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Preparing for the New Year:
Elul -- The Month Before Rosh Hashana
1. Teshuva- Repentance
2. Customs of Elul
Teshuva
- Repentance
What
is Teshuva?
Teshuva
is translated as repentance, but it is actually a process of self-evaluation
and self-improvement. The Hebrew month of Elul is the time to
look over our weaknesses, see where we have transgressed, and
do Teshuva. The Rambam (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, Maimonides 1135
- 1204) enumerates four primary steps to Teshuva:
- Recognize
and discontinue the action, which may be something as drastic
as stealing or as common as losing one's temper.
- Verbally
confess the action, thus giving the action a concrete existence
in one's own mind.
- Regret
the action. Evaluate the negative effects this action may
have had on oneself or on others.
- Determine
not to do the action again. Picture yourself in the same
situation and create a positive way to handle it.
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Teshuva for a sin between a person and G-d:
-
When one has transgressed a mitzvah that does not affect another
person, the Teshuva is purely between the person and G-d; and
the four steps listed above are necessary for the repentance process.
Teshuva for a sin between fellow human beings
When one has caused harm to another person, whether by stealing
from them, by embarrassing them or anything else, then Teshuva
requires that restitution and reconciliation be arranged between
those involved. Before G-d can forgive the perpetrator, the victim
must express forgiveness. It is customary during the month of
Elul for people to seek out those they may have harmed, intentionally
or unintentionally, and ask for mechilah, forgiveness.
- One
must be sincere in their process of repentance and seek
to repair the damage done the person, or at least attempt
to do so.
- A
person is obligated to ask for forgiveness three times.
After three refusals, the person is no longer held accountable
for that action as (s)he has proven true regret. The person
who will not accept a sincere apology, however, is guilty
of bearing a grudge. There are even those who say the
transgression transfers to the person who refused to grant
forgiveness
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Customs
of Elul
The
Blowing of the Shofar
At
the conclusion of morning services, starting on the second day
of Elul, the month proceeding Rosh Hashana, it is customary for
four "notes" to be sounded on the Shofar each morning.
- The
Shofar is not blown on Shabbat.
- The
Shofar is not blown on the day before Rosh Hashana
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The
blowing of the Shofar during the month of Elul is like a wake-up
call to alert everyone that the Days of Judgement are approaching.
Selichot,
special penitential prayers, are recited.
Selichot
are recited just before dawn, except for the first night of selichot,
when they are usually said just after midnight. The time to start
saying selichot varies from community to community.
- Sephardim
generally begin saying selichot on the second day of Elul
- Ashkenazim
begin saying selichot on the Saturday night of the Shabbat
that immediately proceeds Rosh Hashana. If there are fewer
than four days between Shabbat and Rosh Hashana, selichot
are begun on the Saturday night of the previous week.
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Selichot
may be said when praying alone, however, the Thirteen Attributes
of G-d, which conclude the Selichot, are only said with a minyan.
Psalm
27 is added to the daily prayer service from the second day of
Elul until Shmini Atzeret, the end of Sukkot. (This is an Ashkenazic
custom) - It is generally added at the end of Shacharit (morning
service) and Maariv (evening service), although some recite it
after Shacharit (morning service) and Mincha (afternoon service).
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