This past Friday we began the Hebrew month called Elul. For us, it is the beginning of the High Holidays season. Thirty days after the beginning of Elul, we celebrate Rosh Hashana, and ten days after that we observe Yom Kippur. So, in total, it is a 40 day block, starting with the first of Elul, and culminating in Yom Kippur. There are certain customs that go into effect during Elul, like blowing the shofar each morning in the synagogue, and reciting Psalm 27 twice a day. These help remind us that very important days lie ahead in the near future. During Elul, we try to improve ourselves, fix areas where we have become deficient, and come closer to God.
The origins of this 40 day period actually go all the way back to when the Jews were in the desert at Mt. Sinai under the leadership of Moshe. At Mt. Sinai Moshe and the Jewish people experienced three distinct 40 day periods, totaling 120 days, beginning from the holiday of Shavuos, and ending on Yom Kippur. On the day that we celebrate Shavuos, the 6th of Sivan, we experienced mass revelation, when we heard the 10 commandments from God and Moshe. Then Moshe went up to the top of the mountain, and spent 40 days studying the Torah with God. He came down on the 17th day of Tammuz, to find the Jewish people worshipping a golden calf. Moshe went back to the mountaintop the next day, and spent another 40 days imploring God to grant the Jewish nation another chance, despite their failure of worshiping an idol. This was the second set of 40 days. They ended on the 1st of Elul, when God agreed to give the Jews a second chance. Moshe spent the next 40 days studying the Torah a second time. This third set of 40 days ended on Yom Kippur, when God granted complete forgiveness to the nation. This third set of 40 days, is the time period we now find ourselves in. From its very origins it has been a fortuitous time to gain forgiveness and come closer to God.
Allusions to Elul in Scripture
There are several times where Elul is hinted to in verses of the Torah and the Writings. All of the verses that serve as allusions to Elul have four words where the first letters of each word spell out the month Elul in Hebrew- אלול. In each of these instances it is not a random set of words that happen to spell the word אלול, but rather, each of these verses sheds insight into the significance of the month, what it means to us, and the work we should be doing during this time.
Allusion #1
The most famous allusion is likely the one from Shir Hashirim 6:3 (Song of Songs 6:3)
“I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.”
אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי
This beautiful verse from Song of Songs speaks of two people who are deeply in love. They are fully dedicated to each other, and no one else interferes with that bond. Elul is a time when there is a special relationship, a beautiful bond, between Hashem and the nation of Israel. Throughout the whole year we are close, but now we are even closer.
The King is in the Field
The Chassidic masters portray the aura of Elul by painting a parable of a king who rules over a vast kingdom. If one of his millions of subjects seeks a private audience with the king, there would be many hurdles to jump over to make that into a reality. The king can’t possibly meet individually with all of his subjects, and for many, a visit to the palace is just an impossibility. But this kind and benevolent king has a real appreciation for the great outdoors. He enjoys a good stroll through the meadows from time to time. When the king is outside of his palace, beyond the narrow confines of his throne room, that is when an ordinary citizen may have a chance of catching a few minutes of the king’s time. They refer to this in Hebrew as : Hamelech Ba’sadeh, the king is out in the open field. That is how the Chassidic masters describe the month of Elul. When God is out in the open; so approachable and accessible. It is a time of closeness, when we are to our beloved and our beloved is to us .
Our Father Our KIng
When we think about our relationship with our Creator, we think of God as our king. But there is another dimension to the relationship; we also think of God as our father. Some of the most well known liturgy of the High Holidays is the prayer entitled, “Avinu Malkeinu”, our Father our King. In this prayer we acknowledge that we share both dimensions with Hashem; to us He is both father and king. Perhaps during the High Holidays, which are days of Judgement, when we focus on God’s dominion over the world, we tend to engage more with God as our King, but He is always still our father too.
A Father Always Forgives
The relationship between a parent and a child is quite a unique one. Even when a child has gone wayward, betraying his or her relationship with the parent, causing much harm, the parent will still be willing to accept the child’s apology and rekindle the relationship. There is just about nothing a child can do to sever the parent’s love. Let’s take a look at one of the greatest kings the Jewish people ever had; King David. King David had a son by the name of Avshalom. Avshalom was a handsome and charismatic man, with beautiful long hair. He was also quite socially savvy and knew how to win over the hearts of many people. Avshalom staged a rebellion against his father David, and he and his followers sent David running for his life from his palace in Jerusalem. David and those who still remained loyal to him had a chance to regroup and mount a counterattack. Before they set off to battle, David begged his top general Yoav to do whatever he could to spare the life of his son Avshalom. The battle raged through forests and fields, but eventually went in favor of Davod’s forces. As Avshalom was fleeing on a mule, he got snared by a tree branch catching his long curly hair, whisking him off his mule, leaving him dangling defenselessly in midair. Yoav disregarded David’s request and killed the rebellious Avshalom.
When David found out that his troops were victorious, but that the battle resulted in the death of Avshalom, David began to cry out in anguish over the loss of his son. Here is a direct quote from Samuel II Chapter 19:
“The king trembled. He ascended to the upper chamber of the gateway and wept; and thus he said as he wept: “My son, Avshalom! My son, my son, Avshalom! If only I could have died in your place! Avshalom, my son, my son!…………….The king wrapped his face, and the king cried out in a loud voice, “My son, Avshalom! Avshalom, my son, my son!”
The Talmud notes that King David cried the words “my son” a total of eight times. Each time he said the words, he was offering a prayer on behalf of his son. Avshalom had descended to the very depths of Hell for raising his sword against his very own father, the anointed one of Israel. Our tradition teaches that there are seven levels to Hell. Each time David cried the words “my son”, he managed to pull him out of one level of purgatory. Through seven times praying for Avshalom, he managed to extract him from Hell entirely. But that wasn’t enough for David. No. A father’s love runs deeper than that. He wasn’t satisfied by merely removing him from Hell. He wanted to bring him into heaven. That was why David prayed “my son” just one more time. To finally bring his wayward son Avshalom into the threshold of heaven. A father’s love for a child has no limits.
It is important for us to remember going into Elul that God is not only our king, but also our father. No matter what we have done, how low we have fallen, if we return back to our father with sincerity, He will welcome us back with open arms.
Allusion #2
In the final book of the Torah, Moshe encourages the nation to remain loyal to their God. In Deuteronomy 30:6 he tells them: “Hashem, your God, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, to love Hashem, you God, with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
וּמָ֨ל יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
Within this verse we find a hint to the month of Elul. What exactly does it mean to circumcise one’s heart? When a soul is sent into this world it is placed within a body. That body alone serves as some level of separation between the soul and the spiritual source from which it came, namely God himself. Then, if a person follows his heart’s desire, indulging in forbidden pleasures, that creates more levels of separation. With thick barriers blocking the connection between a soul and God, one can feel lost and disconnected. That’s what it means to circumcise the heart. It is to remove the barriers that separate a person’s soul from Hashem. In this verse Moshe tells the people that God himself will cut away those impediments that make us feel so distant. This happens during the month of Elul, when we are given a special intimate connection to the Almighty.
Who is the Mohel? (circumciser)
Earlier in the book of Deuteronomy, there is a similar verse. It reads as follows:
“You shall circumcise the barrier of your heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16). In this verse we are told that we are the ones who are meant to cut away the barriers. The circumcision must be performed by man himself. While in the first verse we quoted, the one that alludes to Elul, we are told that Hashem will cut away the barrier. It is God who performs the circumcision. So, we must ask the question; who exactly is the Mohel here?
The Torah tells us first in Chapter 10 that we are the ones who must begin the process of removing the barriers. It is incumbent upon man to take the first step forward. We must show the initiative that we want to once again be close to our Creator. Only once we make the first move, will Hashem step in and assist us. We must make that first little opening, even as small as the hole in a needle, and then we will merit Divine assistance, and that hole will be enlarged to become like the entrance to a stadium. That is the process of repentance. It’s a difficult and impossible journey, but once we embark on it, we will be carried by Hashem, who will help us succeed.
This is often the way things work in a parent-child relationship. We often struggle with the dilemma of how much help to offer our children, and when we should let them learn to be independent and do things on their own. It is often difficult to discern the fine line between coddling and helping. But one thing is pretty clear: When our child tries to do it by himself, he gets the ladder and places it beneath the really high cabinet, but still can’t manage to reach, that is when we step in as parents to assist. The same is true with Hashem. When he sees that we are trying and that we really want it, only, we can’t manage on our own, that is when He will surely step in to assist. We need to begin the process of cutting away the barriers of separation, and then Hashem will finish the process for us.
Allusion #3
In one of the final verses in the Megillah of Esther (9:22), we are told how the Jewish people are meant to celebrate the holiday of Purim throughout all generations. It states the following:
They were to observe them as days of feasting and gladness, and for sending delicacies to one another, and gifts to the poor.
לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם יְמֵי מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ וּמַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיֹנִים.
This verse speaks of 3 mitzvahs that we are meant to perform on Purim: Enjoying a feast with family and friends, sending food gifts to one another, and giving gifts to the poor. All of these three things build friendships and bring people closer together. In this hint to Elu we are taught that in our quest to come closer to Hashem, we must remember that the path of coming closer to God includes the need to come closer to our fellow man. In Elul it is not enough to only focus on my relationship with Hashem, I must also put effort into fixing and strengthening the relationships with the people around me. That will be the true path toward spiritual growth.
