In the month of Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah, a signal goes out to every Jewish soul that it is time to return to the palace that is home.
A quiet signal from a place deep within.
It is a signal both subtle and loud.
Subtle, because it does not awaken even those who are closest—every soul must awaken itself. Loud, because it reaches those who have been thrown to the edge of the universe.
Loud, because it is a signal of love and joy. Subtle, because it is an intimately personal call.
Loud, because it provides immeasurable powers to break out of whatever holds you back, lift you above all obstacles, and carry you all the way home. Subtle, because the power is there, but latent, quiet, awaiting your determination.
How can a signal be both subtle and loud, joyful and intimate, empowering and latent?
Because this signal originates from the very origin of your own soul, that place from which your soul was torn but has never truly abandoned. And as distant as a soul may stray, as lost as she may be, she will always remain one with her Beloved.
And now she hears her Beloved call, from a place deep within herself.
Maamar Ani L’dodi 5726.
Source: Tzvi Freeman -CHABAD