Last Friday began the new month of Elul, the last month of the old year 5786. Only four weeks to go to Rosh Hashanah!
Elul should be a month of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. We will open ourselves so much better to the messages of these Holy Days if we just do a little preparation during the month beforehand. Be prepared!
Chassidic rabbis told the tale of an expert woodcutter, who spent the entire day sharpening his axes, to cut down the great tree in just the final five minutes. They taught that such a labourer had truly earned his wages for a full day’s work!
So what are our specific customs of preparation during Elul? Firstly, there is the custom of visiting the cemetery, in particular the graves of our parents, whose examples should inspire us to resolve to lead better lives.
Then the custom is to send cards, letters and e-mails to family and friends in remote lands, wishing them a safe, healthy and rather more peaceful New Year 5787. Even a phone call or a text will do!
In the synagogue, special Selichot forgiveness prayers are said as part of the morning service. Sephardim say Selichot for the whole of Elul – the Ashkenazi custom is to start late at night on Saturday 5 September, just a week before Tishrei begins. Additionally, all recite Psalm 27 daily – page 627 in the Reform siddur, page 7 of the Liberal Machzor. Moreover, our wonderful Reform Machzor starts with a whole series of appropriate readings, compiled by Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, one text for every day of Elul. Keep it by your bedside to read just before you go to sleep or when you have just woken up.
During Elul, the prayer leader (shaliach tzibbur) needs to practise the prayers and melodies – and the shul choir also needs to get into practice! So many tunes to remember and learn! Equally important, the shofar blower(s) (ba’alei tekiah) need to practise too. Orthodox morning services throughout Elul always end with a shofar blast.
Finally, and maybe the hardest, is the Elul mitzvah of asking forgiveness from people, family and friends, whom you may have offended during the past year – and equally, granting forgiveness to those people who have offended you. A famous mishnah (Yoma 8:9) teaches that God will only forgive our sins if we have already freely granted forgiveness to those people that have asked us to forgive them for the wrongs they have done to us over the past year.
So if I have offended you in the last year, please forgive me! I’ll try to be a better rabbi next year.
Hoping that you, your Jewish community and our new united Progressive movement will be written and sealed for a good and spiritually productive year 5787!
- Rabbi David Hulbert is Emeritus Rabbi of East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue and also serves at Brentwood Reform Synagogue