The Elul zman is a time of a new beginning. It’s a zman when many transition to new stages in their lives—whether moving up to a new shiur, entering a new yeshivah, on to a new masechta, or into a different area of Torah study. Every individual yearns to succeed and advance, each in the place that’s right for him. Yet, this very aspiration makes Elul an especially challenging time.
When we reflect deeply, we see that Elul is fundamentally a time of beginning. The daily shofar blasts during Shacharis are meant to rouse us from our spiritual slumber, drawing us toward the avodah of teshuvah. The essence of teshuvah is about forging a new path in our avodas Hashem, setting a fresh course. As the Rambam teaches, one who does teshuvah must declare, “’I am transformed; I am no longer the same person who committed those deeds.’ He has changed all of his actions for the good and the straight path…”
Beginnings are a paradox. On one hand, they brim with excitement, energy, and a burning desire to ascend, grow, and achieve. On the other hand, they are profoundly challenging. Chazal teach us (Mechilta, Shemos 19:5), “שכל התחלות קשות—All beginnings are difficult.” This prompts us to ponder: What makes beginnings so hard? Why doesn’t the enthusiasm of a fresh start overshadow the great difficulty? And in general, does it always get easier as we progress?
A true beginning means stepping into an entirely new world—a world to which we initially have no compatibility or connection whatsoever—a world that is distant from us. To belong to this new reality, we must carve out a path, a mehalech that will guide us through its gates. Only by summoning the courage to take that first step can we gradually shape a new and suitable mehalech for ourselves—one that will lead us into the world we aspire to enter.
Consider someone starting a new masechta or subject. At the outset, it’s unfamiliar terrain. He cannot yet discern the right approach to learning it. He must plunge in, grappling with the difficulties, exploring this foreign world. Only after some time can he begin to advance, build and pave his own path to mastering it.
So too, with the onset of Chodesh Elul, we all stand at the threshold of the avodah of teshuvah. Each of us longs to advance, to ascend to a higher, more elevated world. Yet, the start of this journey is the hardest, as we lack a clear, structured approach. Only by pushing through the initial difficulty can we begin to craft a new mehalech in teshuvah.
Chazal’s teaching that “all beginnings are difficult” doesn’t necessarily mean that everything becomes easy afterward. Challenges and nisyonos often arise davka later in the journey. But the struggle of a beginning lies mainly in paving the path when everything is shrouded in uncertainty, when nothing is yet clear. Only by taking that first step can we start to chart the way forward.
To embark on something new, we must approach it with acceptance and emunah, trusting that as we deepen our avodah, we will find a personal, structured, and correct path in this new world. As Chazal say (ibid.), “ועתה קבלו עליכם שכל התחלות קשות—And now, accept upon yourselves, because all beginnings are difficult.”
Similarly, entering the avodah of teshuvah requires us to tap into the motivation to seek a new mehalech—one that paves the way to a transformed life.
Now, as we stand at the threshold of the avodah of teshuvah, we must strive with all our strength to enter its gates, to search for a new and true path for ourselves. Through this derech, we will be able to testify that we are no longer who we once were. We will engage in this quest for a new mehalech, בס”ד, throughout the coming month of teshuvah, הבא עלינו לטובה.