Elul - Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li

The Roshei Tevot (first letters) of the Hebrew verse Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li - I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine (Shir HaShirim - form the acronym Elul (aleph- lamed-vav-lamed). Elul is a time when we turn to God, our beloved, and God turns to us, in love. Rav Kook taught that our turning, or teshuvah, is actually a process of returning to the way things were as God intended them to be in the beginning: "Teshuvah redresses the defect [of sin] and restores the world and life to their original character."

Teshuvah

We do teshuvah when we seek and grant forgiveness, and when we repent, regret, and refuse to recommit our transgressions bein adam lehavero (between ourselves and other people) and bien adam lemakom (between ourselves and God).

Mishnah Yoma 8:9

For a person who says: I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone for me, Yom Kippur does not atone. Transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur serves at atonement. For transgressions between one person and another, Yom Kippur does not serve as atonement, until the one offended has been appeased.

Excerpt from Rambam Hilkhot Teshuvah 2:9

It must be emphasized that even if a person restores the money that he owes, he must appease the person he wronged and ask him to forgive him. Even if a person only upsets another by saying [certain] things, he must appease him and approach him [repeatedly] until he forgives him.

If the other person does not desire to forgive him, he should bring a group of three of his friends and approach him with them and request forgiveness. If [the wronged party] is not appeased, he should repeat the process a second and third time. If he [still] does not want [to forgive him], he may let him alone and need not pursue [the matter further]. On the contrary, the person who refused to grant forgiveness is the one considered as the sinner.

Our tradition considers teshuvah a process organic to our very beings and to the cycle of our relationship with people and with God. At the same time, Judaism recognizes the challenges and obstacles to teshuvah that are also a part of life. Because teshuvah takes considerable emotional, spiritual, and sometimes physical effort and involves many steps, it also takes considerable time. The month of Elul and the first ten days of Tishrei leading up to Yom Kippur is a time to begin the work of teshuvah and of heshbon hanefesh - taking stock of our souls. During this time we observe many traditions that draw us back to ourselves, to our loved ones, to our community, and to God through processes of reflection, release, and redress.

Elul Traditions

Shofar. Beginning with the first day of Elul, the shofar is sounded every morning (excluding Shabbatot, and with the exception of the morning before Rosh HaShanah), immediately after morning services. The musar (devotional) literature connects the shofar blasts of Elul with Moshe's ascent to receive the second set of tablets, which began on the first of Elul.
The shofar is a call to repentance (cf. Maharil, Hilchot Aseret Yemei Teshuvah)

We read in the Tenakh: "When a ram's horn is sounded in a town, do the people not take alarm" (Amos 3:6)? The Shulkhan Arukh teaches: "The ram's horn should be bent, so that the children of Israel may bend their hearts toward their Parent who is in heaven."

The Rambam teaches that we must listen to the shofar with kavannah or intention. If we do not, we have not fulfilled our obligation. Hearing the shofar is a mitzvah which involves intention of heart and mind so that hear its deepest message - the call to teshuvah.

Psalm 27. It is customary to recite psalm 27 at the conclusion of morning and evening services throughout Elul. In recent times, people have taken on reciting this psalm throughout Elul on their own. Reminding us that God is our support and strngth in time of great difficulty, psalm 27 can embolden us to engage in the process of self-evaluation and teshuvah.

Psalm 27

Adonai is my light and my life.
Whom shall I fear?
Adonai is the foundation of my life.
Whom shall I dread?

When evil-doers come upon me to devour me,
even my adversaries and foes stumble and fall.

If an army should camp against me,
my heart will not fear.

Though war should wage up against me
Even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask of Adonai only this do I seek:
to live in the house of Adonai all the days of my life,
to gaze upon Adonai's beauty to frequent the temple of Elohim.

For You conceal me in your pavilion on the day of evil.
You hide me in the covert of your tent.
You lift me up on a rock.

And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies all around me
And I will offer sacrifices in Your tabernacle with the sound of trumpets.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Adonai.

Listen Adonai when I cry aloud.
Have mercy on me; answer me.
[Your instruction,] seek my face, my heart repeats.
Your face, O Elohim, do I seek.

Hide not your face from me.
Do not put Your servant off in anger. You are my help.
Forsake me not, nor abandon me.
O Elohim [You are] the One who delivers me.
For though my father and mother have forsaken me
Adonai will lift me up.

Show me Your way Adonai,
and lead me on a level path
because of my ever watchful foes.
Deliver me not over unto the will of my adversaries
For false witnesses have risen up against me
and those who breathe violence.
If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of Elohim,
[I would no longer be] in the land of the living.

Look to Adonai [for hope]
be strong and of good courage.
Look to Adonai [for faith].

As translated by Kerry M. Olitzky (adapted from JPS 1917 and 1985 translation)