Evil Beliefs

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

Parshas Ki Seitzei, which teaches about the taking of a female hostage in war, begins with the words: “When you go out to war against your enemy…” (Devarim 21:10).

Asks the Ohr Hachaim (ibid.), why add these words? Of course one wages war against his enemy! Rather, the Ohr Hachaim explains that the intent here is to our true “enemy,” the yetzer hara. This is a war that every Jew has to fight, and at all times.

The Chovos Halevavos (Shaar Hayichud 5) states that a chassid once saw soldiers returning home after fighting at the front line and advised them: “Be careful, you are coming back from a small war but you will now have to face a major war.”

The soldiers looked at him, confused, and he explained that until now, they had been fighting against a physical enemy, but would now have to face a spiritual adversary — their yetzer hara.

The Ohr Hachaim brought above is based on the Arizal (Likutei Torah, Ki Seitzei), who writes that these verses allude to the teshuva process required in Elul. When it states that the female hostage must remain in her Jewish captor’s home “for a month,” the intent is to the month of Elul. The command that the captive shave her hair alludes to the need to rid ourselves of our evil beliefs. The command to let her nails grow long alludes to the need to rid ourselves of luxuries (i.e., controlling our desires). These are two essential steps of teshuva.

It’s clear why the verses allude to the need to control one’s desires. Desires are something that everyone human being has, but do we all have wicked beliefs? Many Jews would hurry to deny this, claiming: “I believe in Hashem; I learn Torah; I fulfill the mitzvos!”

Of course he does, says Rav Yerucham Olshin. However, when it comes to money, he also believes in the stock market, his business connections, his competitors, his boss, etc. These “beliefs” assert themselves in what he does with his time. What he does for money goes far beyond fulfilling the requirement of hishtadlus. His boss and investments are real entities that affect his schedule, at times causing him to daven without a minyan, skip a learning seder, or even compromise on honesty in his business dealings. This Jew is living in error and must correct himself. Hishtadlus must not override our obligations to learn or daven with a minyan.

Moreover, the Arizal is saying, his errant belief is the basis for sins in all areas of life, because it takes away from his emuna. Rashi (Avoda Zara 19a) expresses this idea: “The basis for teshuva is recognizing one’s Creator.” The Rama (Shulchan Aruch 1:1) writes that one can achieve this by placing Hashem before him always. If we would feel that we are in Hashem’s presence at all times, it would be inappropriate for us to sin, just as a person will not sin in the presence of his rebbe. When a Jew allows other beliefs into his mind, he is putting Hashem out of his consciousness, and from here it is a slippery slope to sin.

Rav Yisrael Salanter (Igeres Hamusar) adds another aspect of our emuna that needs strengthening: The belief that Hashem is watching and that there will be punishment for every misdeed. Sometimes, punishment comes in this world, other times in the Next World. We must internalize the fact that punishment for our misdeeds is a reality. If we think about this, it will keep us from sinning and put us on the path of doing teshuva.

Particularly in Elul, we should develop the awareness that we are about to stand trial before Hashem. As Rabbeinu Yonah states (Shaarei Teshuva 2:14): If we were being brought before a human judge who could issue us a prison sentence, would we feel trepidation? Would we prepare ourselves beforehand? All the more so should this be the case before facing the judgment of Hashem!

The gedolim lived with this sense of trepidation and awe during Elul. In a letter the Steipler Gaon once wrote during Elul, he noted: “I apologize for not writing earlier, but the awe of these days was upon me and I simply couldn’t bring myself to take pen in hand…”

The gedolim would even do special actions to remind themselves and others of this fear of the Day of Judgment. Rav Shlomo Yehuda Leib Melentshna would keep a shofar on his table throughout Elul, to remind himself that Rosh Hashana was getting closer. One Elul, when Rav Yechezkel Levinstein sensed that the bachurim were not sufficiently cognizant of the need to correct themselves, he entered the beis medrash wearing a kittel, to make real to them the approaching judgment. In our times, the Mashgiach Rav Don Segal makes a taanis dibbur, meaning he speaks only divrei Torah for the entire month of Elul (needless to say, his intention is also to gain merits for himself before Rosh Hashanah).

Of course, these great men did not sink into morbidity during Elul. Rav Yechezkel Levinstein would refer to the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur not as “the Days of Awe” but rather “the Days of Joy.” Whoever feels a sense of dread over the judgment of Rosh Hashanah, that very feeling should arouse in him joy, for he is cleansing himself and coming closer to Hashem! He is utilizing these days of Elul to the fullest, and has every reason to be happy about it!

May we prepare successfully for Rosh Hashanah!