Welcome to Elul – Do You Remember?

Our rabbis teach that Elul is an acronym for the beautiful verse from Song of Songs 6:3 that is often quoted at weddings: אֲנִ֤י לְדוֹדִי֙ וְדוֹדִ֣י לִ֔י (Ani L’Dodi v’Dodi Li) “I am my beloved’s And my beloved is mine.”

The first four letters of each word in the verse spell אֱלוּל . Elul is the sixth month of the Jewish calendar. This month is special because it is the month preceding the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah. Elul is thirty days long, and Yom Kippur is the tenth day of the month that follows Elul, the month of Tishre. So there are forty days from the first day of Elul to Yom Kippur. These forty days leading up to the ten days of awe (Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur) are the traditional period of time for intense reflection. We ask ourselves the most challenging questions: “What have we accomplished?” “What more can we do?” “How can we grow into the people we are meant to be?” “How can we improve our relationships with our family and friends? “How can we improve our engagement with society?” “How can we create and renew our relationship with God?”

In Kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) teaching, the unique spiritual connection available during the month of Elul can open the door to Divine understanding. In gematria (kabbalistic numerology) the numerical value of the letters Alef + Lamed + Vav + Lamed has the same numerical value as the letters in the Hebrew word Binah, “understanding” (אלול = 67 = בינה). Rabbi Yaakov Emden teaches that through understanding comes teshuvah (repentance), drawing from Isaiah 6:10 “And understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.” This verse emphasizes the transformative power of insight and reflection in leading us back to a path of righteousness and spiritual renewal (Siddur Yaavetz). Kabbalistic teaching sees this month as a propitious time for us to reorient ourselves to the path that we may have strayed from, and for God to find understanding and compassion. God remembers us, and welcomes us- God’s beloved ones – with love and understanding as we seek to mend and renew our relationship with the Divine.

The names of the Hebrew months were brought back with the Jewish people when they returned from Babylonian captivity. The word Elul originates from the Akkadian word Elulu which means “harvest.” Its Aramaic root means “search”, suggesting that this month is a powerful time for our deepest preparation. Just as the farmer tends to the fields by harvesting, plowing, and replanting for the next season, this moment calls for us to nurture, cultivate, and renew the landscape of our souls.

Rabbinic teaching identifies these forty days of teshuvah (return, repentance, repair) with the forty days that Moses spent on Mt. Sinai. When Moses descended the mountain with the first set of tablets with the Ten Commandments, he found the people worshipping a golden calf. After destroying the idol and punishing the people, Moses returned to the top of the mountain for another forty days to fast and pray. The period between the first of Elul and the tenth of Tishre is a time when we like Moses, devote these forty days for prayer, study, introspection, and teshuvah.

Practicing teshuvah during Elul is a meaningful way to prepare for the High Holy Days. Here are some steps to guide you:

1. Self-Reflection: Spend time in introspection, examining your actions and thoughts over the past year. As you reflect, you might keep a journal to work on areas for personal growth and improvement that you have identified.
2. Prayer and Meditation: Engage in regular prayer and meditation to open your heart and mind to new insights and understandings of yourself and others and deepen your relationship to God.
3. Study: Delve into sacred texts and teachings that resonate with you to find guidance and deepen your spiritual awareness.
4. Acts of Kindness: Perform acts of kindness and tzedakah. You will gain stronger connections with others and deepen your own sense of community and compassion.
5. Seek Forgiveness: Use this time to seek forgiveness from those you may have wronged and to forgive others. The New Year is a time for new beginnings. Give yourself an opportunity to write a new chapter this year.
6. Gratitude: Practice gratitude by acknowledging and appreciating the blessings in your life. A shift in perspective can open you up to deeper connections to God, self, and loved ones, and for spiritual renewal.

As Elul begins, take the time to reflect, return, and renew. May the coming year bring blessings and peace to our world.

L’shalom,
Rabbi Audrey S. Pollack

Filed under: Rabbi's Message

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