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Shoftim 5762Volume 23 · Issue 1
Parallel Endings
The month of Elul seems to have no inherent status. Its entire status is only that it is the month before Rosh Hashanah, similar to thirty days before a festival (cf. Pesachim 6a, et. al.). It is the time to prepare for Rosh Hashanah.
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Shoftim 5756Volume 18 · Issue 1
Understanding Through Error
The Tur begins the laws of Rosh Hashanah (Orach Chaim chapter 581), “It was taught in Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer, “On Rosh Chodesh Elul, God had said to Moshe,” after the Sin of the Golden Calf for which the First Tablets were shattered, ““Ascend the Mountain to Me,” for that was when he ascended to receive the Second Tablets. The shofar was sounded throughout the encampment, “Moshe has ascended the Mountain,” so they would not err again
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Shoftim 5754Volume 17 · Issue 1
Cosmic Shift
The Tur, who authored the Code of Jewish Law, finds a curious source for the custom of rising early in the month of Elul to recite Selichos, pleas of forgiveness.
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Shoftim 5775Volume 12 · Issue 1
Days of Fearsomeness
In Elul, we should have already been in the Land of Israel subsequent to the building of the Holy Temple. At the beginning of the month, we should have celebrated the Festival of Sukkos, the Time of our Joy. As the Mishnah states
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Ki Seitzei 5758Volume 13 · Issue 2
Forefront of the Battle
Both by days of the week and months of the year, the sixth prepares for the seventh. The sixth day prepares for the Sabbath, and the sixth month, Elul, prepares for the seventh month, which begins with Rosh Hashanah.
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Ki Seitzei 5759Volume 20 · Issue 2
Avoiding Past Mistakes
The Tur (chapter 581) cites from the sages, “On Rosh Chodesh Elul, God told Moshe Rabbeinu to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Second Tablets. The shofar was sounded in the encampment to inform the people so they would not commit the error of idolatry again. And God was elevated by that shofar, as it says (Tehillim 47:6), “The Lord ascended by the blast, God by the sound of the shofar.”
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Shoftim 5760Volume 21 · Issue 1
Reconnecting to Life
Shofar of Elul
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Ki Seitzei 5773Volume 10 · Issue 2
Transcendent Aspiration
The month of Elul is commonly understood as preparation—preparation for the Ten Days of Repentance, preparation for the Days of Judgment. But in truth, it has its own title and it is significant in and of itself. Even the Torah ascribes a name to it. “And the Land into which you are crossing there to possess is… a land that God your Lord seeks out, always are the eyes of God your Lord upon it—from the beginning
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Ki Seitzei 5760Volume 21 · Issue 2
Wisdom Not Work
Shofar of Elul
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Shoftim 5753Volume 16 · Issue 1
Knowing the Shofar
Shofar of Elul
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Ki Savo 5746Volume 17 · Issue 4
Passport to Life
The name of the month before the High Holidays is Elul. One of the allusions the Torah provides for the significance of this month emerges from the verse (Tehillim 27:12-13), “Submit me not to the will of my oppressors because false witnesses and those who breathe evil have risen
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Nitzavim-Vayelech 5757Volume 19 · Issue 4
His Children His Servants
The Sephardim begin from Rosh Chodesh Elul and continue until Yom Kippur. The Ashkenazim, however, have another custom. They sound the shofar after the Morning Prayer from Rosh Chodesh Elul but only begin rising early to plea for pardon on the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah. If the festival is on a Tuesday or Wednesday, they begin on the previous Sunday (Orach Chaim
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Pinchas 5768Volume 4 · Issue 39
Fenced In
Minor,” which we call Pesach Sheni, “and in Sivan He gave to them Shavuos. In Tammuz, He had in mind to give to them a great festival, but they made the Golden Calf, and it cancelled Tammuz, Av, and Elul. Tishri came, and recompensed them with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkoth.”
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Ki Seitzei 5768Volume 5 · Issue 2
Converging Paths
One course is what the Tur states in his preface to the laws of Rosh Hashanah—to sound the shofar throughout the Month of Elul, which remains the only custom of this month according to the Ashkenazim, and to rise early and recite the prayers of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, according to the Sephardim (Orach Chayim 581). He explains that our task during this month
