Time for spiritual stocktaking

Have you ever seen a sign on a shop that the store is temporarily closed for stocktaking?

Why would a businessman want to close up shop in the middle of a busy workday and take count of all merchandise on the shelves and in the warehouse? Isn’t this a loss of potential income?

The answer is obvious. It’s this assessment of inventory that helps him to understand where his greatest profit and biggest loss is. If he didn’t take count of the merchandise, he could very well lose more than he gained in certain areas.

This, our sages teach us, is the month of Elul. It’s time to take stock of our souls’ inventory. For one month a year leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we take a step back, make a calculation about where we stand in the spiritual realms of life, and make amends for any misdeeds during the year.

In the teachings of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad movement, there’s a parable of the king in the field. Briefly, this concept refers to the time when the king leaves his royal palace and goes out to meet his subjects in the field. It’s a time when everyone, regardless of his state and station, can approach the king, and the king receives everyone graciously and fulfils their petitions.

In ordinary times, the king is inaccessible to the general public. Only select royal subjects are able to speak to him at specific times and by invitation. However, when the king goes out to the field, all formalities pertaining to royal audiences in the palace are dispensed with. Even the most ordinary individual in work clothes has an extraordinary opportunity to get up close with His Majesty, greet him personally, and take time to converse with the king.

Of course, the king in the parable is the King of Kings, and the field is the month of Elul. During this month, we should capitalise on the opportunity by making a concerted effort to prepare ourselves for time to meet the King. When we submit our supplication in good faith, we can be sure that it will be received with divine favour.

Let’s all maximise our spiritual potential and prepare to meet the King.

Please G-d, we’ll merit a happy, healthy, sweet New Year!