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This Shabbos is the Shabbos that blessed the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish Year.  Elul, is also the month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  This passage from the Previous Rebbe’s writings was planted in my soul from childhood;

“Though summer still lingered and the day was bright and sunny, there was a change in the air. One smelled already the Elul-scent; a teshuvah-wind was blowing. Everyone grew more serious, more thoughtful… All awaited the call of the shofar, the first blast that would announce the opening of the gates of the month of mercy.”

-Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, describing the Shabbat before Elul in the town of Lubavitch.

I wonder each year whether the charade is up.  We live our lives year round with all of its shortcomings, but as soon as we here Rosh Hashanah is coming we start getting our act together!  And when we show up finally on Yom Kippur eve in our literal and metaphoric white clothes are we for real or is it really a charade?

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I give myself a spiritual pass and also use a very practical tool to resolve this inner tension.
The spiritual pass; I understand that my authentic self is not the one that operates 11 months of the year.  That’s my facade.  That’s my charade.  My real colors show on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  So as the New Year approaches, I become more in touch with my real self and cast off my false self.  

Yes, I know that the High Holiday season will come to an end and my false self will likely creep back up and dominate my consciousness.  Hopefully, though, the season will have had an impact and some residue will remain into the new year.

The practical tool; Don’t wait until this Shabbos, definitely don’t wait until the start of Elul, don’t wait until the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah, definitely don’t wait until Rosh Hashanah eve.  

The point being, the sooner you get back on the train, the more you are demonstrating your authentic desire to reconnect for connection purposes and not because you are intimidated from the upcoming days of Awe.

***As we near this Shabbos, take a moment to reflect on your own connection with Hashem, the facade we’ve adopted, our real authentic self, and climb back on the wagon. If you are on the wagon climb a little higher.  The sky is the limit.