Kruger National Park is my favorite place to visit. Growing up, we went there often, and last week I relished the opportunity to take my kids for a few nights while we were on vacation in South Africa.
Seeing the animals in their natural environment is an experience like no other. Despite watching them hunt and kill, there is something uniquely relaxing about being in nature with wild animals.
We woke up at 5am to go on a game drive; the animals are most active in the early morning and dusk hours. It was freezing cold (it’s winter in South Africa) and we were in an open vehicle. Suddenly we saw a male lion, king of all animals, get up, stretch his head back and roar. I was enthralled but my kids were terrified!
The night before I’d told them that the lion is the strongest of all animals, and explained about how lions hunt in a way that no animal dares to attack. Now, up close at 6am, they wanted none of it! I knew the chances of the lion attacking us were virtually nil, but my kids just wanted to leave.
Today is the first day of Elul, exactly 30 days before Rosh Hashanah when we will stand in front of the King of all kings, the almighty G-d.
For the next 30 days we will blow the shofar every morning, trying to awaken the love and fear of G-d we all have inside of us. When it’s tangible and in front of us, like a lion, it’s easy to feel. But when it’s out of sight, like G-d, it’s a little more challenging.
But we are told that during Elul, the king is in the field. What does this mean? When a king is in his palace, he is remote and aloof—accessible only to a select few. When the king travels the countryside, however, meeting with his subjects, he is accessible to all.
In this pivotal month as we prepare for the High Holy Days, G-d is right here, closeby, and easily accessible to all of us. How can we best take advantage of this opportunity? Connect with Him. Nurture the relationship. Pray, put on tefillin, learn Torah, and you will start to feel that love and fear. Listen to the shofar and imagine that you are literally in front of the King of all kings. We have a unique and fleeting opportunity—let’s grab on with both hands (to G-d, not the lion!) and use it to our fullest advantage.