Seventy-four commandments are in the Parshah of Ki Teitzei. These include the laws of the beautiful captive, the inheritance rights of the firstborn, the wayward and rebellious son, burial and dignity of the dead, returning a lost object, sending away the mother bird before taking her young, the laws of divorce and more.

Ki Teitzei concludes with the obligation to remember “what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of Egypt.”

"Chai Elul" — the 18th day of Elul — is a most significant date on the Chassidic calendar. The founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, was born on this date, in 1698. It is also the day, 36 years later, on which the Baal Shem Tov began to publicly disseminate his teachings, after many years as a member of the society of "hidden tzaddikim.”

Elul 18 is also the birthday — in 1745 — of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. After gaining fame as a child prodigy and young Talmudic genius, Rabbi Schneur Zalman journeyed to Mezeritch to study under the tutelage of the Baal Shem Tov's successor. Rabbi Schneur Zalman established the "Chabad" branch of Chassidism, which emphasizes in-depth study and intense contemplation as the key to vitalizing the entire person, from sublime mind to practical deed.

The first letters of the Hebrew verse, Ani ledodi vidodi li, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Song 6:3) spell out Elul, signifying that there is an intimate and loving closeness between G‑d (my Beloved) and His people during this last month of the Jewish calendar.

Elul is the month of spiritual preparation for the High Holidays. The inner work of spiritual accountability and returning to one’s true essence done during this month affects our capacity to stand before G‑d and draw down blessings for the coming year.

The time of Moshiach's arrival is hidden from us so that we will strive to bring it sooner through performing Mitzvot and working on ourselves. If we would know the exact moment of his arrival, we wouldn't feel the urgency to work toward hastening its coming.

The Kaiser of Austria came to visit the Czar of Russia. A state dinner with all the trimmings was served. One of the items on the menu was kishke, otherwise known as stuffed derma. Real kishke is actually the intestines of the animal stuffed with flour and oil and all sorts of spices.

The Kaiser loved it. He asked the Czar to send his cooks the recipe. The Czar graciously promised to do so. After the Kaiser's departure the Russian cooks wrote down the recipe and sent it via diplomatic mail to the Kaiser's chefs.

The day finally came when the Kaiser was informed that he would be served kishke. He sat down hungrily. Out came a tray. Phew! Did it stink! The Kaiser took off the cover from his plate and took a bite. He immediately spat out the piece and ordered the tray removed and the kishke thrown away.

A letter of official protest was immediately dispatched to the Czar. How dare he send a recipe for such a vile concoction! The Czar received the protest letter and summoned his cooking staff for an explanation.

Initially, the imperial kitchen staff was perplexed. They went over the recipe and could not find the problem. After quite some time, one of the staff exclaimed incredulously, "Of course! We told him how to stuff and spice the kishke, but we never realized that we needed to tell him to clean it out before he stuffs it!"

This story is a parable for teshuva, repentance. Often times we make firm resolutions for the future especially as we near the upcoming Days of Awe. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we begin to think more and more about ways to improve. The above story teaches us that, indeed, good deeds are important. However, resolutions are best when prefaced by an honest stocktaking in order to correct any areas in our behavior that need fixing. Otherwise even with all of the spices (good resolutions) in the world, a person may remain a stinking kishke…