Umal Hashem” affects the “Ari yishog mi-milo yira.” The fact that we do not have fear is because...

# Numbness, fear, and the effect of aveirah

Because our hearts are not holding by anything. The more we do, the more it becomes numb. The heart becomes numb, and we do not have fear. As life goes on, a person gets numb; he is not afraid of anything. Why? Because he is not afraid, truly. So the tum’ah, says Rabbi Saul Salanter, from the aveirah causes that a person should not feel the ariyus millei.

# Two reasons we do not feel the ariyus millei

Sheva Rabbanan zatzal, in the third nekudah in his shmuess, a very famous shmuess about Elul, says he would like to add two more points why we do not feel the ariyus millei.

The first thing he says is that we do not understand what chet is. We do not identify the chomer, what it means to do an aveirah. The second thing he says is that we are not embarrassed that we do aveiros.

I once thought about it: when we come to the Ribbono Shel Olam, we would be embarrassed to come before the Ribbono Shel Olam so dirty, so rachok, with such. So the fact is, we do not have what happened when we did the aveirah, and second, we are not embarrassed about it.

And he says the truth is, it is in this week’s parshah of Shoftim. He says the parshah of Shoftim, and as we will talk, the parshah of Shoftim has a lot to do with Elul. Shoftim is usually the first parshah we read in Elul, and we are going to show how throughout the parshah there are inyonim of Elul, and there is avodah of Elul, and the tikkunim that are needed during Elul. It is all in the parshah of Shoftim.

# Rashbi’s shmuess on Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li

Says Rashbi zatzal, in the shmuess of Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li, that actually the reason today we do not have fear is because, first, we do not understand cheit, we do not understand chomer ha’chet, and second, we are not embarrassed by it. We are not.

I will prove it; I will show you where this is in the parshah. When you went to lebochahmeh, they sent you back if you had an aveirah. You were told, mi ha’ish asher yarei v’rach halevav? What was the aveirah that he did? It could be a small aveirah, sach b’tfillin v’tfillin, maybe a rabbanan. And it is with teshuvah, rabbeinu say. Even if he did teshuvah, yes? Avadei, he says, when he brings a raya, it means even if he did teshuvah, but you had this aveirah? Ula yomot. You hear? Chomer ha’chet. Unbelievable.

He says: we do not think that this—he talked between the tefillin shel yad and the tefillin shel rosh, and he did teshuvah, and yet still, shema yamut. Maybe he will die.

Sheva zatzal says, I want to tell you another nekudah. The embarrassment that we—so you are talking about a small little aveirah, right? Why did we tell you to say that? In case you built a house and you are married, it is to cover up for the baal aveirah who has to go home. Azeh zachum Chazal. So what aveirah did he do? Nothing, k’meat nothing. He did teshuvah, and yet he still is embarrassed. See what it means to be embarrassed to do an aveirah.

Today we have no embarrassment that we did an aveirah. It is unbelievable. Understanding from gedolei Yisrael what it means an aveirah, what it means where we are holding, we are not embarrassed to do aveiros, and the maleh element is so little to us. Aryeh yishog. It is because we do not see the aryeh yishog. If we understood the aryeh, if we understood that we are in trouble, if we understood how serious the mishpat is, if we understood how many aveiros we did, and how little ground we have to stand on when we come to the mishpat, avadei we would be afraid. Avadei we would be, and we would not know, we would not come together.

# Elul as a time of tikkun

Ba’alei mussar speak another nekudah of Elul, and that is, I think, the second thing that we spoke about: u’mol Hashem Elokecha. It is the time of tikkun, that a person has to work on purifying himself, purifying the person, cleansing himself from within and from without, from the erlas halev and the ma’asim. U’mol Hashem Elokecha es levavcha v’es levav zar’acha.

And ba’alei mussar see this actually in the parshah of Shoftim as well: shoftim v’shotrim titein lecha b’chol she’arecha, asher Hashem Elokecha...

# Shaifti v’Sha’arim and the Avodah of Elul

Shaifti v’Sha’arim, the Shlah says, is referring to the shivah sha’arim. All your sha’arim — the eyes, the ears, the mouth — Shaifti v’Sha’arim means that you have to appoint a shofet to judge them, a shoter, a mussar, to be mesaken them. *B’chol sha’arecha, shehashem Elokecha nosein lecha.* The Ribbono Shel Olam gives you sha’arim; you have to work on them. That is the avodah of Elul.

Many tzaddikim did not speak during Elul. They did not talk for an entire month. Why? To protect, to be shomer the sha’ar of the peh. They were careful about what they heard and what they saw. Sha’arim, the sha’arim, the sha’arim.

# Preparing for Rosh Hashanah

We are going to come to Rosh Hashanah, and we are going to see the malchus of the Heibishter. How do you expect to fully grasp Rosh Hashanah and the malchus of the Heibishter that comes on Rosh Hashanah if the eyes are weak, the ears are weak, and the mouth is weak from aveiros, from tum’ah, from lashon hara, and other things? You know why a person comes to Rosh Hashanah and does not see the ariyus of Rosh Hashanah? Because his eyesight is not good. There is something wrong with his eyesight. He does not see well. And you know why he does not see well? Because he did not work on his sha’arim to strengthen them — the eyes, the ears, the mouth.

Shofetim v’shotrim titein lecha, ba’alim u’musar speaking. That is also one of his peshatim in Shofetim v’shotrim in the sefer Dror Shmuel. The Ribbono Shel Olam wants us to work on our sha’arim in this month, and we should judge ourselves. We should work on ourselves. He says that is why, like sakir b’mishpat, you are not supposed to take shochad about yourself either. You should judge yourself properly. You should sit and work on a proper cheshbon hanefesh. *Lo sikach shochad, u’ponim b’din* — for yourself too, when you judge yourself. You need to do an emes’eh cheshbon hanefesh.

The Mishnah Berurah brings down that a person should learn a half hour of mussar every day. Could you imagine? The Mishnah Berurah held that you should learn a half hour of mussar. Could you imagine what we, who are really sick, how much mussar we really need? The Mishnah Berurah felt that a half hour was good enough. Today the machalos are much worse. The ruchniyus, the gashmiyus are so much worse. Who knows how much more mussar we have to learn? And if we learn the mussar, we make the cheshbon hanefesh. So we make the cheshbon hanefesh, the sheik to the sheik, *tirti telechah b’chol sha’arecha*. Then we can come to Rosh Hashanah and have an understanding, a glimpse, that we can see properly what Rosh Hashanah and the malchus of the Abishter represent.

# The Shofar and the Meaning of Milchamah

We blow shofar now. The reason for the shofar is, *u’ri y’sheinu mishnaschem* — that is the ענין of a person needing tikkun. You have to wake up. You have to do things. You have to be mesaken. Another reason, *ha’am lo yecheradu*, is the fear. That is the pachad needed in Elul. And there is also another nekudah of milchamah: when a person goes to milchamah, he blows shofar. We are preparing ourselves for a big milchamah, Rabbi. The milchamah is us against the ketrugim, against the Satan. It is not my fault.

The halachah brings this down from a Meir Simcha, that the reason we blow shofar on Rosh Hashanah is because of the milchamah. You are going to milchamah today. A person on Rosh Hashanah has to know he is in a war zone. Just like in a war zone, he is in danger. He is in danger, and you blow shofar to be me’orer: you are in danger, and you need to do teshuvah. So too, Rosh Hashanah is a milchamah. It is a Meir Simcha.

Tell me, if someone would go to war, wouldn’t he be afraid thirty days before that he is going? No? When they call up a soldier and tell him, “You are going to Iraq” — today there is not even a war in Iraq, but when there was war — you think thirty days before he is called up, he is not sitting and worried?

# The Fear of Elul and the Return to Hashem

I'm making a cheshbon: what is going to be? What happens if he doesn't survive it?

The shofar of Elul is supposed to represent three things, like the three avodos we spoke about in Elul. First, it represents fear. The shofar inherently brings fear; it is the call that awakens fear in a person. Second, it is a reminder to do something: you have thirty days left, do something. Third, when you are going to war, you need to be afraid.

What about the third inyan we spoke about, which is actually the first remez, the Mishnah Berurah brings, *ani l'dodi v'dodi li*? These things seem contradictory. On one hand, we tell you *ani l'dodi*; we tell you fear. And then we tell you *ani l'dodi v'dodi li* — the Ribbono Shel Olam loves me, and I love the Eibishter.

I want to read to you the words of Rav Yisrael Salanter, the famous letter: "Melefnim kasher yodati, kol ish achazai plotzais, hacher dalazu nasapiryo." What was the point of this fear? "Li'yiskarev l'avoidaso yisbarach" — it is not to make you afraid; it is to make you afraid in order to bring you closer to His avodah. "Ish l'fi arko," every person according to his madreigah, according to where he is holding. "Asher haTorah v'ha'ma'asim hatovim heim matzris matperanus" — doing Torah and mitzvos is the protection from all the peranus.

I think Rav Yisrael Salanter is defining the yirah that is necessary in Elul. I told you from Rav Nachman miBreslov, the "haMeir Yedike" thing, that the fear will help you do the tikkun. And we explained that Rav Yisrael Salanter, right, the fear brings the tikkun; otherwise the person does not think he has what to be mesaken. Then we said over that Rav Nachman explained that this is going to bring *ani l'dodi* as well.

I think Rav Yisrael Salanter is saying this point: the fear is not an end in itself. The fear brings about the kirvah, the fact that we come back to the Eibishter, close.

# The Brisker Rav: Running From Him to Him

I'd like to tell you over a vort from the Brisker Rav, which really echoes and brings out this point. The Brisker Rav used a lashon from a Shlomo Edwin Gabiru: "Evrach mimcha" — I run from you. Where do I run to? "Aleicha" — to you. I run from you, I run to you.

What does it mean? It means what the Rambam says in *Pirush HaMishnayos*: the Rambam says that we do not read Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. Why not? Hallel is a Yom Tov. And the answer is, "lefi sheheim yemei avodah v'ach no pachad" — they are days of fear, days when it is not time for Hallel. But the Rambam continues: it is not only a day of fear, "u'morim Hashem v'yirim mimenu" — and we are afraid of Hashem, and we run, "u'mivrach u'manays" — but to come back to Him, "alev," to Him, "manays."

We run from Him to Him. When we realize that the only protection we have is to go back to the Yad Vashta, it is a scary thing. But the fear tells us that we have nowhere else to go, so we run back to the Eibishter. "U'mivrach u'manays alev" — we run back right to Him. *Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li.*

# Two Pesukim in Shir HaShirim

You know, there are two pesukim in Shir HaShirim here, in perek vav. Pasuk gimel has this, *ani l'dodi v'dodi li*, which is Elul. But actually, in perek vav, pasuk tezayin, it says the opposite: "l'dodi li va'ani lo" — the same pasuk, "haro'eh bashoshanim."

# Ani leDodi and Dodi li

The same exact passage: one is *Dodi li va’ani lo*, and here it is *Ani leDodi*. What is the difference between *Ani leDodi*? The answer is what we have always said in previous years: who makes the first step in the teshuvah process? *Hashiveinu Hashem eilecha v’nashuva*, or *Shuvu eilei v’shuvu eileichem*. We tell the Ribbono Shel Olam, *Hashiveinu* — You bring us back. The Ribbono Shel Olam says, *Shuvu eilei* — you come to Me.

*Dodi li va’ani lo* means that the Ribbono Shel Olam first comes to me, *Dodi li*, and then, *va’ani lo*. But here it is the opposite: *Ani leDodi*. First I have to make the first step, *Ani leDodi*, and then *Dodi li*. Elul is the second thing: we have to make the first move in Elul. We have to be the first.

# Isarusa d’letata in Elul

We know in Chassidus and Torah there is a lot of *isarusa d’le’eila* and *isarusa d’letata* — arousal from above and arousal from below. Elul needs to begin with *Pischu li pesach k’chudo shel machat*; *isarusa d’letata* — you have to start. And then the Ribbono Shel Olam comes and takes you.

I think the pshat is beautiful. *Ani leDodi* means: I am running. The whole *Shir HaShirim* is this — I am running, I miss Him, He runs away, and I run after Him. The whole *Shir HaShirim* is that. *Ani leDodi* is saying: I run. But you know what? I run to Him.

Elul begins teshuvah. What is teshuvah? *Chazarah* — I return. I begin to return. *Maneis eilav* — the *maneis eilav*, that I run to Him, that itself is the teshuvah, the *chazarah*, the running back to Him now. The whole year I am running away. All of a sudden I begin to realize: *mivrach* — I have to run away; look what is going on. But then I realize I have no place to run to except to run back to Him. When I run back to Him, what happens? *Dodi li* — He accepts me.

This, rabosai, is *mivrach, maneis eilav*. It is a two-step thing. It is *mivrach* from Him, but you also have to start from the *mivrach* to His *karev*, to come to Him. *Umal Hashem Elokecha es levavcha* — but then it is *Ani leDodi*, to Him.

# The ro’eh and the sheep

What happens when a sheep runs away from the flock? What does the ro’eh do? He takes a stick and beats it. Even if the sheep comes back, it gets a good beating because it ran away. You know who says this? The Maggid says this on the pasuk. The stick — how does the stick of the Eibershter become *menachem*? How does that work? *Menachem* — you are in a *chomer* with the stick of the Eibershter; Your stick is punishing me. How does that console me?

The answer is that whenever the sheep gets lost, it gets cut off from the flock, and then it is in trouble. The wolves can eat it. What happens? The ro’eh looks for it, and then when he sees it, he beats it with the stick. So what does the sheep feel? Yes, it hurts, but it also knows that the ro’eh caught it, saved it, found it. It is better that the ro’eh finds it with the stick than the ze’ev, than the fox, because then it will kill it.

*Shiftecha* — the fact that you are here, when you punish, I know that you are here. *Shiftecha*. *U’mishantecha* — you hit like the ro’eh; when I feel my *chomer*, I feel that I am not lost, that You found me. That is a ro’eh of sheep.

# Ro’eh b’sheishanim

How about a *ro’eh b’sheishanim*? What does *b’sheishanim* mean? Imagine that the Eibershter does not hit the sheep, but when they get lost, He gives them *sheishanim*. He brings them closer with presence. That is *Ani leDodi, v’Dodi li*. You know, when I get lost and I come back, the Ribbono Shel Olam is *Dodi li* — a ro’eh, not with a stick, but a *ro’eh b’sheishanim*.

That is *maneis li*; that is *maneis* — that the Ribbono Shel Olam, I have where to run for protection, I have where to run for protection. This is, on one hand, *l’mal*.

# Tikkun and the Love of Return

On one hand, I’m afraid. So what do I do when I’m afraid? I run back to Deidi, who accepts me. Instead of punishing me with the stick, he gives me rewards. On one hand, I’m afraid. So what do I do when I’m afraid? I run back to Deidi, who accepts me. Instead of punishing me with the stick, he gives me rewards.

Tikkun means you have to do chazara, teshuvah, ma’aseh. You have to go back, but it also means that you feel the aniyah, the love. The greatest love is when a person sins and the Ribono Shel Olam takes him back as if nothing happened. Isn’t that the biggest sign? That is the biggest sign of ahavah. The love was tested. In English we say that when love is tested, how do you test it? When somebody does bad and should be thrown out, and yet the person takes him back, then you know that it is truly ahavah. Ani l’Dodi, v’Dodi li, haro’eh bashoshanim.

This is the understanding that is necessary in Elul.

# Shoftim, Milchamah, and the Work of Elul

This is the parashah of shoftim v’shotrim: either it is milchamah, like the Rosh Yeshiva Rabban says, to know what chet is all about when you go to milchamah—we are going to milchamah; Rosh Hashanah is a milchamah; Yom Kippur is a milchamah—or shoftim v’shotrim, the eyes, the ears, is another chelek of Elul. And, like I said, it is tikkun; you have to fix.

So what should we work on in Elul? What should we work on? Tzaddikim worked on everything. And, like I said, shoftim v’shotrim—the eyes, the ears, the mouth—is a lot of avodah. What happens if someone is not holding there? Most people are very simple, and it is not thirty days; they cannot do an overhaul of who they are. So what happens? It is a big problem. Why? Who could ever win in din? It is impossible.

So then what do you do? Imagine you go into a case where you know there is no hope for you to win. Of course you are going to be nervous. And what are we saying? That there is a way out. What is the way out? So what should I do?

# Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof

The mefarshim speak about things that you can do to win—advice, tricks, if you do this, if you do that. The ba’alei mussar give advice. What is their advice? The pasuk tells us, tzedek, tzedek tirdof. It is in this week’s parashah of Shoftim. If you notice, it says tirdof—you should run after tzedek, run after tzedek; you should do it. What is the word tirdof? It is interesting wording. Also, tzedek tzedek, a double lashon—the Rishonim talk about it. Why does it have to say it twice?

Pashut is to emphasize how righteous and ehrlich it is. When you say something twice, Avraham, Avraham, it gives it strength, to emphasize, to say it over twice. Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, l’ma’an tichyeh—why is that l’ma’an tichyeh? If you do tzedek, Rashi says that if a person is mo’eh dayan in which are tzedek, it deserves to live and he deserves to go to exile. Why? Why is dayanim that are emes? What is tzedek, tzedek, rabbei? Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, and this goes to one of the eitzos, one of the recommendations given by the ba’alei mussar on how to survive the mishpat of the Eibershter.

If you look at the Or HaChaim, he asks all these questions: what is the tzedek, tzedek, what is the tirdof, the l’ma’an tichyeh? It needs explanation. Tzedek, tzedek could mean lifnim mishuras hadin. We are talking about mishpat, yes—Shoftim, v’shotrim titen lecha b’chol she’arecha.

# Lifnim Mishuras Hadin in Mishpat

Mishpat. Yet in Mishpat there is an inyan called *lifnim mishuras hadin*. You know, *lifnim mishuras hadin* can mean *lifnim, lifnim mishuras hadin* — two steps of *lifnim mishuras hadin*.

## The Gemara in Bava Metzia

The Gemara in Bava Metzia tells us that Rabbi Bar Chana hired workers to carry barrels of wine for him. They took the barrels, carried them, and then dropped and broke them. So what happens when you hire workers and they ruin what they were carrying? He did not want to pay them. “I should pay you? You caused me a loss.” So they went, I think, to Rav and asked what to do. Rav was wearing a jacket, and the Gemara says he took his coat with him. Rav said: take your coat and give it to them.

He said, “That’s the halacha? They broke my barrels and I have to give them my coat?” Yes. Why? Because a person should be extra good. But I’m thinking to myself: I didn’t ask you that. I asked whether this is the din. And the answer is yes, this is the din. The din is *meheyi ta’if*.

The Gemara says that the carriers, the workers, were still not happy. Why? What do they have from his coat? We’re poor, we don’t have what to eat, we need money. So Rav said: go pay them for the work also. On top of the coat, pay them for the work. This too is the halacha. Why? Because it is not one time; it is *lifnim, lifnim mishuras hadin*.

## Tzedek Tzedek

The Bobover Rebbe says that this is *tzedek tzedek*. Sometimes it is not enough to do it once; sometimes you have to do *lifnim, lifnim mishuras hadin*, twice, a double portion of *lifnim mishuras hadin*.

What is the pashut pshat? *Tzedek* means righteous: I will do what is right. That is *meheyi ta’if*. But then there is something called *tzedek tzedek*, which means that in the tzedek of righteousness, you have to go one step further, *lifnim mishuras hadin*. That is the pashut pshat in *tzedek tzedek tirdof*.

## How This Helps in Judgment

Now I begin to understand *l’man tichlah*. One of the eitzos given in the ba’alei mussar for surviving and living, for coming out with a good *ksiva v’chasima* on Rosh Hashanah, is to do things *lifnim mishuras hadin*. Why? Because if a person does *lifnim mishuras hadin*, the Ribbono Shel Olam does with him *lifnim mishuras hadin*. That is how he is judged and measured. So in order for the Ribbono Shel Olam to judge us *lifnim mishuras hadin*, we have to go in judgment *lifnim mishuras hadin*.

Yes, merdeke, huh? Otherwise, how could you survive? We find this in the Kaddur: the Ribbono Shel Olam is like a shadow. The Baal Shem says that how you act, that is how the Ribbono Shel Olam acts with you. The Ribbono Shel Olam behaves with you the way you behave. He is like a shadow. So if a person acts *lifnim mishuras hadin*, the Ribbono Shel Olam will treat him *lifnim mishuras hadin* in judgment.

That is why I think the pashut pshat in *tzedek tzedek tirdof* is that the Ribbono Shel Olam is saying: why do I say *tirdof*? Because you have to run after these zechusim. Try to do things that are *tzedek, tzedek, lifnim mishuras hadin*. It is like a person who is searching for zechusim. This is your zechusim: *tzedek tzedek tirdof*.

Why? As a matter of fact, the Gemara actually tells us that they did not do things *lifnim mishuras hadin*. He did everything according to the letter of the law, and for that you get thrown out of Eretz Yisrael. So how does a person survive Rosh Hashanah, the mishpat, *lifnim mishuras hadin*? Why are we alive today? *Lifnim mishuras hadin*. That is the pshat: we know that we do not deserve.

# Lifnim Mishuras HaDin

And yet the Rebbe Yishuv gives us what is called *lifnim mishuras haDin*. On the passage in last week’s parashah, “V’asisa hayashar v’hatov, l’ma’an tichyeh v’yarashta,” it is the same thing. What does “hayashar v’hatov” mean? Rashi says: *lifnim mishuras haDin*. And the same promise: “l’ma’an tichyeh v’yarashta.”

The Gemara in Chagigah, daf chaf-ches, says that if a person wants to live long, one of the eitzos is *vitor*, to be *mevater*, *lifnim mishuras haDin*. Then the Rebbe Yishuv says: you know what? You don’t deserve “l’ma’an tichyeh v’yarashta.” It is the Gemara in Chagigah.

# What Lifnim Mishuras HaDin Means

Now what is *lifnim mishuras haDin*? Obviously, it means halachah. The halachah is such-and-such; I am careful with the details, I do extra. But *lifnim mishuras haDin* is also mishpat. Sometimes a person has dinim with his friend; he may be one hundred percent right, and he goes *lifnim mishuras haDin*. How about if a person does not have a din with another person? How does he act *lifnim mishuras haDin*?

# Gezel and Things Beyond the Letter of the Law

I want to show you something interesting. The world talks about gezel, which is really not gezel. For example, *gezeiras shina*. Where does *gezeiras shina* come from? There is no makor for it in the Torah. The world says *gezeiras shina*; they say it is the worst gezel. You cannot even return it, because how could you return it? You cannot steal it, you cannot return it, so what is the gezel? It is not something that you can take and return. So how is it gezel? Yet everybody talks about gezel.

I think the makor is from the mussar of gezel: gezel is called things which are *lifnim mishuras haDin*. In din it is not gezel, but “tzedek tzedek tirdof,” “din tzedek,” “v’arei chei tzedek tishmor.” By a Yid, that is called din. We have a new type of gezel. But when a guy calls it gezel, you are right, it is not here. Standing on line, right? Is there something wrong if I cut the line? Gezela, it is gezel. Everybody does it, right?

# Examples of Being Careful

It is brought down in *Derech Chaim* that Reb Zalman would not use anything that his wife brought home if she cut the line. People would let her go first. Rebbetzin Meltzer, Reb Zalman’s wife, brought down a story that during the time Eretz Yisrael was at war with Palestine, during the wars, there was a shortage of water. She went to get water for the house and came back too quickly. So Rebbetzin Zalman asked her, “You cut the line? Why did you get back the water so quickly?” She said, “No, I didn’t cut the line. I stood in line.” Okay, in that case we’ll use the water.

Cutting the line—did they let you? The people let? Cutting the line. Why? Maybe they do not really let; they are just afraid to say no, you know?

It is brought down in *Nusah Hamussar* that he went to a wedding and took a room to go to sleep. After the wedding, he took a room with other people. After the wedding they went first, so he did not go there. He stood in the hall and slept in the hall. He was already sleeping; if he came in later, he would wake them up. It was his room; he took it.

It is brought down in Rav Elchanan. Rav Elchanan’s wife passed away. His son, Rav Avtali, cried. He was crying over his mother. He told him, “You know, you are crying a little too loud. There are people next door sleeping in the room next door; you might wake them up. Try to minimize.”

# The Result of Acting This Way

If we behave in a way which is *lifnim mishuras haDin*, then the Ribbono Shel Olam will behave with us. And that is a din. You notice we are talking about din. So how did “tzedek tzedek” come in? That is din. In certain things, it is din. Yes, that is the halachah. And so, if that is the halachah, then it becomes...

# Dan L’kaf Zechus and Ayin Tovah

It is an Eitzah list case, but then that Rabbi Yishmael is lefnei mishuras hadin with us. There is another nekudah, very important, another eitzah, and that is brought down from Rabbeinu Yonah: to be dan people l’kaf zechus. In Sefer HaYirah, Rabbeinu Yonah says that a person should be careful to judge people l’kaf zechus in the time of mishpat. The Rabbeinu Yonah judges you. Why? Because just as you will be dan l’kaf zechus, the Rabbeinu Yonah will be dan you l’kaf zechus.

If you look at the Kiddush HaLevi, he learns it from the pesukim of Sheftim v’shotrim titen lecha. Says the Kiddush HaLevi: Sheftim v’shotrim titen lecha — you have to make your own judges in Heaven. In case you do not judge favorably here, if you are making judges, they are not going to judge you favorably upstairs. Tzedek, tzedek, he says in Shabbos, means to be matzdik, to be dan l’kaf zechus. That is actually a Midrash Tanchuma. The Midrash Tanchuma says, tzedek, tzedek tirdof — be dan l’kaf zechus. He says it on this pasuk. Amar Rav Yudin, I think that is the Midrash Tanchuma, Amar Rav Yudin: a person should be dan l’kaf zechus.

So he says that is v’shotrim. Make your sheftim in Shamayim, and your din by what? By doing tzedek, tzedek tirdof. If you will be dan people l’kaf zechus, then the Rabbeinu Yonah will be dan you l’kaf zechus.

I saw in the Kiddush HaRim that it is brought down that the avodah of Elul is ayin tovah, to work on having a good eye. You know what he means? It is not only tzedek, speaking of being dan l’kaf zechus, to say that you found zechus. You should look at things and at people favorably, then the Rabbeinu Yonah will look at you that way. It is not only bepeh to say it. Your whole mind-frame in Elul should be to see the good, to see. Because then the Ribbono Shel Olam will see the good in you. Ayin tovah — the avodah of Elul is ayin tovah, to do things in a way that the Rabbeinu Yonah can return to you the way you do. Hashem tzilcha. It is a big avodah.

And that is what the Sefas Emes is saying: tzedek, tzedek tirdof. And I think we can add, l’ma’an tichyeh v’yarashta es ha’aretz, this nekudah: that if you will be dan l’kaf zechus, you will live, because then the Rabbeinu Yonah will be dan you l’kaf zechus.

# Ma’avir Al Hamidos

There is another eitzah which is brought down, and that is ma’avir al hamidos. Rabbeinu Yonah in Shaar Alef, os chaf ches, says that in the days of Elul a person should be ma’avir al hamidos. Ma’avir al hamidos. And he says, v’hu pesach tikvah — a door of hope. It is the only hope we have. Pesach — it is a door of tikvah, of hope. What is it? To be ma’avir al hamidos. Because if we came on our record to Shamayim, it is not good. Ma’avir al hamidos, you hear?

I saw in the Chida, in Meir Einayim, siman alef, os vav, that he brings from Rav Moshe Cordovero a tremendous eitzah to be ma’avir al hamidos. V’hu kol ha’adam — that is the whole person, the entire mensch is ma’avir al hamidos. And he says it is a gem. It is a gem. He says he will be marked on the inyan of ma’avir al hamidos. He says it is so important, ma’avir al hamidos. A person is ma’avir al hamidos, and the Ribbono Shel Olam will be ma’avir al hamidos.

If you notice the famous Gemara, Rabbi Shmuel Kohen Gadol goes into the Kodesh HaKodashim. The Ribbono Shel Olam, haKasri Kel Kashem, Tzvach Gais tells him, Shmuel b’ni, barchaini. Give me a bracha. What is the bracha? Yiratzon sheyichbosh rachamecha es ka’asecha, v’yageil rachamecha al midosecha. That is ma’avir al hamidos, right away. This is it. The only thing we can survive on is two things: ma’avir al hamidos, that the Ribbono Shel Olam is ma’avir al hamidos, and we have to say the two things that we spoke about. Yishmael b’ni.

# Yishmael B’ni and the Meaning of Sonship

I always discuss: what is “Yishmael b’ni”? Why is he called “b’ni”? “Yishmael b’ni, barcheini.”

I have another question. Imagine a person comes to a king, and the king says, “What would you like to say to me?” I think the king should be mevarer amidos. You know what they would tell him? Off with your head. What are you, crazy? He should be mevarer amidos? That is something you tell your son: be mevater, be mevater, be mevater. Mevater amidos means that even though someone did wrong to you, overlook it, overlook it, overlook it. That is how you speak to a son. “Avraham’s son, be mevater amidos.” This is the Ribbono Shel Olam’s son, be mevater amidos. Who says you can say that to a king?

Imagine telling the king, “I think the king shouldn’t get angry. You should work on yourself and not get angry.” He is crazy. Imagine going to the king and saying, “I think you should sit down and work on yourself with self-help books, a little mussar, and work on your mevarer amidos. I think it’s a great thing. That’s a good idea for you, king.”

# The Chasam Sofer on Banim and Middos

I think Rabbi Yisrael shouts like this. The Chasam Sofer explains why Klal Yisrael is called “Bani matam laHashem.” We are children of the Ribbono Shel Olam. Says the Chasam Sofer: because children have the middos of the father. The children. Therefore, Klal Yisrael, who has the Ribbono Shel Olam’s middos, we have the middos of the Ribbono Shel Olam. We can go in the ways of the Ribbono Shel Olam, so we are called “Bani matam laHashem.”

The Chasam Sofer, I told you many times, says that the Gemara says that Klal Yisrael is like an apple. They said that in an apple, the tree grows before the leaf grows before the apple. But I don’t understand: the pasuk is going on the Eibershter, not on Klal Yisrael. Says the Chasam Sofer: it is not a kashya. Why? Apples don’t fall far from the tree. Of course the Eibershter is an apple, but we are also apples because we are His children. Apples don’t fall far from the tree. This is what the Chasam Sofer says.

# Yom Kippur, Banim, and Lifnim Mishuras Hadin

You know how we come to the Eibershter on Yom Kippur? Like a son. A son means that we follow in the middos of the Eibershter. The Ribbono Shel Olam says, and how do we come? We come rachmanim, baishanim, gomlei chasadim. We come with Avraham’s middos. We come lifnim mishuras hadin.

The Gemara tells us in Shabbos that the Ribbono Shel Olam said about Klal Yisrael, at Matan Torah: why are we called banai? Rashi there, at the top of the Gemara in Perek Ches, says that a child does even if he cannot do it; he finds a way to do it. A child does lifnim mishuras hadin. An eved is din; that is what he has to do. And that is what we say: im ki banim. If we come as banim, then it is ki rachem, because then you can be mevater amidos.

“Yishmael b’ni.” The King, כביכול, represents Klal Yisrael at that moment, as a son. So we tell the Ribbono Shel Olam: if we are banim, then we ask for mevater amidos, and then we ask for lifnim mishuras hadin. And what makes us banim? Mevater amidos and lifnim mishuras hadin.

Then it is mishpat. We need chesed, but it is mishpat. But if it is a ben, then it is lifnim mishuras hadin. It is not mishpat. Mishpat is mishpat. An eved is din. A ben is lifnim mishuras hadin. B’cheini.

# Mavir al Ha-Middos and Yosef

Mavir al ha-middos, Rabbi Yisrael, is one of the most difficult things. It is very difficult. Tzaddikim were able to be mavir al ha-middos even while the hatred was happening to them, even while the assault was happening to them.

I have told you many times that the mesirus nefesh of the Gra Chaim had a very big impact on me all my life. The Gra Chaim brings down that when Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, he says, “Ani Yosef, asher mechartem osi haina” — you sold me here. The question is: why would he have to bring up old wounds? Why mention the mechirah again? We are trying to make up here, to bury it. Hide the mechirah; do not bring it up again. Why bring up the sore point of the mechirah?

The answer, says the Gra Chaim, is: “Ani Yosef.” I am the same Yosef then and now. Even at the time of the mechirah, I was Yosef, your brother. “Ani Yosef, achichem.” I am still your brother. Even while you were selling me, I was mevatel myself. Even while you were selling me, I had feelings of love for you and I was not angry.

Do you know what Yosef went through? Do you understand the fear and the pain that Yosef had when his brothers sold him? And yet he is saying, “Ani Yosef, achichem, asher mechartem osi haina.” Not only now, “Ani Yosef, achichem” — even then I was “Ani Yosef.” Kal shekein now, kal shekein, how much more so now. As they learned in the Gra Chaim, even while the assault was happening, he was mavir al ha-middos to be mochel.

# The Kedushas Levi and Ahavas Yisrael

I tell you, there is a major maiseh from the Kedushas Levi. It is brought down in the sefarim. The Kedushas Levi was going out of shul, and a woman came over to him and began verbally assaulting him, humiliating him. Why? A lot of people were against the Kedushas Levi, especially when he was in Pinsk. He had many people against him. So the Levi, with his tallis and tefillin, as the rav of the town, was being embarrassed by a woman. That is terrible.

He lifted his eyes and said, “Ribono shel Olam, I ask You to give this woman everything she asks for. Whatever she requests from You, mishaltei liba letavah, grant her.” Why? “She is a very good woman. She is a nashah kesheirah. Why? She is oses retzon ba’alah. Where do you think this comes from? Where does it come from that she is coming to assault me? Because she is not in the house, right? She is a woman; her husband must come home. Her husband says, ‘Oh, that rav, he is this and that.’ So she came and did this. You know why? Because she is a nashah kesheirah, doing it with retzon ba’alah. So please, as a nashah kesheirah, grant her mishaltei liba letavah.”

I am not the Kedushas Levi. But the Kedushas Levi, rabosai, was known to have tremendous ahavas Yisrael. People do not know this. He had a tremendously difficult life from enemies. They wrote books about him. People do not know this. People think, “Oh, the stories.” They ran him out of town. Wherever he went, he was run out of town. Wherever he went, he had enemies. Unbelievable.

And I always wonder why. They used to write books about him that he did the worst things. The maskilim wrote about him; they were motzi la’az on him. Terrible, terrible. I could not understand why. Why him more than anybody else?

The answer is because his tafkid was ahavas Yisrael. You think it is easy. You think it is hard to be an ohev Yisrael only when people like you, when they are nice to you, so you love them. The trick is to have ahavas Yisrael with adversaries, with people who are against you, who hate you and fight you, and yet you still love them. That is called ahavas Yisrael.

# Avos Yisrael and Mevater Al Midas

It is not a chachmah to have Avos Yisrael. It is not, so to speak, a ma’aleh. If people like you, of course they like you, so you have Avos Yisrael. The real test is when they do not like you, when people fight with you, hurt you, and you are mevater al midas. You are mevater al midas.

# A Meir Dei Kamaisa About Giving to Enemies

There is a Meir Dei Kamaisa that I saw brought down in *Asar Ma’amarot*, a sefer. Rabbi Yitzchak Mirajal, one of the great rabbis—I do not know much of the history there—but I saw there a Meir Dei Kamaisa. It brings down that when people would come to him, he would give them money. When his enemies would come to him, he would give them even more money.

The rabbi asked: why do you give them money? Why your enemies? These are his enemies. He used to speak about them all day, and still they would come for money, and he would give it to them. He said: listen carefully. Why do people give money to a tzaddik? Because they think that tzaddik is such a great person and keeps the world up. I know the truth: I am not the great tzaddik everybody thinks I am, right? So what right do I have to take money?

The answer is that I may not be the tzaddik yesod olam, the tzaddik who is the foundation of the world. But the Gemara says another thing about a tzaddik: *Toila Eretz Al Blimah*. A tzaddik who keeps his mouth closed, *bo’lem piv*, *b’sha’ah sanach loikis*, who is mevater al midas, he holds up the world. So this way, when the enemies come, I give them more money. That kasheres it, that permits me to take money from people. Otherwise, what right do I have to take? If I am a tzaddik yesod olam, I hold up the world; if I do not hold up the world, then why should I take? But if I keep quiet, and I am *bo’lem piv*, and I am mevater al midas, then with this I hold up the world.

# Toila Eretz Al Blimah

We say, *T’chaykeinu l’chayim*. Ribbono shel Olam, give us life. *Melech chafetz ba’chayim, Toila Eretz Al Blimah*. We say it in Selichos, and everybody asks: what is *Toila Eretz Al Blimah*? One way of explaining it is that the Eibershter has the world hanging, *Toila Eretz Al Blimah*. Many explain that this is what we ask for when we ask for life in Selichos: *T’chaykeinu l’chayim, Toila Eretz Al Blimah*, that we keep our mouths closed *b’sha’ah sanach loikis*.

# Making Up and Bringing Shalom

Every person has people with whom he could make up. Every person has people who perhaps even wronged him, but he can be mevater al midas, find *dal l’kaf zechus*, go *lifnim mishuras hadin*, make up with them, and bring shalom. This will guarantee us, guarantee us, *y’shnaas*, bracha, chayim, *b’shifrin shel tzaddikim*, *l’altar l’chayim*.