Think & Reflect:
The month of Elul begins and we are getting ready for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur plus more holidays to follow. There is no special importance for this month in the Torah or in rabbinic writings but customs began during the first millennium that this was the month to get ready for the High Holidays. The Maharal of Prague said, “All the month of Elul, before eating and sleeping. A person should look into his soul and search his deeds, that he may make confession.” This makes the month a pretty important one as we search inside and reflect.
There are some special customs and the most important is hearing the shofar every day (except for Shabbat). Chapter 27 of the Book of Psalms is added to the daily prayers and during the last week of Elul, Selichot (Forgiveness) prayers are recited as we focus on our deeds that need to be forgiven. And Elul is considered the time to have one’s tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe, to ensure that they are in good condition and fit to use.
Questions to Ponder
The focus on this month is really preparation for the big days of asking for forgiveness. The sages have said that we should repent a day before our death and since we do no know what that day is, every day should be a day to repent. So what is repenting? The term used in Hebrew is teshuva which really means turning back – we are recognizing that we have not always do our best and we hope to be better. The first step is awareness and recognition that we have erred. Boy – this teshuva is hard work and that is why it takes a full month and lots of reflecting!
Do & Share
Teshuva is private – first between you and those you have hurt and second between you and G-d. “Do & Share” is not about sharing those mistakes however talk with family and friends about the challenges of awareness and recognition. Study forgiveness and find ways that make it possible!
A Challenge for a Week (or longer)
The hard challenge for the week (or longer) is to work on changing behavior. However, for an easier challenge, get a shofar and learn how to blow it. Try blowing every day in the month of Elul. Remember that the “requirement” is to hear the shofar – no added benefit to blow except that doing so connects us in a more powerful way. There is a story about the fools of Chelm who had a problem with fires in their town. They sent one to another town who observed that when a fire broke out, someone would beat a loud drum and everyone would come. He quickly bought a drum and returned to Chelm. When the next fire broke out, he beat the drum loudly and everyone ran out…and watched the house burn! It’s the same with the shofar – just hearing without doing and changing doesn’t help!
Laura Seymour | Camp Director Emeritus | Jewish Experiential Learning Director
Lseymour@jccdallas.org
