| Don't Oversleep – The Garbage Bag of Elul
As the month of Elul arrives, a spiritual alarm clock begins to ring. The sound of the shofar pierces the morning air, calling us to awaken—to reflect, to change, to return to Hashem. But as we know all too well, it's possible to hear an alarm and still press "snooze."
Rabbi Elimelech Biderman shared a powerful mashal through a true story that offers a deep insight into what this month is really about.
Reb Yankel was preparing to travel to Eretz Yisroel, where he would be leading a kiruv trip. The days before his flight were hectic - full of errands, responsibilities, and exhaustion. On the night of the trip, he arranged for a driver to pick him up at 2:00 a.m. for a 5:00 a.m. flight. He managed to awaken at 1:30 am, but he was so overtired that he fell right back asleep.
The driver arrived promptly and waited. When Reb Yankel didn't come out, the driver began honking and calling—but still, no answer. Finally, at 2:30, he banged on the door until Reb Yankel awoke in a panic. In his rush, he grabbed his suitcase—and accidentally also picked up a large black bag that had been sitting by the door, which he had meant to throw in the trash.
On the way to the airport, the driver was beside himself, scolding Reb Yankel for making him late. Reb Yankel remained silent, repeating the phrase, "gam zu l'tovah"—everything Hashem does is for the best—and just looked forward to boarding his flight. But his troubles weren't over.
At airport security, his bags were scanned. Suddenly, alarms went off. The black bag was full of metal objects—empty cans, wires, and sharp edges. It was, in fact, a bag of garbage. The very bag he had meant to throw away ended up on the security belt. Reb Yankel was taken aside and questioned by airport officials. Only after much explanation and sincere apologies did they believe his story and allow him to board. Miraculously, he made the flight just in time.
Sitting on the plane, still shaken from the chaos, Reb Yankel reflected: "It all began when I overslept. If I had woken on time, I would have had a clear head and never taken the garbage with me. I could have avoided the embarrassment, the yelling, the delay, and the stress."
Rabbi Biderman pointed out the clear parallel to Elul.
The month of Elul is our "wake-up call." Each blow of the shofar calls out: "urah yesheinim mi'shenaschem!" – "wake up, sleepy ones, from your slumber!" It is a time to do teshuva, to cleanse ourselves of spiritual baggage and prepare for our flight into the new year—toward Rosh Hashanah, where we stand for judgment before the King.
But if we keep hitting snooze, if we remain spiritually groggy, we risk stepping into Rosh Hashanah with our own "garbage bag" in hand—our aveiros, our bad habits, our unresolved middos—and we might find ourselves held up in Hashem's "security".
Just like Reb Yankel, we may eventually be allowed through. We may get on the plane. But why carry garbage through the gates of judgment? Why bring along burdens we could have discarded, if only we had woken up? Elul is a gift. Hashem warns us with gentle, persistent alarms. He gives us time to sort, to clean, to prepare. Let's not waste the opportunity. Let's not arrive at Rosh Hashanah out of breath, holding onto spiritual refuse. Let us come focused, refreshed, and ready. This year, don't oversleep. Don't bring the garbage with you.
By: Rabbi Moshe Oelbaum
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