The Elul Breeze
by
Rabbi Mendy Uminer

Air is a funny thing. It's the stuff of life; yet it's invisible and easy to miss.

 

Then there's the breeze. That's air tickling you and making itself known,if ever so subtly. You can't see it, and its touch may be barely noticeable, but you know it's there. It's nature's little hug and it can help create a special moment.

 

We have spiritual breezes in life.

 

My day's minute-to-minute decisions play out in an oft-shifting context: my mood, the environmental stimuli, even the subtle breezes, can change many times throughout the day. And they can all have a real impact.

 

A flutter of inspiration, or a whiff of confidence, are psycho-spiritual breezes. They may be 'little things', but they can play a very helpful role in important moments.

 

So here's an important heads up: We're entering spiritual 'breezy season.'

[In 2015, Elul begins Sunday evening, August 16th, and ends Sunday evening, September 13th, when Rosh HaShanah begins.]

Within a few days, we're going to hit the High Holiday home stretch. The Jewish calendar month of Elul, the month of preparation for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, begins this coming weekend.

 

Years ago, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, 1880-1950 wrote a wonderfully vivid description of how this season felt in his town. He writes that "a breeze of Teshuva (re-balancing/re-prioritization/return) could be felt in the town".

We can make changes in our lives every day of the year, if we so choose. But Elul is a time when the spiritual atmosphere itself is a pro-actively helpful force, beckoning me to upgrade my life. G-d is that much more palpably present, subtly encouraging us in our self-improvement, smilingly and lovingly cheering us on.
 

When you hit the pause button on life's distractions, and unclog your spiritual pores, that Elul breeze you'll feel is G-d's hug.
 

A breeze is just a breeze, and - ultimately - the most important thing in life is your 'rubber hits the road' choices. At the same time, the breezes can put you in a better place, setting the stage for your life's upgrade.

 

For the next month, the wind of change is at our backs. It's a time of inspiration. Sometimes it may be subtle as a faint breeze, but it's always perceptible to the spiritually awake.

 

Feel it. Use the opportunity.

 

The weather's right.

 

 

Rabbi Mendy Uminer is the rabbi at Chabad Center at Chestnut Hill.  He can be reached at rabbi@chabadch.com.