By Cantor Beth Cohen
Elul is the final month in the Jewish calendar year, right before Rosh Ha-shanah (the Jewish New Year), which takes place on the first day in the month of Tishrei and is the anniversary of the creation of the world. The letters used to spell the Hebrew word for “year” shanah also have a dual meaning of “change” and “repeat” reminding us to reflect on things about ourselves that we want to change or repeat.
The word “Elul” originates from the Babylonian period and in Aramaic it means, “to search.” Hence, Elul is the month when Jews do a daily cheshbon hanefesh – “searching of the soul.” We focus on where we have improved and where we need improving.
The four Hebrew letters of the word Elul (aleph-lamed-vav-lamed) are the first letters of the four words Ani l'dodi v'dodi lee – "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" from Shir HaShirim - “the Song of Songs.” This reminds us of our relationship with the divine energy -similar to beloveds who have a yearning to connect. Jewish mystics refer to this as a dveykus – “a clinging on to G-d” often achieved while attaining a deep meditative state during prayer, Torah study or performing any of the 613 mitzvote “holy commandments.”
Beginning on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, Ashkenazim blow the shofar every morning after prayers (except for Shabbat and the day before Rosh Hashana). Like an alarm clock for the soul, the sound is meant to awaken and inspire us to use the opportunity of Elul to its fullest.
For the past 200 years, it has been a tradition to recite Psalm 27 “Achat Sha’alti” during the month of Elul, “YHVH is my light and my help; whom should I fear?” In this Psalm, King David exclaims: "One thing I ask... is to dwell in the house of YHVH all the days of my life." This ancient poem is said to help us to focus on the unifying force and strength in our lives.
Sefardim and some Orthodox Ashkenazic Jews begin saying Slichot (or Selichot) “prayers of forgiveness” at the beginning of Elul so that a period of 40 days, similar to the time Moses spent on Mount Sinai, is devoted to prayers of forgiveness. The prayers are said every morning sometime between midnight and before Shaccarit (morning prayers). Beginning on Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah, many Ashkenazim will recite this special series of prayers that invoke God's mercy. The service traditionally begins with the prayers Psalm 145 Ashrei Yoshvey (“happy are those who dwell in your house…happy is the people for whom it is so…”) and Aneynu (“answer us” or “respondemos”) and there are many familiar prayers from the High Holiday liturgy in the Selichot service: Avinu Malkeynu (M’kor Chayeinu), Psalm 27, Ashamnu, Sh’ma Koleinu (“hear our voice”) and there are special prayers just for Selichot like Adon Haselichot and Rachamana D’aney. A key part of the selichot service is the repeated recitation of the "Thirteen Attributes," (Los Trece Atributes/YHVH, YHVH), which is a list of YHVH’s thirteen attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the golden calf (Ex 34:6-7). It is a common practice to meditate on one or more of these attributes to help us develop our own compassion towards ourselves and others. The attributes are usually repeated three times in a row and are also said at three different times during the Selichot service (see pages 7, 9 and 14 in our Selichot prayer booklet -LINK BELOW).
At Nahalat Shalom, we will observe and learn more about Selichot on Saturday September 29th in a morning workshop with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb and in the evening at 6:30pm during our Dance of Forgiveness and Havdalah service with Maggidah Batya Podos, Alavados band, members of Rikud dancers along myself Cantor Beth Cohen. Copies of our Selichot prayer book will be provided, and dancing is welcome. I hope you will join us on our Elul and Selichot journeys, and I wish you a ‘Shana Tovah’ – A good year, a good change, a good repeat and a gut yor!
CLICK HERE for Nahalat Shalom’s Selichot service booklet which includes traditional prayers, and poems in Yiddish, Ladino, Spanish, English and Hebrew. Feel free to use and explore at home on your own time frame.
CLICK HERE for a worksheet based on Reb Zalman’s (zt”l) teachings about “change” or “repeat” and a beautiful prayer written by the Rabbi on the back.
PSALM 27 - (Achat Sha’alti also in our Selichot service booklet)
And listen ACHAT SHA'ALTI (Duet for Elul):