“See,” says Moses to the Jewish People, “I place before you today a blessing and a curse”—the blessing that will come when they fulfill G d’s commandments, and the curse if they abandon them. We were then instructed in the Mitzvah to build a Beit Hamikdash in Israel and that all sacrifices must be brought there and nowhere else.

A false prophet, or one who entices others to worship idols, should be put to death; an idolatrous city must be destroyed. The identifying signs for kosher animals and fish, and the list of non-kosher birds are repeated.

A tenth of all produce is to be eaten in Jerusalem, or else exchanged for money with which food is purchased and eaten there. The mitzvah of charity obligates a Jew to aid a needy fellow with a gift or loan. Our Parshah concludes with the laws of the three pilgrimage festivals—Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot—when all should go to “see and be seen” before G d in the Holy Temple.

On Monday we celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul. During this month, we prepare for the holy and awesome day of Rosh Hashana, where all creation is judged. The three actions that can help us tip the scale and allow us to be signed into the book of life for the following year are repentance, prayer and charity. It is therefore customary to increase in all three during the month of Elul. Many have the custom to blow the Shofar every day of Elul (besides for Shabbat.)

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There is a well-known parable in chassidus regarding G d’s presence during the four weeks prior to Rosh Hashanah, that it is time when the “King is in the field.” Normally, if one wished to visit the king, he or she first had to see the commissionaire, then the under-secretary, afterwards the minister, etc. until, in a rare case, one might get lucky and be allowed into His Majesty’s presence. On the other hand, if, perchance, one should meet the king while he was out walking in the field, the king can be approached much more easily and a more intimate tête-à-tête could then take place.

The same applies with G-d during the month of Elul. Although yes, Hashem is always listening and available for us throughout the year, during this month, He is that much closer to us. We must use this opportunity to speak with Him and ask Him for whatever it is we need.

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Zalman Jaffe

It is said that the Holy Baal Shem Tov spoke with Moshiach and asked when he would come. The response was that Moshiach will arrive as soon as the teachings of Chassidus are spread out to everyone. Just recently, Chassidus has even reached the blind through the printing of the Tanya in Braille. The final step has been completed, and we must demand that Moshiach should come now!

I have always dreamed about witnessing a rocket launch into space. A few years ago I learned that there were tickets that allowed a limited number of people to view the launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The next launch was scheduled in a month, and my family and some friends decided to make the trip.

On Jan. 19, 2017, we arrived at the Kennedy Space Center. We boarded a special bus and were taken to the viewing platform along with other spectators. The air was filled with excitement. And then, one of the engineers on the radio announced that the launch was postponed until the next day, which was Friday night.

I was overcome with disappointment. We had committed time and money to this event, yet we would have to miss it because driving to watch the launch on Shabbat was not an option. We were scheduled to join the Chabad House of South Orlando for Shabbat prayers and dinner.

Having no control over the situation made me feel helpless, but I realized that I did have control over my perspective and my priorities. While feeling disappointed about the unsuccessful rocket launch, I was at peace with my decision to miss it on the next night, choosing instead to observe Shabbat.

The next evening we spent at the Chabad House with people from different parts of the world who shared our Jewish heritage. After lighting the candles, I considered going outside at launch time to see if the rocket would be visible in the sky, but then I concluded that I wanted to focus completely on our Shabbat experience. On Sunday morning, we flew back to Philadelphia without witnessing the launch of the rocket into space.

From our trip to Kennedy Space Center, I thought about how  we cannot control the alignment of the countless details needed for a perfect “launch day.” Yet despite having no sway over the outcome, we are expected to do our best to act in accordance with our priorities and Torah values.

Sofya Sara Esther Tamarkin