As we’ve discussed in previous weeks, the Alter Rebbe compares the month of Elul to a time when the king is in the field on his way back to the city. When the king is so accessible, the city people have the permission and ability to go over and to greet the king.
What do the people normally do when they greet the king? Chassidus explains that they come only to accept the king’s sovereignty, but are not at all in the position to say anything. They stand before the king with awe and total bitul (self-annulment), as if they do not exist.
They certainly don’t come over and ask the king for anything. They are so awe-inspired by the king that they are only there to greet him and wordlessly indicate, “Your Majesty, we accept your sovereignty.” But to speak to the king and to ask him for something is totally out of the question.
Comes the Rebbe, in our generation, and adds a detail, which is a tremendous chidush, a new revelation for the “Seventh generation.” The Rebbe says that we can go over and not only talk to the king, but we can even ask him for what we need! The king receives everyone with a smiling face and accepts our petition for what we request of him.
The Rebbe adds, however, that when we approach the king, we shouldn’t only ask for physical matters. We should also request what the Rebbe calls hanukedah hap’nimis v’hat’chonah, the innermost and most central point: we should ask G-d for the coming of Moshiach to redeem all Jews. When we approach the king to ask for a good year, we should request not only what is good for ourselves personally, and our petition will be granted, but we should request what is good for Klal Yisrael.
The prophet Yeshayahu prophesied in the name of G-d, as we read in the Haftara recently, “Shnas Geulay Ba’ah – the year of My Redemption has arrived.” What does “My redemption” mean? Is G-d in galus?
Absolutely! No one should think that we are suffering in galus while Almighty G-d is smiling all the time. He is suffering together with us. Moreover, He says Himself that when we are redeemed from galus, He will go out together with us. The “year of My Redemption” – not only the Jewish people’s redemption, but the redemption of Almighty G-d with the Jewish people – has arrived.
This is our petition that we request of Almighty G-d: We – G-d and us – have been in galus for much too long, and it’s about time for the Redemption; the redemption of both the Jewish people and Almighty G-d, who will come out of galus together with us, imminently.