Reb Lisa'sMessage
September 7, 2022
Elul is Happening!
Learning about Elul - The Hebrew Month Before Rosh Hashanah
The Hebrew month of Elul began last Sunday. This means several things:
We have a whole month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and serves as a time for spiritual preparation for the New Year.
Elul, like all Hebrew months, begins on a new moon. We are a week and a half into the month of Elul already!
The moon will wax and wane, and when the next new moon arrives, it will be erev Rosh Hashanah. (Sunday, September 25th).
We can observe the moon nightly and follow its trajectory to the New Year 5783!
We blow the shofar everyday of Elul (except Shabbat) to wake ourselves up from the rote patterns we have inevitably fallen into over the past year.
We spend the month engaged in a practice known as Cheshbon HaNefesh-- turning inward, reviewing the past year, doing an accounting of our souls, and making necessary repairs in our relationships (Teshuvah).
We read Psalm 27 twice daily as soul preparation.
We prepare ourselves for the potential and transformation the new year brings.
We begin to say good-bye to the Jewish year 5782, and prepare to greet 5783.
The month of Elul is a potent time of year. I encourage you to engage in meaningful, soul stretching experiences during the month.
Here are a few ways to engage during Elul:
Listen to the shofar! We’ll be blowing the shofar everyday of Elul (except Shabbat). This is a pop-up experience, where the location changes–You can also catch this live, or afterward, on Facebook. If you want the shofar to come to you for an in person experience, let me know! You can also LISTEN HERE.
Check out Elul Unbound from our friends at Judaism Unbound.
Read Psalm 27. It is traditional to read this Psalm everyday of Elul.
Begin greeting each other with L’shanah Tovah!
Send New Year’s cards to friends and family!