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Why does Rashi (רש"י) interpret 'dodi li va'ani lo' as mutual asking rather than mutual service? The shiur develops that true love means specifically wanting your beloved to fulfill your needs, not just getting needs met. This reframes Elul from fear-based merit accumulation to relationship building—Hashem (ה׳) asks us for mitzvos because He wants connection, and we turn to Him because we want His loving care.
Rabbi Yeshaya Greenberg ZT"L begins by examining the famous verse from Shir HaShirim, 'ani l'dodi v'dodi li,' which is traditionally associated with Elul. However, he focuses on an earlier, related passage: 'dodi li va'ani lo,' on which Rashi (רש"י) does comment. The common understanding of 'dodi li' is that 'my beloved is for me' - meaning he takes care of me and does things for me. Similarly, 'va'ani lo' would mean 'I am for him' - I do what he wants and serve him. But Rashi interprets this passage completely differently. According to Rashi, 'dodi li' means that when my beloved wants something, he asks me specifically, not others. 'Va'ani lo' means when I want something, I ask only him, not anyone else. In the context of our relationship with Hashem (ה׳), this means that when Hashem wants something - korban Pesach (פסח), various offerings, bikkurim - He asks only us, the Jewish people, not the nations of the world. And when we need something, we turn exclusively to Hashem, not to foreign gods or idolatry.
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Parshas Ki Seitzei with themes from Shir HaShirim
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