We are currently in the month of Elul, the month of preparation for the Days of Judgement, Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

Elul as a time of introspection.

It is a time to review our failings and negative character traits and decide upon ways to improve them.

However, although this is necessary, it is by no means the whole purpose of Elul. Indeed, as we shall demonstrate, it may not even be the main part.

You see, there is a famous Chassidic dictum, enunciated by the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe:

"Just as a person must recognize failings, so too must he recognise his own qualities."

True, it is important to recognize and improve upon shortcomings. But the Rebbe ascribes at least equal importance to the recognition of good qualities.

The reason for this is clear:

If a person spends too much time thinking about how far short he has fallen, it is quite possible that rather than becoming encouraged to do more, he will merely throw in the towel and give up.

Similarly if a person doesn't spend some time contemplating how much good he possesses and has already done, he is likely to consider himself a spiritual "loser" and not even bother trying to do better.

This is why it is so important to balance an accounting of one's negative character traits and actions with an at least equal measure of contemplation on one's positive character traits and actions.

This should not of course be done with the intention of becoming complacent and thinking, "Wow, I have arrived already and don't need to do any more", but rather as a spur to becoming better still.

The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, provides a further inspiring insight to the above:

He notes that the above statement includes the words "his own" only when referring to the person's good qualities, but not when mentioning shortcomings.

The reason, explains the Rebbe, is that in essence, sins and shortcomings are foreign and don't belong to a Jew. The only reason that a Jew comes in contact with sin is that he has been charged with a mission to elevate this world; thus inevitably he comes in contact with and is influenced by the negative inclination within him. However, even after he succumbs to sin, it is truly not his, but merely an extraneous matter that lingers on due to outside influences and environment.

And so the month of Elul is a time when the Jew must become aware of his quintessential essence - his goodness and kindness - for this is his true self.

Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM - Shabbos Shoftim