This week we’re opening parashat Shoftim, 'judges'.
And we’re opening it as we’re welcoming the month of Ellul, a very special month in the jewish calendar: Ellul is dedicated to preparing our souls to a very special day in the jewish year, a day we call the day of judgment, yom ha din, which is the head of the year, rosh hashana
Why do we start with judgment? Maybe because soul assessment is the way we grow.
And i want to share with you a wisdom insight from the hassidic master the kedushat Levi, who reminds us of a very simple law of life:
If we want life/god, to be kind with us, we need to be kind with each other
This is the Hasidic concept of hiteruta de letatah, awakening from below:
When we behave with Hesed and Rahamim, which is the way the divine relates to us according to the Kedushat Levi, we awaken the Hesed above;
Life is a mirror; we get back what we do.
And this is my invitation for us, for this first shabbat in Ellul: what if we behaved, with nature, animals, others and ourselves, with the type of kindness and compassion we would love to receive from life?
What if we were the ones to make the first step?
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh tov