Return Again. Return again. Return to the Land of Your Soul.
- Reb Shlomo Carlebach

The month of Ellul is a time of sincere reflection. As the Days of Awe quickly approach, we focus on “teshuvah” – returning to God’s Holy Torah. Returning to our very essence.

Parshat Nitzavim contains the “Parsha of Teshuvah.” After describing the punishments that will befall the Jewish People should they stray from God, the Torah describes a process of Teshuvah, return:

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, then you shall take it to heart among all the nations, where Hashem your God has dispersed you. And you shall return unto Hashem your God, and listen to His voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul. Then Hashem your God will return your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and He will gather you in from all the peoples to which Hashem, your God, has scattered you. If your dispersed will be at the ends of heaven, from there Hashem your God will gather you in, and from there he will take you. And Hashem your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; He will do good to you and make you more numerous than your forefathers. And Hashem your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Hashem your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deut. 30:1-6)

The commentaries struggle to understand the verse, “and you shall return unto Hashem your God,” for it can be interpreted as a reference to one’s personal teshuvah or, as a promise of the Nation’s ultimate return and redemption.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook saw no difference in the two interpertations. They are really one in the same. He so beautifully describes:

“An illumination of teshuvah is found in [the Land of] Israel. The arousal of the Nation’s desire to return to her land, her essence, her spirit, her unique quality and charachter- in truth it is the light of teshuvah that it is contained [in the Land]. Truthfully, this is most clearly expressed in the words of the Torah: ‘And you shall return to Hashem your God,’ ‘when you shall return to Hashem your God.’ ” (Orot HaTeshuvah 17:2)

For Rav Kook, there exists an intimate bond between the individual, the Nation and the Land. If teshuvah is indeed a profound return to one’s true essence, to one’s unique potential- then that can only be accomplished by a much larger and more fundamental return to the Land of Israel.

May this new year be a year of both personal and national redemption. Shanah tovah!