[Avodah] Going beyond the norm for Elul

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Sep 05, 2012 at 01:08:50PM -0400, Prof. Levine asked on Areivim:
>> Maybe not attacking people who come to daven is a better idea? Radical
>> concept, I know. Aren't we in Elul? I guess some people use a
>> different calendar than we do....
>
> There is something about statements like this about it being in Elul  
> that bothers me.  Are we supposed to think that we can "fool" HaShem by 
> behaving in a certain way during Elul and then returning to our "old" 
> ways?  It seems to me that behavior and actions are either appropriate 
> and correct from a Torah standpoint the entire year or not at all.

It's a good question, but since the notion of avoiding pas palter and
other such chumeros during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah is well established (SA
OC 603:1 mentions "pas shel kutim"; see also MB s"q 1.) So, I don't think
your sevara is sufficient to upshlug a notion that is practiced the next
10 days by a large segment of Kelal Yisrael with the support of numerous
sefarim.

But it's a logical sevara. We need to find an answer.

I would start with the notion that no mitzvah is to make HQBH happy to
begin with. To quote Rav (Bereishis Rabba 44:1):
    Lo nitenu hamitzvos,   ela letzaref bahen es haberiyos.
    Vekhi mah ikhpas lei leHQBH,
    lemi shechocheit min hatzav'ar
    o mi shoshocheit min ha'oref?

Or for those who had a hard time with a transliteration that long:
    The mitzvos were only given to refine beriyos through them.
    For what does it matter to HQBH,
    whether someone slaughters from the throat
    or someone slaughters from the back of the neck?

Mitzvos are self-shaping excercises. So too are chumeros, going beyond
that which the person believes is required. An excercise can have
permanent effects even if I lack the self-control and commitment to
stand by it 24x7, 365-1/4 days a year.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
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