T

he name of the final month of the 
Jewish year — Elul, the month of repen-
tance — is commonly associated with 
a verse in Shir Hashirim, “
Ani ledodi vedodi li” 
— “I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for 
me,
” the first letters of which spell Elul.
While intuitively we might have regarded 
this period as a time of fear and dread, tradition 
teaches that quite to the contrary, this is a time 
of immense love between God 
and the Jewish People.
Developing this point further, 
the word for “beloved” in this 
verse is dod, which relates to 
the word yedid — “close friend.
” 
Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein 
observed that this word is, 
essentially, twice the word yad 
— “hand.
” He explained that deep friendship is 
two hands clasped together, two people giving 
each other support and encouragement. When 
two people have a relationship of yedidus — 
friendship — they hold each other’s hands. 
They hold hands and dance during times of 
joyous celebration, and they hold hands to offer 
support during times of grief and bereavement. 
G-d is called our yedid, our friend, because 
He holds our hands, as it were. No matter what 
we’re going through, he’s holding our hands. 
Whether we are celebrating, crying, succeeding 
or failing, whether we’re alone or with other 
people, He is holding our hands. 
Rabbi Eisenstein explained on this basis why 
the word yedid features so prominently in the 
hymns traditionally sung at the Shabbos table 
— because Shabbos is a time of special bonding 
and closeness between us and G-d.
Over the course of the upcoming holiday 
period, during Sukkos, we will read the Book 
of Koheles, in which King Shlomo enumerates 
all the various kinds of life experiences: “There 
is a time to give birth, and a time to die; a 
time to plant, and a time uproot the planted…
” 
These verses contain 14 couplets, summariz-

ing the “ups and downs” of life. Rav Nachman 
of Breslav noted that the number 14 is the 
gematria (numerical value) of the word yad, 
such that the 28 phrases in these 14 couplets 
represent two hands — God’s hand, as it were, 
holding ours. In every stage of life, through the 
ups and the downs, God is with us.
Perhaps we can apply this insight to what 
is likely the most chilling and somber section 
of the High Holiday prayer service — 
Unesaneh Tokef, which describes 
the awesome judgment that 
takes place on these days. “On 
Rosh Hashanah it is writ-
ten, and on Yom Kippur it is 
sealed; how many will pass, and 
how many will be created; who 
will live, and who will die…
” 
This section consists of 14 couplets 
(“On Rosh Hashanah … and on Yom 
Kippur; how many will pass, and how many 
will be created, etc.). Even during the awesome 
judgment of Rosh Hashanah, God is lovingly 
holding our hands, and does not let go. He is 
not an impartial judge. He is our yedid, who is 
holding our hands and supporting us through-
out this process.
“Ani ledodi vedodi li.” As we struggle to cor-
rect our flaws, to improve our conduct, to be 
better people and better Jews, God holds our 
hands and supports us at every step of the way. 
The prospect of being judged can be frighten-
ing, but we are assured that God, our beloved 
“friend,
” is with us, holding our hands and help-
ing us along the road of teshuva (repentance) as 
we seek to become worthy of a happy, healthy, 
blessed year for ourselves, our families and the 
entire Jewish Nation. 

Rabbi Dov Loketch is rabbi of 

Congregation Agudas 

Yisrael Mogen 

Avraham in 

Southfield.

God is Holding Our Hand

SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022 | 35

Rabbi 
Dov Loketch

continued on page 36

