The Transformation of Elul | Avrum Mordche Schwartz

What does a Yid do when he has, unfortunately, already fallen? He has already seen a forbidden sight. What’s the advice after the transgression? Where does he go? How does he stand up? What does he do? Here enters the most sublime וימאן. As the holy R’ Nachman of Breslov reveals, Elul is the ראשי תיבות What is the meaning? What is the connection of these words to Elul, to Teshuva? The holy R’ Nachman reveals, לבושה means that the clothing of a Yid is a thought. The thought is called clothing. I will give a parable. When a thief enters a bank and steals money, and the police begin to search for him, what is the first thing the thief does so they won't catch him? He changes his clothing, his garments. If until now he wore a red shirt, he will wear a blue shirt. Why does he change clothes? So they won't recognize him, so they won't catch him, where he is, who he is. Says the holy R’ Nachman, When a Yid transgresses, G-d forbid, a sin, then come all the forces of the סטרא אחרא, all the חיצונים, the Yetzer Hara, they want to catch him in their web to bring him to despair. Hashem does not want you. It’s already done. It’s over, G-d forbid. What is the advice when a person wants to get out of this? Change your thought. Change your clothing. Begin to think: I do have hope. Hashem does want me. I can do Teshuva. Even though this is after the deed, there is no despair. When you change your clothing, then you’ll be able to laugh at the Yetzer Hara until the last day of your life. Because the Yetzer Hara doesn't only want the transgression, he wants the greater transgression that comes after it. He wants to take him into his sack of despair. How do we know this is the will of the Yetzer Hara? Let us contemplate what happened with Yosef HaTzaddik. By Yosef HaTzaddik it is written, Say the Rebbes of Kotzk, בגד is also בגידה. בגידה means betrayal, to bring you down, to make you lowly. Potiphar's wife grabbed Yosef HaTzaddik by his garment. You’re already here with me. There’s no one else in the house. You are already in the lowest state. Come, let’s do the sin. What did Yosef do? Yosef said to Potiphar's wife, Take your בגידה, keep it with you. I will not let you bring me down. In Kotzk they said, You choke with the בגידה, I’ll continue forward. וינס ויצא החוצה I will not give in to the Yetzer Hara. This is the Shalsheles of the וימאן. There is וימאן before the sin, we shouldn’t fall, but there’s another וימאן. Even if, G-d forbid, I sinned, I will not let the Yetzer Hara succeed. No. How is it possible to continue? וימאן is also the letters of אמונה. You must believe in what the Torah revealed to us, the Tzaddikim revealed to us, that after the sin, I can do Teshuva. But what kind of Teshuva? To change the clothing, to change the thoughts. Hashem does want me. He has benefit from me. Regardless of what I did, there is no despair. I will think positively, I will not surrender to the advice of the Yetzer. And thus we will succeed, and merit a proper Elul, and proper Teshuva.