This week's parashah, Parashas Shoftim, is the first Parasha we read in the month of Elul. The Parasha discusses the many different laws of correction in which we can relate to Rosh Hashanah.

There was a time and day where Elul was a time that everyone would put a great deal and effort into the “Avodah” of Elul. However, today we are more lenient in this Avodah of Elul.

What is elul? What is the avodah of elul?

If we understand the Avodah of Elul we may be able to closely connect to the previous generations and see what they saw in Elul.

The Mishnah Berurah says there are two points to Elul, Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li- that we love Hashem as Hashem loves us. (Shir Hashirim) and V’mol Hashem - Hashem will cut off the tumahs halev.

The Shelah brings the third point, Aryeh vshog- when the lion roars who is not afraid?, Alef - Elul Reish - Rosh Hashanah Yud - Yom Kippur, and Heh - Hoshana Rabbah. This is Yomim Neroim

All three points mentioned above, are different avodahs of Elul. Elul is a time of fear. Elul is also a time of correction. Yet, there is a third Avodah of Elul which is “ani ledodi vedodi li” where we connect to Hashem with love and become closer to Hashem.

In Sefer Hayirah, the Rabbeinu Yonah Brings down, one should be afraid of the beginning of Elul till the end of Yomim Neroim

Three stories of Elul

It is brought down that, in the month of Elul, the face of Rav Yisroel Salanter would express a demeanor of fear. Someone once asked Rav Yisroel Salantor, is Elul a bear? It looks like you saw a bear. Rav Yisroel answered Elul is more than a bear. Dovid Hamelech tells Shaul - I Am Not afraid of anything- (גַּם אֶת-הָאֲרִי גַּם-הַדֹּב, הִכָּה עַבְדֶּךָ (שמואל א פרק יז- but when he talks about the month of Elul in Tehillim- סָמַ֣ר מִפַּחְדְּךָ֣ בְשָׂרִ֑י וּֽמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ יָרֵֽאתִי׃ He States- - so Rav Yisrael salanter related I see a lot more than a bear, I see Rosh Hashanah coming. This fear was noticeable on the face of Rav Yisroel Salanater for the month of Elul.

The klausenberger Rebbe wrote, he has a letter from the Bnei Yissaschar in which the lines are not even, and he wrote that he can't finish writing the letter because his hands are shaking from the fear of Elul.

In the hakdomah of the Beis Aharon, it is written that the Beis Aharon would deliver words of Mussar before Rosh Hashanah and it was a normal occurrence for people to be dragged out of shul from fainting.

Rav Chaim Walkin

In the time of Elul, there was a saying that even the fish would tremble from fear. Is this really so? Rav Aharon's uncle, Rav Chaim Walkin shlita, would say over, every person would relate his surroundings to what he is busy with, for example, a person told over a Vort to a travel agent. The travel agent liked it so much he responded by saying this Vort is going to say it over and get a lot of mileage out of it. So when we say the fish shake during Elul it's not that the fish was trembling its the person thinking the fish is shaking when it was moving because of Elul

Why do we not feel Elul Today?

R’ Yisroel salanter

R’ Yisroel salanter answers when we do so much aveiros our neshama becomes numb and we lose touch with Elul.

This is why it one of the avodahs of Elul is V’mol Hashem - Hashem will cut off the tumahs halev so we can become closer to him

Rav Aharon Kotler

Rav Aharon Kotler says two reasons why we don't feel Elul is one, we don't understand the problem of the aveiros and second, we are not embarrassed to do an aveirah.

Elul Parsash Shoftim

In this week's Parsha it talks about how we send home from the Melchomah those who did an Aveirah even if the person did teshuvah yet we cover it up with the excuse of a new home or getting married.

If we would understand the Chhomer of the Avairah, of course, we would be afraid when it comes to Ellul.