The preparation in Elul-arousing love and fear:
The revelation on Rosh Hashanah is the reciprocal reaction of Hashem-Vedodi Li– towards the stimulation that we toiled to create in the month of Elul. Therefore, as one’s service of G-d in Elul is a preparation for drawing down this love and fear on Rosh Hashanah, the אתערותא דלעילא, which is the commensurate form of Avoda required in Elul, is for a Jew to toil to arouse within himself a love and fear for Him. [The above information provokes the following question: Every Jew knows his spiritual state and standing from his previous year. We are aware of our sins and lack of attentiveness that we gave to G-d. How are we suddenly to begin serving Him with love, fear, and excitement? How can we be expected to do all the work to rebuild the relationship when we feel so far and distanced? It seems almost unfair and unrealistic to demand from us, in our current spiritual state, to do all the work and stimulation of the relationship, and then, based on that, Hashem will respond. It is this question that the Alter Rebbe now attends to in the Mamar, and explains that in truth Hashem does give us a bolt of motivation for us to do our Avoda.]