The month of Ellul is upon us and the time for an in-depth accounting of our deeds has come. Many of us, especially if we are older, feel real change is close to impossible. Yet our Rabbis tell us that true repentance can be achieved if we follow the correct formula. What needs to be done during this special time period to transform ourselves and increase our merit prior to the awesome Day of Judgment?

When the enemies desired to enter the Temple mount, they said: ‘Let one of the Jews enter first. So they said to Joseph Meshitha “Enter, and whatever you bring out is yours.” He went in and brought out a golden lamp. Said they to him: “It is not fitting for a common person to use this, go in again and what you bring out will be yours”; he, however, refused. Rav Phinehas said: They offered him three years’ taxes, yet he still refused. “Is it not enough that I have angered my God once,” he exclaimed, “that I should anger Him again!” What did they do to him? They put him into a carpenter's vice and sawed him in sunder, while he cried out, “Woe, woe that I angered my Creator!” (Bereishis Rabbah 65:22)

Rabbi Chaim Shumulevitz, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir z”tzl explains that Joseph Meshitha had sunk to such a depth that he dared to enter the Temple which even the enemies were afraid to enter. He was missing the most basic understanding that “It is not fitting for a common person to use this” which even the Romans had. It was only when they made him aware of how corrupt he had become that his repentance reached the heights of true martyrdom.

We can learn from this that awareness and a clear understanding of our actions are key factors to making real change. Sometimes our sins themselves shake us out of our deep sleep, like in the above case, and bring us to new levels of repentance but sinning is not the way to return to HaShem. What needs to be done is a conscientious and through accounting of our deeds and their ramifications. This is not only the first stage to repentance but if done correctly it will be the reason why one repents.

The opening paragraph in Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s classic sefer, The Path of the Just states this clearly: “The foundation of saintliness and the root of perfection in the service of God lies in a man's coming to see clearly and to recognize as a truth the nature of his duty in the world and the end towards which he should direct his vision and his aspiration in all of his labors all the days of his life.

From here we see that perfection in the service of G-d is dependent on a clear recognition of one’s obligations towards G-d. One cannot have a clear picture of what his responsibilities are unless he also understands where he is lacking in relation to these responsibilities.

He continues: What emerges from all this is that a man must constantly - at all times, and particularly during a regularly appointed time of solitude - reflect upon the true path (according to the ordinance of the Torah) that a man must walk upon. After engaging in such reflection he will come to consider whether or not his deeds travel along this path. For in doing so it will certainly be easy for him to cleanse himself of all evil and to correct all of his ways. As Scripture states (Proverbs 4:26), "Consider the path of your feet and all of your paths will be established," and (Lamentations 3:40), "Let us seek out our ways and examine them, and we will return to God."

It is the awareness and understanding itself which makes it “easy for him to cleanse himself of all evil and to correct all of his ways.” When a healthy individual sees clearly what he is doing wrong and the ramifications of his actions will penetrate his heart he will change his behavior.

It was said about Rav Yisroel Slanter the Father of the Musser movement: He was a gifted orator who delivered brilliant Mussar droshos to arouse the masses to correct behavior. But the deepest impression of all was left by the sigh which often accompanied them - a mighty, penetrating, shattering sigh, in which echoed the sighs of Jews of all generation yearning for spiritual perfection.

If you do your spiritual accounting and learn mussar a sigh will come out of the depths of your heart and you will be able to change.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,

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mussar

What exactly is 'Mussar'?

Dov