Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch gave us a beautiful parable to prepare us for this special month. Once, each year, a very mighty king leaves his palace, his guards, and his finery, and goes out into the field to meet his subjects. At that time, they can ask of him anything they wish. They do not need to wait in long lines, go through security checks, or go through any formal ceremony. They can speak with him without hesitation or elaborate preparations. When the king returns to his palace, his subjects will once again have to go through a formal protocol to meet with him, so, of course, his subjects make the most of this special opportunity.
During the month of Elul, G-d is the King "in the field." We don't need to go through all kinds of red tape to reach Him. We need only to come out to meet Him, as it were, with a humble heart, and He will listen to us and consider our requests most carefully.
We'll begin our Holy Sparks "Return to G-d Soul Journey" this week on my blog and on Facebook to make the most of this spiritual opportunity and I invite you to join us. Please comment below if you'd like to participate and I'll give you the details, and please share the highlights of your summer with me.