The key to returning to Hashem is feeling His love, and that if we were only to experience some of Hashem’s love, we would surely find our way back to Him. For this reason, I felt particularly inspired to feature a song that portrays within its words the warmth and comfort that Hashem’s love provides.
Throughout the centuries, we have long endured the persecution of our enemies, none more so than at the hands of Amalek – the remembrance of whom Hashem commands us to obliterate in this week’s parsha. To this day, its evil influence continues to plague our people, threatening to quash our sense of Torah values, our moral code of ethics and our performance of mitzvos. Even now, the wicked remnants of Amalek incessantly seek to extinguish our pure and holy flame.
“Mi shetarach b’Erev Shabbos yochal b’Shabbos – One who toils on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos” (Avodah Zara 3a). Erev Shabbos: a special time of the week. Elul: a special month of the year. Combined, they enable us to open the door to our Beloved – to welcome in the Divine. The connection is closer than you think.
When something happens to us – when we “chance upon” a scenario in life – we have to realize that it was not by chance at all. On the contrary! Hashem is giving us a handpicked, finely tuned, personal opportunity to elevate ourselves towards our fullest spiritual potential. We must train ourselves to be aware of this concept at all times, even when things are made to look as if they are merely “happenstance.”