Elul – Taking Stock . . .

Today is the first day in the month of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year. It was on this day that Moses began his 40 day-long pleading session with G‑d, begging G‑d to forgive the Jews for abandoning Him (at the sin of the golden calf), and asking Him to once again accept the Jewish People as His bride.

Finally, after 40 days of supplication, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the day of Yom Kippur (the 10th day of Tishrei), G‑d forgave his people and once again reunited together with them.

The Torah’s lessons and its narratives are eternal and perpetual. And so, every year this story repeats itself. Every year the union between G‑d and His people takes place on Yom Kippur. And every year, the preparations begin today, 40 days prior to the ceremony, as we begin the month of Elul.

Traditionally, the month of Elul is one of introspection and stocktaking. It is a time to look back at the past year in detail and meticulously search through both our good deeds and shortcomings. It is for this reason that the shofar is sounded every morning (with the exception of Shabbat) during the month of Elul. The shofar is a wake up call, arousing our minds and hearts to focus on G‑d and His mitzvot.

Our sages teach us that the word Elul is an acronym for the first letters in the following phrase written by King Solomon:

"I am to be beloved, and my beloved is to me". (Song of Songs 6:3)

In other words, the month of Elul is the time we take hold of our innate passionate love and our capacity to develop deep-felt relationships, and we direct these natural abilities towards G‑d, the Torah, and the mitzvahs. It’s the time we reignite the flame that is embedded deeply within the Jewish DNA.

And this is meant to express itself in a tangible way. This means that during this month it is very special and important to study more Torah (either by attending a class, or online), pray a little more (on Shabbat or the weekday / at home or in the synagogue), and give more charity.

The more energy we place on preparing ourselves for the upcoming holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur during the month of Elul, the more meaningful and inspiring they will be.

As we being this month, let’s add one more mitzvah to the repertoire!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Raleigh Resnick