Jewish Month of Redemption as Jews Prepare for Biblical High Holy Days-2

The Number 40 in the Bible

The start of the month of Elul begins a 40-day period in which every individual and the community as a whole takes time for introspection. The number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible and most often refers to a period of testing or trial.

Here are a few examples:

·       Yeshua (Jesus) fasted for 40 days in the Judean wilderness following His mikvah (baptism) by John.

·       The Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33–34).

·       Moses tended sheep for 40 years for his father-in-law, Jethro, before he was called to lead the Jewish nation from captivity in Egypt.  He also fasted on two separate occasions on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights while receiving the law from God (Exodus 24:18; 34:1–28). 

·       Jonah gave the people of Nineveh a 40-day warning: “Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ (Jonah 3:4)”  In this case, the 40 days was a period of warning that allowed the people of Nineveh to repent and turn from their evil ways.

·       In Noah’s day, during the Flood, the waters poured out for 40 days and 40 nights, judging the people of the earth.

Both Moses and Yeshua fasted for 40 days as they communed with God during times of testing.  The 40 years spent by the Israelites in the wilderness was a judgment of God. So, we see, therefore, that God uses the number 40 to represent a period of testing or of judgment, and for that reason this next 40-day period is taken very seriously.

From the second day of Elul to the 28th day, the

shofar (ram's horn) is blown after morning

services every weekday.  It's distinctive, piercing

call is considered a call to repentance.

  

Customs and Practices During Elul

There are several traditions and customs associated with the 40 days between the first day of Elul and Yom Kippur.

They include the following:

·       The Selichot prayers are recited.  These prayers are based on a tradition that says that while Moses returned to Mount Sinai for 40 days after the incident with the Golden Calf, the Israelites spent this time seeking reconciliation, culminating in the revelation of The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy given to Moses.

·       On most day of the month of Elul (with the exception of Shabbat and the last day of Elul), the shofar (ram’s horn) is sounded in a call to repentance.  This is meant to call attention to the significance of Elul as a time for reconciliation and introspection.  The great Hebrew philosopher Maimonides described it as a “wake up call”  (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:4).

·       It is a custom when greeting someone or writing a letter to include the Hebrew phrase Ketivah vachatimah tovah, which means May you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.

·       Psalm 27 is read during morning and afternoon prayers.  The wordlulai (לולאֵ) appears in verse 13—where David wrote, “Had I not trusted that I would see the goodness of God in the land of life...,” leading the rabbis to argue that David doubted that he would have his reward in the “land of the living.”  This is used to encourage a person to repair their actions so that their sins do not cause them to lose out on the reward of the world to come.

·       The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hassidic Judaism, began the custom of adding three chapters of the Psalms each day, the remaining 36 chapters being recited on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

 

A Jewish man recites the Psalms (Tehillim) during Morning Prayer at the
Western (Wailing) Wall.

Elul: I Am My Beloved’s

In Jewish tradition, the word Elul is also connected to acrostic verses of Scripture. To arrive at this acrostic, the first letter of each word is taken separately so that it spells the Hebrew word Elul (אֱלוּל). These verses give added meaning to the month of Elul in terms of repentance, prayer, and charity or righteous deeds.

Here are three key verses:

1.   Et Lebabcha V'et Lebab

“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.”  (Deuteronomy 30:6) Here Your heart and the heart in Hebrew is את לבבל ואת לבב where the first letter of each word forms אלול Elul.  The idea of a circumcised heart represents God’s covenant with Israel and acts as a reminder of the need for repentance and teshuvah or returning to God.

Jewish wedding bands are often inscribed with Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li

(I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine).  The words of this verse are

also considered an acrostic for Elul, reflecting our very real potential to

enjoy a vibrant, intimate relationship with Adonai if we will only turn from

sin in repentance and seek Him.

2.   Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li

“I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine, He who pastures his flock among the lilies.”  (Song of Songs 6:3) In Hebrew this is אני לדודי ודודי לי and here, again, the initial letters form the Hebrew word אלול Elul.  The Beloved is interpreted as being God and represents the close relationship and mutual love between Israel and God.  This verse is suggestive, therefore, of prayer. The Aruch HaShulhan (a rabbinic teaching of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein [1829–1908]) suggests, “Now is the time that all my thoughts should be directed towards my Beloved (God) then, my Beloved is also to me; my Beloved helps, assists, and cares for me.” Elul is the period in which each person cleanses his relationship with his Beloved, with God.

3.   Ish L're'ehu U'Matanot L'Evyonim

“... sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor.”  (Esther 9:22) Within this Hebrew verse ימִשְׁל֤חַ מָנוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ לרֵעֵ֔הוְּ וּמַתָּנ֖וֹת לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִֽים׃ is the word Elul.  Although this verse is specifically related to Purim, it does embody the timeless necessity for kindness and taking care of the poor and needy. In Judaism, deeds of kindness are traditionally considered the “pillars upon which the world stands.”  (Avot 1:2)

A homeless person in Israel sleeps in a cemetery on a mattress.  The
month of Elul is a time to go out of our way to help the poor and needy. 

Elul: the Month of Redemption

“They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.”  (Psalm 84:7) During Elul, the study of Torah, combined with repentance, prayer, and righteous deeds are meant to connect the Jewish soul to God through divine service.  Elul, therefore, is the month of redemption. It isn’t just located in the here and now, however; it also points to the future, and to future redemption.  There remains in the hearts of all observant Jews the hope of a future redemption to come in the form of the Messiah of Israel. Many believe that ultimate redemption will be the result of a total commitment to the Torah and doing mitzvot (good deeds) today. As the time draws near for the future coming of our Messiah—our Redeemer—we need to share with those whose hearts are open to the true Messiah and Redeemer of Israel, Yeshua the Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah), the only true hope of Israel