The Month of Elul According to the Book of Formation (Sefer Yetzirah)

Relating to God in Elul, on Rosh Hashanah, and on Yom Kipur

In this seven part series, Harav Ginsburgh explores different aspect of repairing our relationship with God during the 40 days from Elul to Yom Kipur.

What Do I Truly Want to Accomplish in Life?

Kabbalah teaches that the numerical value of Elul (67) is equal to that of "understanding" (בינה). The month of Elul, the final month of the year, brings with it new and deeper understanding with regard to all the events of the passing year-what really happened and why-and of their consequences for the coming year.

"One for a Burnt Offering and one for a Sin-Offering"

One of the more mysterious allusions to the month of Elul in the Torah is found in the initials of the words "One for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering" (Leviticus 5:7 and elsewhere), which spell "Elul."

Elul: Running Red Lights

And so we stand once again on the brink of Elul, on the doorstep of Rosh Hashanah and plan to go through the motions needed, but how many of us still believe that we can really change? How many of us really hope to fix our relationship with our spouse, our relationship with our children, and most important of all, our relationship with the Almighty? Sometimes it seems that the path to change is lined with red lights as far as the eye can see.