Weekly Dvar Torah: The King in The Field – A New Level
A person owns a community store in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. All the walls are decorated with pictures of himself with every single politician, be it national, state or local.
“Wow” said one of his customers, “you must be so well connected, you have met every single politician, you’re definitely well connected, surely you can just pick up a phone to the White House and get right through to the President!
Smilingly he replied; “oh sure, every four years at election time when they come to campaign for our votes, they stop by my community convenience store, take pictures and off they go.”
After Election Day it’s a completely new ballgame, if you’re not from the inner circle it’s very difficult to get through the gates at the White House.
The Alter Rebbe in Likkutei Torah presents an amazing metaphor to explain the month of Elul.
The King on his way to enter the city, has the city dwellers come out to the field to greet him and welcome him. At that time, whoever wants is permitted to come and greet him. And the king receives each person with a pleasant face, and he smiles at all. When he starts entering the city they all follow him as an entourage into the city, but when he arrives at the palace, nobody can enter without following protocol. Even then, it is reserved for the chosen noblemen and a select few others.
When you examine the text of the Alter Rebbe, the above campaign story sounds pretty similar. During the month of Elul, G-d, the King, is in the field, sort of in a campaign mode. And at that time, He is accessible to all. But when Rosh Hashana comes around, G-d is crowned King and He enters His royal chambers, and the doors will shut for the average citizen. Therefore, Elul is an opportune time to get close to The King, because later this will be impossible.
The Frierdiker Rebbe in a Maamar adds one word to the sentence “whoever wants is permitted come out to greet him” to read “whoever wants is permitted and ‘is able to’ come out to greet him.” Not only are you permitted, but that you are able to do so with ease.
Our Rebbe took this metaphor to a completely new level. This indicates how, as we are getting closer to Moshiach, we benefit from new revelations of how we are getting closer to Hashem.
During Elul, Hashem, The King, goes out to the field to meet the Jewish people, His subjects, as they are in the field attending to their mundane activities. He meets them as is, without protocol. An appointment or dress code are not necessary. He wants to see them on their own turf. And while there He makes himself accessible to all, and everyone is able to ask for all their desires and needs. And The King welcomes their requests, and He greets everyone with a smile. As if to say “I’m glad to accept and grant your requests.”
Then, when The King returns to His palace, He takes all the noblemen, who are every single Jew, who has a G-dly soul, to join Him as He enters his palace, and He invites them to His royal chambers, because they are from the inner circle, who are well connected.
This has a completely new understanding of the metaphor. Elul is not just a one-month adventure which ends after the campaign season, but it serves as a warm-up to what will follow as we crown The King on Rosh Hashana.
Now in the month of Elul, the 30-day campaign period when we prepare for the crowning of The King on Rosh Hashana. During these thirty days the King is out there in the field campaigning for our loyalty. Anybody and everybody, no matter who he is, or how he is dressed, can approach The King and rededicate his loyalty to His Royal Highness.
Hashem says; I give you 30 days like a campaign season in which you can take advantage of My accessibility and My benevolence, to return to your own self the spark of G-d, and reconnect with Me. I will not forget or abandon you after I am crowned. Because you are royalty, and together we will go to my chambers, when I return as the New Year arrives.
Take this amazing opportunity of the month of Teshuva. Return to yourself and G-d. And join Him back in His inner chamber on Rosh Hashana.
Have a welcome-home-your-self-Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
