It may be the middle of summer on the Gregorian calendar right now, but on the Jewish calendar, we are approaching the end of the year. The month of Elul begins this year at sundown on August 13. Although Elul contains no major Jewish holidays, it is quite an important period of reflection and preparation for the High Holidays, which begin with Rosh Hashanah on the first of the following Hebrew month, Tishrei.
According to Jewish tradition, our fates are written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed for the upcoming year on Yom Kippur. Because of that, Elul becomes an opportunity to strengthen our connection with Hashem, or God; ask for forgiveness; repent; and return to Him. This process, known as teshuvah, invites us to reflect on both our personal behavior and religious practice.
However, asking Hashem for forgiveness is not enough when we have wronged another person. For those transgressions, we must take responsibility, make amends, and seek forgiveness directly from the person we have hurt. Elul gives us time to begin that process as well. And Jewish tradition teaches us that during this period, Hashem is especially close to us, awaiting and expecting our return.
Related post: 10 spiritual hacks to embrace during Elul
Eleazar of Worms, a 12th-century Jewish scholar also known as the Rokeach, points to a connection between Elul and a verse from the Song of Songs: אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי (Ani L’dodi V’dodi li), meaning “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me.” The verse is an acronym for the Hebrew month of Elul — אלול — using the first letter of each word to form the name of the month.
This verse reflects the closeness at the heart of the month: We are closer to Hashem, and He is closer to us. We have an opportunity to strengthen our connection, reflect on the past year, and improve ourselves for the upcoming year.
What practices can help us create this closeness, ask for forgiveness, and prepare for the High Holidays?
Practices during Elul
Selichot
Selichot, a Hebrew word meaning “forgiveness,” are near-daily prayers recited in the lead-up to Rosh Hashanah and until Yom Kippur. The service is a compilation of biblical passages, liturgical poems, songs, and psalms that ask God for forgiveness and express our desire to repent. Variations of these prayers date back at least to the Geonic period, around the 9th century.
Related post: Things you can listen to, read, and do to get in the Elul mindset
Customs surrounding Selichot vary among Jewish communities. Sephardic Jews generally start reciting Selichot from the beginning of the month of Elul and continue throughout the month, whereas Ashkenazi Jews begin saying Selichot a week prior to Rosh Hashanah. If that would not leave at least four days of Selichot before High Holidays begin, they begin a week earlier.
Selichot are recited as a separate service rather than added to one of the three daily prayers: Shacharit, Mincha, and Ma’ariv. Traditionally, they are supposed to be said between midnight and dawn, with services either starting late at night or early in the morning, although some communities hold services at other times to make them more accessible.
The unusual timing can add to the spiritual power of the experience: Selichot are purposely said at an inconvenient time. The Selichot service forces us to leave our comfort zone and dedicate ourselves to something that we find meaningful and essential to our lives. By making an effort to stay up late or wake up especially early, we are showing God — and ourselves — that we are ready for change, dedicated to the difficult work of teshuvah, and are fully prepared to recommit ourselves to Him, Torah and mitzvot, and becoming better people in the year ahead. We are pushing ourselves toward change and new habits as we approach the new year.
Reciting Psalm 27
From the beginning of Elul until the end of Sukkot, Psalm 27 is recited at the end of morning and evening prayers. The precise ending of the practice varies: most communities recite it through Hoshana Rabbah, the final day of Sukkot, although others conclude already on Yom Kippur, and some others continue through Shemini Atzeret or Simchat Torah. But this is the one High Holiday practice that begins on the first of Elul, no matter what one’s Jewish background and particular customs are. While it’s a relatively new tradition, only roughly 200 years old, it can be very powerful to take on and go through a journey during the High Holidays, no matter when one finishes reciting the Psalm.
Reciting the same psalm throughout Elul and the High Holidays can really help us feel the transition and the journey we have experienced from one year to the next and reflect on how we’re changing throughout that journey.
Psalm 27 is divided into two parts. The first expresses confidence and trust in God, even in the face of enemies and danger. However, the second part of the psalm is more desperate and concerned, pleading with Hashem not to hide from us and to listen to us as our parents pass away and Hashem remains our only guide: “Though my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will take me in.”
We carry both confidence and concern, both faith and fragility of faith during the High Holiday period. Looking back on the past year and looking toward the new year presents us with challenges and difficult questions. It forces us to deal with the difficult moments along with the lovely, beautiful ones — and to trust that Hashem remains with us through them all.
Blowing the shofar
While shofar blowing is most associated with Rosh Hashanah, a common custom is to blow the shofar throughout the month of Elul. Ashkenazim practice this at the end of Shacharit, morning services, often before or after reciting Psalm 27. Sephardim do not incorporate this practice with the morning prayer of Shacharit, but many incorporate it within Selichot instead.
The purpose of blowing the shofar is a spiritual wake-up call throughout Elul, its sound a reminder of what is to come and the work of reflection, repentance, and change we need to do until then.
Elul is a meaningful period of time on the Jewish calendar. It is an opportunity for all of us to reconnect to Jewish traditions and practices, immerse ourselves in spirituality and learning, and find ways to return and reconnect to Hashem in whatever way that looks for us. As we prepare for the High Holidays and the new Jewish year, Elul asks us to consider our fates for the upcoming year: who we have been, who we hope to become, and what steps we can take to move closer to that person.
If you would like to learn more about the period of time, along with unique practices and themes of the High Holidays, check out “Roadmap to Jewish High Holidays.”
