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Life of Blessings

 “A life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin,” We acknowledge that we need Your help to protect us from sin even as You reach out to us with the intense expression of love that allows us to receive the Second Luchot, and forgiveness of all our sins. Help us protect the power of this month. Help us protect the love You are expressing to us. 

“A life in which there is no shame nor humiliation,” The Second Tablets we received at the conclusion of Moshe’s Elul trip, relieved us from the humiliation of having fallen so drastically just forty days after Revelation. Please grant us an Elul that parallels Moshe’s Elul; a month in which You make it clear that we have regained our greatness and no longer need to experience the shame and humiliation of the Golden Calf and other sins.

 “A life of wealth and honor,” We want an opportunity to use our wealth to honor You, rather than to build Golden Calves. We prayed during that first Elul for such an opportunity, which was granted with the Mitzvah to construct the Mishkan. We want such an opportunity to be granted during this coming Elul as well. 

“A life in which we will have love of Torah and fear of heaven,” We fell so soon after Revelation because of our fear overpowering our love of God and His Torah. We want to use Elul to emphasize our deep love for Your Torah, combined with, but not overpowered by, fear. 

“A life in which God fulfills our heartfelt requests for the good.” You gave us all we wanted and more at Revelation, but we turned it all into evil with the Golden Calf. We want an opportunity to live at such a heightened level of blessing so that we can use it only for good.

By: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg

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