Tehillim Tools: Elul: 119:97

“How I love Your Torah! All day long it is my conversation (Psalms 119:97).” The Sages teach that one must study even the seemingly casual conversation of Torah scholars (Succah 21b). This verse is King David’s declaration that his love of Torah is so intense that even when he was having a casual conversation he dressed his words in the words of Torah (Berit Avram 72:4).

Elul is the month of the deepest love between God and Israel. God manifests His love by affording us this special opportunity to do teshuvah. We can manifest our love for Him through our love for His Torah. We must make a special effort during the month of Elul to dress our casual conversation in Torah; we should use the Torah’s teachings to guide us even in our casual conversation.

We can use this verse as a declaration of our love of Torah and to remind ourselves to express that love for Torah in the way we speak throughout the day.