We are walking in today: I Am My Beloved’s
Witness seek throughout the Bible: H1245 baqash--to seek, require, desire, exact, request, to find, to seek to secure, to seek the face, to desire, demand
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek H1245 the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
The Torah testifies...............
Genesis 37:15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest H1245 thou?
The prophets proclaim..................
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek H1245 ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek H1245 righteousness, seek H1245 meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
The writings bear witness..........................
Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek H1245 rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
Psalm 70:4 Let all those that seek H1245 thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek H1245 the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
The Torah testifies...............
Genesis 37:15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest H1245 thou?
The prophets proclaim..................
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek H1245 ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek H1245 righteousness, seek H1245 meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
The writings bear witness..........................
Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek H1245 rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
Psalm 70:4 Let all those that seek H1245 thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
I Am My Beloved’s
The name “Elul” is an acronym for the biblical phrase, ani ledodi vedodi li—“I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.” In other words, the intense love between The Most High and the Hebrew people comes to the surface during Elul. This particular verse also indicates that during Elul, it is man who takes the initiative in his relationship with The Most High. This verse is contrasted with a similar verse, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His,” which reflects a different expression of this love relationship. “My Beloved is mine” suggests the initiative is taken by divine revelation, which then evokes a response from man. “I am my Beloved’s,” by contrast, suggests an expression of love initiated by man, to which The Most High responds.
This time describes the tightening of the bond between The Most High and the Hebrew people in the month of Elul with the following parable:
Before a king enters his city, its inhabitants go out to greet him and receive him in the field. At that time, anyone who so desires is granted permission [and can] approach him and greet him. He receives them all pleasantly, and shows a smiling countenance to all . . .
This parable appears to contradict the direction suggested by the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s,” for the parable seems to indicate that in Elul it is The Most High Who initiates the relationship, by revealing His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. (The sages explain that these Attributes refer to an unlimited expression of divine love.) In contrast, the verse “I am my Beloved’s” indicates that the initiative is taken by man.
This difficulty is resolved by explaining that the revelation of the king in the field, i.e., the expression of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the month of Elul, generates the potential for the initiative to be taken by man. Otherwise the people of the field, ordinary men whose spiritual attainments are modest, would be incapable of turning to The Most High with the inspired commitment expressed by the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s.”
Though the potential is initially granted from above, the nurturing of the love relationship depends on man’s initiative. The revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is merely a catalyst. In going out to the field, the king makes himself accessible to his people. It is the people, however, who take the step of turning to him.
The parable is further used to explain the difference between the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the month of Elul, and the revelation of these attributes on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the king is in his palace; The Most High reveals Himself in all His majesty. During Elul, however, the king is in the field; The Most High reveals Himself at a level which can be apprehended by man within the framework of his mundane reality.
However, The Most High descends to this level not only in order to make Himself accessible to man. Rather, to borrow the terms of the analogy, the king meets his people in the field because a field has intrinsic value.
A field is a place where grain grows. Growing grain and converting it into the food which sustains us requires a great deal of effort. And this effort symbolizes the full scope of our activities within our mundane sphere.
The value of these activities can be seen from the fact that most of our time is spent dealing with our material needs and earning the means by which to provide for them, as it is written, “Six days shall you work, and the seventh day shall be a Sabbath unto the Lord, The Most High.”
Faced with this state of affairs, we are inclined to wonder why The Most High designed a world in which man is forced to involve himself primarily in material rather than in spiritual activities. The reason for this seemingly problematic apportioning of time is that it reflects the purpose of creation. The Most High created the world so that He could have a “dwelling place in the lower worlds.” In accordance with this desire, our service of The Most High has to center on the ordinary details of existence for the purpose of infusing them with godliness, and not on the purely spiritual as it exists on an abstract plane.
In light of this, we can appreciate the significance of our parable to the month of Elul. The king’s presence in the field represents the ultimate purpose of creation. Our efforts must be directed towards bringing godliness into our material world. The Most High’s presence must be found not only in the royal palace, i.e., where spirituality is manifest; rather, even the lowest realms of existence must be transformed into a dwelling place for Him.
The parable of the king in the field expresses the importance of our divine service within the framework of the ordinary, but it also underscores the unique relationship between the king and His subjects. In the field, “he receives them all pleasantly and shows a smiling countenance to all.” In the “field,” The Most High allows His subjects to relate to Him as His presence is manifest.
Throughout the year, we emphasize the importance of carrying out our service of The Most High in the field with the intent that this should lead to the revelation of the King’s presence. In Elul, which marks the culmination of this service—and the preparation for the coming year—our efforts are rewarded by the perceptible revelation of the King’s presence.
In light of this, we can understand the importance of increasing our Torah study during Elul, for the revelation of the King’s presence is dependent on the study of the Torah. As mentioned above, our service of The Most High in the field involves primarily mundane matters. We concern ourselves with activities which are not in and of themselves holy, but are performed “for the sake of the King.” “All your deeds should be for the sake of heaven.” And it is likewise written, “Know Him in all your ways.”
Because The Most High desires a dwelling place in the lower worlds, this mode of divine service is valuable, but because it involves materiality, godliness is not manifest within this framework. It is, however, revealed through the study of Torah, because the Torah, the embodiment of The Most High’s will and wisdom, is one with Him.
The Most High’s will is that His presence be revealed “in the field”; i.e., that we recognize our world as His dwelling place. This revelation depends upon the Torah study of the people of the field. Although they may be engaged in mundane activities for most of the day, the fixed times that they set aside for Torah study infuse their entire day with Torah. In this manner, manifest godliness is drawn down into every aspect of their lives, even into the day-to-day activities of “the field.”
The “men of the field” need not forego their ordinary activities entirely and devote themselves solely to Torah study. This is not what The Most High desires. In the parable, when the king passes through the field, the people pause from their work and approach him. Similarly, during Elul, although the “men of the field” continue their daily activities, because they are aware of the King’s presence, they should also increase their Torah study.
Hence the emphasis during Elul on Torah study as well as prayer, for they are both associated with the verse, “I am my Beloved’s.” In fact, our love relationship with The Most High is most completely expressed through the study of the Torah. Thus the verse, “He kisses me with the kisses of His mouth,” alludes to Torah study, a time at which The Most High’s words are in one’s mouth.
By intensifying our love relationship with The Most High during Elul, we ensure that the entire Hebrew people is inscribed with a kesivah vachasimah tovah, and is granted abundant blessings in the coming new year. May those blessings include the most fundamental and necessary blessing—the coming of the Redemption—and may this take place in the immediate future.
The name “Elul” is an acronym for the biblical phrase, ani ledodi vedodi li—“I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.” In other words, the intense love between The Most High and the Hebrew people comes to the surface during Elul. This particular verse also indicates that during Elul, it is man who takes the initiative in his relationship with The Most High. This verse is contrasted with a similar verse, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His,” which reflects a different expression of this love relationship. “My Beloved is mine” suggests the initiative is taken by divine revelation, which then evokes a response from man. “I am my Beloved’s,” by contrast, suggests an expression of love initiated by man, to which The Most High responds.
This time describes the tightening of the bond between The Most High and the Hebrew people in the month of Elul with the following parable:
Before a king enters his city, its inhabitants go out to greet him and receive him in the field. At that time, anyone who so desires is granted permission [and can] approach him and greet him. He receives them all pleasantly, and shows a smiling countenance to all . . .
This parable appears to contradict the direction suggested by the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s,” for the parable seems to indicate that in Elul it is The Most High Who initiates the relationship, by revealing His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. (The sages explain that these Attributes refer to an unlimited expression of divine love.) In contrast, the verse “I am my Beloved’s” indicates that the initiative is taken by man.
This difficulty is resolved by explaining that the revelation of the king in the field, i.e., the expression of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the month of Elul, generates the potential for the initiative to be taken by man. Otherwise the people of the field, ordinary men whose spiritual attainments are modest, would be incapable of turning to The Most High with the inspired commitment expressed by the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s.”
Though the potential is initially granted from above, the nurturing of the love relationship depends on man’s initiative. The revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is merely a catalyst. In going out to the field, the king makes himself accessible to his people. It is the people, however, who take the step of turning to him.
The parable is further used to explain the difference between the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the month of Elul, and the revelation of these attributes on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the king is in his palace; The Most High reveals Himself in all His majesty. During Elul, however, the king is in the field; The Most High reveals Himself at a level which can be apprehended by man within the framework of his mundane reality.
However, The Most High descends to this level not only in order to make Himself accessible to man. Rather, to borrow the terms of the analogy, the king meets his people in the field because a field has intrinsic value.
A field is a place where grain grows. Growing grain and converting it into the food which sustains us requires a great deal of effort. And this effort symbolizes the full scope of our activities within our mundane sphere.
The value of these activities can be seen from the fact that most of our time is spent dealing with our material needs and earning the means by which to provide for them, as it is written, “Six days shall you work, and the seventh day shall be a Sabbath unto the Lord, The Most High.”
Faced with this state of affairs, we are inclined to wonder why The Most High designed a world in which man is forced to involve himself primarily in material rather than in spiritual activities. The reason for this seemingly problematic apportioning of time is that it reflects the purpose of creation. The Most High created the world so that He could have a “dwelling place in the lower worlds.” In accordance with this desire, our service of The Most High has to center on the ordinary details of existence for the purpose of infusing them with godliness, and not on the purely spiritual as it exists on an abstract plane.
In light of this, we can appreciate the significance of our parable to the month of Elul. The king’s presence in the field represents the ultimate purpose of creation. Our efforts must be directed towards bringing godliness into our material world. The Most High’s presence must be found not only in the royal palace, i.e., where spirituality is manifest; rather, even the lowest realms of existence must be transformed into a dwelling place for Him.
The parable of the king in the field expresses the importance of our divine service within the framework of the ordinary, but it also underscores the unique relationship between the king and His subjects. In the field, “he receives them all pleasantly and shows a smiling countenance to all.” In the “field,” The Most High allows His subjects to relate to Him as His presence is manifest.
Throughout the year, we emphasize the importance of carrying out our service of The Most High in the field with the intent that this should lead to the revelation of the King’s presence. In Elul, which marks the culmination of this service—and the preparation for the coming year—our efforts are rewarded by the perceptible revelation of the King’s presence.
In light of this, we can understand the importance of increasing our Torah study during Elul, for the revelation of the King’s presence is dependent on the study of the Torah. As mentioned above, our service of The Most High in the field involves primarily mundane matters. We concern ourselves with activities which are not in and of themselves holy, but are performed “for the sake of the King.” “All your deeds should be for the sake of heaven.” And it is likewise written, “Know Him in all your ways.”
Because The Most High desires a dwelling place in the lower worlds, this mode of divine service is valuable, but because it involves materiality, godliness is not manifest within this framework. It is, however, revealed through the study of Torah, because the Torah, the embodiment of The Most High’s will and wisdom, is one with Him.
The Most High’s will is that His presence be revealed “in the field”; i.e., that we recognize our world as His dwelling place. This revelation depends upon the Torah study of the people of the field. Although they may be engaged in mundane activities for most of the day, the fixed times that they set aside for Torah study infuse their entire day with Torah. In this manner, manifest godliness is drawn down into every aspect of their lives, even into the day-to-day activities of “the field.”
The “men of the field” need not forego their ordinary activities entirely and devote themselves solely to Torah study. This is not what The Most High desires. In the parable, when the king passes through the field, the people pause from their work and approach him. Similarly, during Elul, although the “men of the field” continue their daily activities, because they are aware of the King’s presence, they should also increase their Torah study.
Hence the emphasis during Elul on Torah study as well as prayer, for they are both associated with the verse, “I am my Beloved’s.” In fact, our love relationship with The Most High is most completely expressed through the study of the Torah. Thus the verse, “He kisses me with the kisses of His mouth,” alludes to Torah study, a time at which The Most High’s words are in one’s mouth.
By intensifying our love relationship with The Most High during Elul, we ensure that the entire Hebrew people is inscribed with a kesivah vachasimah tovah, and is granted abundant blessings in the coming new year. May those blessings include the most fundamental and necessary blessing—the coming of the Redemption—and may this take place in the immediate future.
Shema Selah the King is in the field, making Himself accessible to those working in the field--He comes to meet us with a smiling face!!
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