Day 8 – Returning to the Covenant
Teshuvah is more than emotion; it is a return to covenant relationship. At the foot of Sinai the people answered with one voice, “All that…
Day 7 – Psalm 27: The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Twice each day throughout Elul and continuing through the Days of Awe, Psalm 27 is recited. Its opening declaration sets the tone for the entire…
Day 6 – The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy
When Moses returned to the mountain to receive the second tablets, the Lord descended in the cloud and proclaimed the Name: “The Lord, the Lord,…
Day 5 – Tzedakah: Righteous Giving as an Act of Return
The three classic pillars that “avert the evil decree” are teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah—repentance, prayer, and righteous giving (cf. the High Holiday liturgy). The letters…
Day 4 – Interpersonal Teshuvah: Repairing the Breach with Our Neighbor
Jewish tradition is unequivocal: the Day of Atonement atones for sins between a person and God, but it does not atone for sins between one…
Day 3 – Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh: An Accounting of the Soul
Elul is the appointed time for cheshbon ha-nefesh—a careful, honest accounting of the soul. The practice is simple yet demanding: each day we examine our…
Day 2 – The Shofar’s Call: Awake, O Sleeper
Each weekday morning of Elul the shofar is sounded after the morning service. The custom begins on the second day of Elul and continues until…