Hayom Yom 25 Elul - G-d Himself blesses Tishrei on the last Shabbos of Elul

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת

[On this Shabbos, too, it is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

סְלִיחוֹת — אַחַר חֲצוֹת לַּיְלָה וּבְסָמוּךְ לָהּ

[On Saturday night,] Selichos should be begun after midnight, but close to it.

אֲבָל בִּשְׁאַר הַיָּמִים — בְּאַשְׁמוֹרֶת הַבּוֹקֶר

On the other days, [these prayers] should be recited “at the morning watch.”

כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצָּבִים וַיֵּלֶךְ נִפְרָדוֹת מַתְחִילִין לְמַפְטִיר וְכֵן לִשְׁבִיעִי — שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים — רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ גו

When the parshiyos called Nitzavim and Vayeilech are read on separate weeks, both the maftir and the shevi’i reading of Parshas Nitzavim begin Re’eh nasati lefanecha.

אַדְמוּ"ר הַזָּקֵן סִפֵּר

The Alter Rebbe related:

בְּמעֶזְרִיטְשׁ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִמּוֹרִי וְרַבִּי הָרַב הַמַּגִּיד בְּשֵׁם מוֹרוֹ רַבּוֹ הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב, נִשְׁמָתוֹ עֵדֶן

When I was in Mezritch, I heard the following teaching from my revered master, the Maggid, in the name of his revered master, the Baal Shem Tov.

הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי שֶׁהוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה

The seventh month [which is Tishrei] is the first of the months of the year.

הקב"ה בְּעַצְמוֹ מְבָרְכוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת מְבָרְכִים שֶׁהוּא הַשַּׁבָּת הָאַחֲרוֹן דְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל

The Holy One Himself blesses it on Shabbos Mevarchim, the last Shabbos of the month of Elul.

וּבְכֹחַ זֶה יִשְׂרָאֵל מְבָרְכִים אֶת הַחֳדָשִׁים י"א פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה

And with the power of this [blessing], the Jewish people bless the months eleven times in the year.

כְּתִיב אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם

[This week’s Torah reading begins:] Atem nitzavim hayom — “You are standing firm today.”

דְּהַיּוֹם קָאֵי עַל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הַדִּין

The word “today” alludes here to Rosh HaShanah, which is the Day of Judgment,

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם גו' וְתִרְגֵּם וַהֲוָה יוֹם דִּינָא רַבָּא

for the phrase, “The day came,” is rendered by the Targum with the words, “the day of great judgment came.”

וְאַתֶּם נִצָּבִים קַיָּמִים וְעוֹמְדִים, וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁזּוֹכִים בַּדִּין

[And it is concerning this day that the Torah tells us:] “You are standing firm”; that is, you are vindicated in judgment.

וּבַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁהוּא שַׁבָּת הָאַחֲרוֹן דְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל

On the Shabbos before Rosh HaShanah, which is the last Shabbos of the month of Elul,

קוֹרְאִין אָז פָּרָשַׁת אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים

we read the parshah that begins with the words, Atem nitzavim.

דְּזֶהוּ בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה

This [reading constitutes] the blessing that G‑d gives

בְּשַׁבָּת מְבָרְכִים חֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי

on the Shabbos that blesses the seventh month,

שֶׁהוּא הַמּוּשְׂבַּע וְהַמַּשְׂבִּיעַ בְּרוֹב טוּב לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כָּל הַשָּׁנָה

the month that is satiated and that satiates the entire Jewish people with abundant bounty for the entire year.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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