An email popped up in my work inbox. “Please click here for an important voice message.” My heart leaped up in my chest. Had I been remiss in something? Was this a warning about my work performance? With great trepidation, I clicked on the link. An alert popped up: This email was a systems test to prevent hacking and phishing attacks. I had almost fallen into a trap.

The dangers of phishing cannot be overstated. Phishing is how hackers are able to penetrate the most secure systems—major chain stores, banks, hospitals and government agencies. All it takes is one employee to carelessly click on a link or enter their ID and password, and a hacker can gain entry into the entire system.

The same way our inboxes get flooded with spam, our brains are spammed throughout the day with a bombardment of random thoughts, impulses and desires. Like our inboxes, our brains have filters that allow us to divert our attention from distractors in order to devote our full attention to the matter at hand. We can learn to ignore information that’s irrelevant or counterproductive.

A phishing attack is different. Phishing attempts take advantage of the very mechanism that we rely on for filtering out spam: our conscientiousness; our desire to do the right thing. “Attention: You have an important message from work!”

Uh, oh. If my work is calling, I need to pay attention. I can’t ignore this. I’d better click on the link.

What is phishing for the soul? We’ve grown to the point that the evil inclination has already learned that we’re going to ignore overt appeals to our baser instincts. The emails promising me romantic love or millions of dollars from my Nigerian uncle will go straight into the junk file. So the evil inclination tugs at us in a different way. “I have an important message for you! You’re not doing a good enough job! You’re failing!”

Here is how it works:

The Torah portion of Ki Tavo enumerates the most dreadful-sounding curses that will come upon the Jewish people if they fail to serve G‑d properly. The section concludes with these words: “These will fall upon you because you did not serve G‑d with joy and goodness of heart.”

Chassidic teachings explain that the emphasis is on the words “joy and goodness of heart.” The evil inclination does its best to rob us of our joy in serving G‑d, thus leaving us vulnerable to the worst threats.

How do we phish-proof ourselves? We need to stay alert to the tricks of the evil inclination. Even when it presents itself as the voice of our conscience, telling us that we’re not good enough and that we must be better, we need to stop and think: Is this thought really for my benefit? Is this thought going to uplift me or inspire me to do my work with a sense of joy?

This precaution against spiritual phishing is especially important during the month of Elul, when we take stock of the past year and prepare for the new one. It’s a somber month that can easily lead to thoughts of anxiety and inadequacy. Therefore, we need to take every precaution not to allow ourselves to lapse into melancholy. The month of Elul is also a joyous time when G‑d’s love and compassion predominates, when He graciously welcomes our every overture to return to Him.

G‑d isn’t looking for our sadness, our fear or our sorrow. All He wants is to connect with us. He awaits even the smallest gesture on our part to open ourselves up to His overflowing blessings for a good and sweet year.