Rav Reuven Elbaz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim and a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, delivered stirring words of chizuk during Selichos at his yeshiva overnight, urging his talmidim and mispallelim to recognize how quickly Elul is passing and to take full advantage of the remaining days for teshuvah and personal growth.
“Time jumps, time skips; it does not move normally,” Rav Elbaz said. “Already a third of the month that we began, Elul, is gone. We now have two-thirds left — we have to utilize them very, very well.”
Rav Elbaz cited the Rambam’s teachings in Hilchos Teshuvah, emphasizing that genuine teshuvah begins with a sincere internal decision to abandon a sin and not return to it.
“A person wants to do teshuvah — all he has to do is make a decision in his heart, confess with his lips, and accept in his heart that he will not do it anymore,” Rav Elbaz said. “Hashem sees the heart. When a person accepts something in his heart, immediately Hakadosh Boruch Hu helps him.”
Rav Elbaz then spoke at length about the remarkable transformation of Rav Uri Zohar zt”l, who embraced a life of teshuvah in adulthood and ultimately became, as Rav Elbaz described him, an extraordinary talmid chochom.
Rav Elbaz related that Rav Zohar would describe how, once he made an absolute commitment to following the path of Torah, he began experiencing unmistakable siyata diShmaya that enabled him to overcome the many difficulties accompanying such a dramatic change in his life.
During the early stages of his journey, Rav Zohar also faced significant differences within his own home. Rather than attempting to force his new way of life upon his family, however, he allowed the transformation to unfold gradually.
Over time, Rav Elbaz related, Rav Zohar’s children began joining him at his Shabbos table, and eventually his wife also grew stronger in her commitment to Torah.
Rav Elbaz also referred to the eventual teshuvah of members of the family of famed Israeli singer Arik Einstein, who had been one of Rav Zohar’s closest friends, and described Rav Zohar’s extraordinary attachment to Shabbos.
“This is my soul, this is me,” Rav Elbaz quoted Rav Zohar as saying. “No one will replace me; no person in the world will ever replace me.”
Concluding his remarks, Rav Elbaz stressed that extraordinary spiritual achievement is not reserved for a select few, but is within the reach of anyone prepared to pursue it with determination and consistency.
“Every single person can become a righteous, holy person. Every person can reach the highest levels. What does it take? Desire, determination, dedication to the goal. Don’t move. Set yourself a goal in life — and you will go far.”
{Matzav.com}
