Elul - The city of Refuge

00:01 As we find ourselves in the middle of the month of Elul, over the years, the Rebbe delivered many talks and discourses on the topic, the contents of the month of Elul, what it signifies from above, the inspiration, the awakening, and what is the Aved HaVayit. In the early years, in fact, it was Shabbos Parsha Eikev Tov in Yud Aleph 1951, the Rebbe delivered a sicha in regards to Elul that it is also the spiritual city of refuge. The sicha was translated in English and combined with another sicha that the Rebbe gave in the later years. The sicha goes as follows. That Elul is the idea of teshuva is alluded to in its very name. The letters of the word Elul are the initial letters in Hebrew of the words, Inna Liyodei Vesamti Lecha. Hashem caused it to happen, and I will provide a place for you to which he can flee. This verse refers to the situation when a person accidentally kills another. To protect him from the vengeance of the slain man's relatives, the Teta mandates that cities of refuge be set up to where such accidental killers can flee and be safe. The cities of refuge provide a haven for the person's body. But what of his soul? Although he did not mean to kill, a Jew should not transgress even unintentionally, for not only the soul, but even a Jew's body should by its very nature and essence recoil from sin. A truly righteous person does not sin even inadvertently. A Jew,

02:32 however, also possesses an animal soul which blankets the sensitivity of his godly soul and leads him to do animal-like things. He therefore needs atonement for even unintentional transgressions. The atonement for the person who kills accidentally is that he must stay exiled inside a city of refuge, for exile atones for sins. Even one who kills intentionally may, until he is judged by the courts, find refuge in those cities from the vengeance of the victim's relatives. There is a crucial difference in these laws between the times of the Beis Hamikdash and the time of exile. In the former, the killer, accidental or intentional, is punished even if he repents. In the time of exile, however, when Jewish courts can no longer judge capital offenses, repentance does help. All of the above aspects are paralleled in Elul. With every transgression, with every sin, a Jew sheds blood. He deprives his godly soul of its vitality. Yet atonement is always possible if the person will exile himself in the city of refuge in the dimension of time, the month of Elul. Exile means to leave your land, your birthplace and your father's house, the spiritual equivalent of which is to leave one's desires, one's ingrained character traits and the conclusions reached by the human intellect. Anything which is a barrier to total submission to the yoke of heaven. In short, a Jew must escape from his egocentric existence and embrace a new life founded on the conclusions of true soul-searching and repentance. Then such exile, quote-unquote, is an atonement,

05:01 both for the intentional and unintentional transgressions, and one is saved from the seekers of vengeance, from any unfavorable pronouncements of heavenly justice for one's sins. Not only must cities of refuge be built, but the Rambam writes, the court is obliged to define the paths, the roads that lead to the cities of refuge, to repair them and to broaden them. In spiritual terms, this corresponds to the paths whereby one reaches the spiritual city of refuge, the month of Elul. Because Elul is the preparation to Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of the world's creation, the service of Elul is associated with three things which maintain the world, Torah, prayer, and deeds of loving kindness. They are the paths in the refuge of Elul and are alluded to in its name. As elaborated on earlier, the letters of Elul are the initial letters, Hashem caused it to happen, and I will provide you. Although this refers to the general service of Elul as a city of refuge for one's misdeeds of the past year, it also refers to the more particular aspect of Teda as our sages say, the words of Teda provide refuge. The letters of Elul are also the initial letters in Hebrew of Ani le'deidi ve'deidi li, I am my beloved and my beloved is mine. This refers to the service of prayer which joins together man and Hashem, I am my beloved. Finally, Elul is the initial letters of ish le're'eyo matanos lav yenum. Each man should give presents to his fellow and gifts to

07:09 the poor. This is the service of deeds of loving kindness. The foundation of and preparation for the above three paths to the refuge of Elul is the service of repentance. Also alluded to in the word Elul, the letters of which are the initial letters in Hebrew, Omol Hashem eleichecha es levavcha ve'es levav. Hashem will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants. Hashem removes, circumcises the obstacles which prevent man from coming closer to him, the concept of repentance. Just as the service of Elul is associated with the three things which maintain the world, so too it is associated with the ultimate fulfillment of the purpose of its creation. The world was created perfect. Because of the sin of the tree of knowledge, the world lost its perfection. But in the messianic era, the world will attain a spiritual level greater even than at creation. This too is alluded to in the name Elul, the letters of which are the initial letters of Oz Yehoshua Meishavnei Yisroel and they declared, I will sing to Hashem. Ashira laHashem vayimro leimer, which is abbreviation of Elul. These words, the opening verse of the song sung at the splitting of the sea after the exodus from Egypt, refers also to the final redemption through Mashiach Tzidkeinu when all Jewry will sing a song of praise to Hashem.