The next forty days are absolutely critical for each and every one of us. “What are you talking about?” I hear you asking. Many are familiar with the connection between the verse Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li and the upcoming month of Elul. Indeed, the first letters of those very four words spell Elul. If you pay close attention you will also notice that the last letter of each word is identical – a yud. The numerical value of yud is ten. Multiply by four and you get forty. What is the significance of forty? The days from the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur. These forty days are called days of Divine Will and Mercy.
The verse Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li (I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me) ends with the words, “Ha’roeh Bashoshanim – who feeds among the roses.” What do roses have to do with Divine Mercy and the forty special days? Our sages explain, just a rose has 13 petals, so too there are the 13 Divine Attributes of Mercy. So my Beloved (Hashem) feeding among the roses is an allusion to the Revelation of the Divine Attributes of Mercy numbering 13.
It was during these forty days that G-d forgave the Jewish nation for the sin of the golden calf and gave Moses the second set of Tablets, declaring on day forty “I have forgiven them as you have spoken.” This experience repeats itself every year at this same time – the forty days of Divine Will and Mercy.
During the next 40 days we have the opportunity to access and take advantage of these Divine Mercies by opening ourselves up to their influence. How is this achieved? Through Teshuvah. What is Teshuvah? Not just repentance for sins and misdeeds, but also restoring our souls to their original closeness to Hashem. This is why we sound the shofar, increase Tzedakah, recite extra Tehillim, and all around self-betterment during this period.
The forty days begin on this Shabbat. Let’s get a head start on this process and make it the most successful forty days of our lives!
May you be inscribed and sealed for a happy, healthy, prosperous and meaningful new year!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin