Grab and Eat!: The Mindset for Maximizing Your Elul Season

Ever wondered how to truly maximize the powerful spiritual potential of Elul? Beyond the theoretical understanding of these days as "Yimei HaRatzon" (days of divine favor), how do we practically transform our daily routines to harness this sacred time?

Drawing from the wisdom of Moran Goin HaGodel Abenu Yeruchem HaLevi, the renowned Mashgiach of Mir Yeshiva during the 1920s, we discover a refreshingly practical approach to Elul. The secret lies in adopting the mindset found in Talmud Eruvin 54a: "Chatof v'achol, chatof v'ishti" - grab and eat, grab and drink. This world, like a wedding ceremony, is fleeting and temporary. During Elul especially, we must seize spiritual opportunities with spontaneity and courage rather than getting caught in the paralysis of perfect planning.

The beauty of this approach transforms how we view our daily spiritual encounters. Morning prayers, opportunities for charity, moments to honor parents, chances for Torah study - these aren't pieces of a complex spiritual strategy during Elul, but immediate opportunities to grab. The teaching reminds us that these 40 days before Yom Kippur represent a spiritual smorgasbord with limited time to partake. Don't wait for the perfect chavrusa or ideal study conditions; seize what's available now, especially the low-hanging fruit of accessible mitzvot. As we move through these days of mercy, may we find the wisdom to grab what we can from this spiritual feast, knowing these precious moments, like Elul itself, won't last forever.

What spiritual opportunity will you seize today? Share your Elul journey with us and join our community of seekers making the most of these transformative days.

Chapters

• 0:00 How to Practically Do Elul
• 0:59 The Wisdom of "Grab and Eat"
• 2:39 Seizing Spiritual Opportunities in Elul
• 3:57 Low-Hanging Fruit: Mitzvot Without Perfection

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

How do you practically do Elul? You're already aware, and you're part of the cool club, that it is Elul. You know that these days are days of Yimei HaRatzon, that these are days of wanting, that you can accomplish great things. You know that Pirkei, derebi, eliezer, and you know the essays of the Kitzer Shulchan Arch about how these are days of preparation for the rapidly approaching Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and you know the Chai Adams and that these days are mercy. And you know that you want to take full advantage of this month, this potently powerful and action-packed month of Elul. But you want to know how, pragmatically, practically, how do you shape your routine to maximize your Elul? We have a Mesorah on this. We have the answer. It comes from the great Goin, the Godol, the Mash. We have a mesorah on this. We have the answer. It comes from the great Goin, the Godel, the mashkiach of the mere yeshiva during the Roaring Twenties. His name is Moran Goin HaGodel Abenu Yeruchem HaLevi, love it. He tells us that you just need to remember one line. For your mindset it comes as the advice that Shmuel gave to Rav Yehuda in Mesechtas. Vice that Shmuel gave to Rav Yehuda in Mesechetes.

Speaker 1: 1:05

A-ravin 54a. Nundalad Amad Aleph Omer, leshmuel LeRav, yehuda Shinanah, keen fellow, smart one, wise one. Chatov Ve'Acho, chatov Ve'Isht. Grab and eat. Grab and drink like this, gemara, grab what you can. De'oma, de'azlin, anmine. This world that we are leaving is like a wedding. Rashi explains that a wedding is a short-lived event. An on-time wedding is no more than 20 to 25 minutes. This world is like a wedding in that it also is short-lived. You don't get to be here forever. So grab and eat, grab and eat. And Rashi explains if you have the money his advice was you have the money to take your family away to KMR in the Midwest, do that. If you have the money to go to visit the incredible Scandinavian mountains, haiti or Turks and Caicos, if you can do it without seeing things that you shouldn't and keeping all modesty, restrictions and Torah laws intact, then you should do it. So Rashi says if you have the mamon lehanos atzulcha, go for it. Chatov ve'achol and there's a lot to unpack with that, gemara. But chatov ve'achol, grab and eat.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Chatov ve'ishti, grab and drink because this world is like a wedding is the approach that the mashkiach says we have for Elul. You do not act with spiritual tactician, but instead you seize everything that comes your way with a bit of spontaneity and courage. Chatov v'achol, because Elul is short-lived and it's a spiritual smorgasbord, these Yimei HaRatzon. They present you with just 40 days to grab what you can. So you wake up in the morning and the mindset is I have a Shacharis now. Maybe I got to grab that. There's nothing else, it's just the Shacharis you don't think about. Maybe I can rework my schedule and accomplish more in this way. Just the shachris you don't think about. Maybe I can rework my schedule and accomplish more in this way. And you don't think about how you would, maybe, in the winter's month, adjusting for the perfect amount of moments for you to be able to have your night seder in line with your chesed organization.

Speaker 1: 3:14

You don't take all that sort of strategic calculations into effect, into account. Instead, chatof v'achol, grab and eat, grab and drink, large or small, honoring your parents. If it comes your way, you grab that with simcha Ashachar comes your way. Going to be able to give charity comes your way. Talmud Torah comes your way. So when it's not a perfect chavrusa or it's not the exact mesechta you want, he'll deal with that next month, after Yom Kippur. But for these, these sacred and lofty heavenly days, you run after a mitzvah, because these are very special days. So grab anything that you can, especially the low-hanging fruit, seize the day, seize Elul, and grab and eat, and grab and drink, because who knows what will be as we're leaving this world. Thank you.