Sound the Alarm
Parshat Ki Tezei
During the Hebrew month of Elul, which is the preparatory month for the High Holidays, we sound the Shofar daily to wake ourselves and focus on what is important. With Rosh Hashanah, the day of judgment just around the corner, it is imperative that we get our priorities in order. The daily blowing of the Shofar is like us sounding the alarm, and beckoning us to look at our lives and make appropriate changes.
In this week Torah portion of Ki Teizei we read "it will be when you will go to war על איביך- with your enemies". Hashem promises us that we will be victorious. However, when we look closely at the words of this verse, we see something interesting.It should have used the term "and it will be when you go to war WITH your enemies - עם איביך, as opposed to OVER your enemies על איביך - as it is written.
The Kabbalah explains this word choice in the following manner. Hashem is telling us, that as soon as you sound the alarm to go to war, G-d comes to help you and you are already victorious. Hence the term "Al Oyvecha" over your enemies. You are victorious before you even begin.
On a spiritual level, we are at war. What war you wonder? Who's the enemy? We are fighting with ourselves. We are at war with the egotistic, selfish, animal side of ourselves. The part that wants to stifle our spirituality and focus exclusively on material pleasures.
It is during this time of the year, just prior to Rosh Hashanah, that we sound the alarm and remind ourselves not to forget to keep up the good fight.
So sound that Shofar! Be victorious! Fight the good fight, for Yiddishkeit, spirituality, meaning and inner peace.
Shabbat Shalom
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