The King is in the Field
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi explains the paradox of Elul with the following metaphor: The king's usual place is in the capital city, in the royal palace. Anyone wishing to approach the king must go through the appropriate channels in the palace bureaucracy and gain the approval of a succession of secretaries and ministers. He must journey to the capital and pass through the many gates, corridors and antechambers that lead to the throne room. His presentation must be meticulously prepared, and he must adhere to an exacting code of dress, speech and mannerism upon entering into the royal presence.
However, there are times when the king comes out to the fields outside the city. At such times, anyone can approach him; the king receives them all with a smiling face and a radiant countenance. The peasant behind his plow has access to the king in a manner unavailable to the highest ranking minister in the royal court when the king is in the palace.
The month of Elul, says Rabbi Schneur Zalman, is when the king is in the field.
(א) הָיָה קוֹרֵא בַתּוֹרָה, וְהִגִּיעַ זְמַן הַמִּקְרָא, אִם כִּוֵּן לִבּוֹ, יָצָא. וְאִם לָאו, לֹא יָצָא.
(1) If one was reading [Shema] in the Torah, and it came time to recite [Shema]: If he kavanahed his mind [and intended to fulfill his obligation to recite Shema as he read it], he has fulfilled his obligation. And if not, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
GEMARA: Learn from this [the Mishnah above] that mitzvot require kavanah.
דתניא ר' יהודה אומר משום ר"א בן עזריה הקורא את שמע צריך שישמיע לאזנו שנאמר (דברים ו, ד) שמע ישראל ה' אלהינו ה' אחד השמע לאזניך מה שאתה מוציא מפיך ר"מ אומר (דברים ו, ו) אשר אנכי מצוך היום על לבבך אחר כוונת הלב הן הן הדברים
As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya: One who recites the Shema must make it audible to his ears, as it is stated: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God; the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), the word “hear” indicating that you should allow your ears to hear the words you are expressing with your mouth. Rabbi Meir disagrees and says: This is not necessary, as it is also stated there: “And these words, which I command you this day shall be in your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6), indicating that “these words,” the words of the Shema, go after the intent of the heart, as it is unnecessary to pronounce them out loud.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה גְּזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב רֶמֶז יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּלוֹמַר עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם וְחַפְּשׂוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם וְחִזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְזִכְרוּ בּוֹרַאֲכֶם!
Though the blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is an edict coming from the Torah, there is a deeper meaning. The remez of this commandment shows us that the shofar is saying to us all: "Awake you sleepers from your slumber! Get up you who drift and nod off! Look into your actions, return to the path of tshuvah, and remember your Creator!"
John D. Rayner: Jewish Religious Law: a Progressive Perspective
Precisely that is what the word Kavvanah commonly means when the Mitzvah under discussion is one which involves not so much a physical act as the recitation of words. For what is a word? From one point of view it is only a blotch of ink which the eye sees or a sound which the ear hears. But if it is only that, it is not really a word. For a word is a symbol. It is of the essence of a word that it conveys meaning, and this presupposes a mind which comprehends the meaning. Therefore a recitation of words without attention to their sense is merely a series of meaningless noises.