Women, Elul and the Shofar

This was posted before but the message is great!

I was just wondering about this specific question and then read the answer in today's Hakhel post! I wanted to share it with all of you.

"The Gematria of Elul (67) is the same as the Gematria of binah (67), understanding - for when one acquires sufficient understanding, he will be moved to do Teshuva."



With this awareness, we can perhaps suggest the answer to a question which may initially trouble many women. (This was the question I was just thinking about this morning!!)

Why is it that men have the benefit of the Shofar being blown every weekday morning in Elul to awaken them to the special times while women davening at home have no such fearful reminder? We may propose that the Shofar is intended to instill the binah, the understanding in a person to recognize his position and situation and do Teshuvah. Women, on the other hand, are blessed with a binah yeseira - a special level of binah, which jump starts them without the actual need of the Tekias Shofar every morning.

Indeed, Binah's sharing of the same gematria as Elul, may indicate to us that women are on a heightened level of awareness the entire year!

In a similar vein, the Yarmulke which men must wear to remind themselves to subjugate themselves to their Creator is not worn by women because though their added level of binah - they are already Yarei Malka - they are a step ahead in the fear of their Creator. The Shofar, then, is the great equalizer - we all have a little over three weeks to get the job done - let's really succeed this year!

I think it is amazing that when you have a question and really want to know the answer, Hashem will send it your way! It was as if Hashem was giving me a little message that if I want to find answers, He will help me get them!

Another thing for us to focus on is that we should find ways to arouse ourselves to teshuva, even if we do not go to shul every morning and hear the shofar. Women have a special intuition that allows us to be in touch with our emotions and the unique time that we are in and we do not need the daily shofar blowing as a reminder to wake up!