Timeless Torah

It is the season of T’shuvah, more commonly known as repentance. It’s happening even as we read these words. The summer draws to its close and the harvest is brought in. The corn stalks have grown to their limit, while the bee seeks the last drop of honey before the flowers fade and the squirrel drags one final nut to his winter store.
There is no time to be lost as the Master will soon call.
Our Sages visualized all of nature joining man in urgent preparation for the Days of Judgment. Thus every creature and even every atom of existence readies itself for that annual rendezvous with its Creator.
Those days of self-inspection and spiritual improvement begin with the final thirty days of the Jewish calendar, the Hebrew month of Elul.
In our holy literature, they are classified as , a time of Divine grace or goodwill. There are many reasons given for this season of Heavenly mercy. Historically, these were the days during which Moses successfully pleaded the case of the Jewish nation subsequent to their sin of the Golden Calf.
Nonetheless, the term raises a philosophical question. The Bible tells us that G-d, “Is not a man that He should lie or change His mind.” So while humans may be fickle, inconsistent and easily swayed, G-d is not two-faced. He is eternal and unchanging. If so, the philosopher wonders, how can the Almighty display one quality, such as goodwill at one time, and other qualities during other periods? Indeed, how could His kindness be limited to a specific time frame, since one of his attributes is to be constantly filled with mercy?
The Sfas Emes explains by analyzing the phrase . Precisely translated it means a, “Time of goodwill.” Thus, while G-d remains a constant - time, space, and all of his varied creation undergo many changes.
One of the simplest reasons for this is that the Creator is beyond time, and as such, the passage of time cannot affect Him. It can therefore be said of Him, that he is always filled with mercy. Why it is not revealed to us, is another matter. We, earthbound and time-bound creatures are deeply influenced by the vagaries of time.
By way of example; a teacher is lecturing, the subject is quite easy and yet you find yourself unable to absorb the material. The reason: It’s not a good time! You have too much on your mind, etc. The teacher is not at fault, the blame lies within us.
So too in the relationship between G-d and man. G-d is always there for us. Sometimes however, we don’t notice. Why? It’s not a good time.
During the month of Elul, G-d doesn’t change. Instead he alters time, so that the days themselves became the season of Divine grace. Instead of being limited to natural time, these days become capable of receiving Hashem’s benevolence from a dimension above the bounds of time. Thus, this season truly has plenty of time for T’shuvah.