The Month of Mercy and Selichot
Elul is the twelfth month of the Hebrew year, which begins with the month of Tishrei; it is the sixth month after the month of Nisan.
The name of the month of Elul is derived, among other sources, from the Aramaic word alal, which denotes searching. This name gives expression to the inner essence of this month, in which we are charged with searching and examining our deeds as part of the work of repentance that characterizes the month, as we will explain.
The Month of Mercy and Selichot
In Jewish tradition, this month is known as “the month of mercy and Selichot,” since we beg G-d to be merciful despite all our misdeeds over the past year and we arise early in the morning in order to engage in special prayer services known as Selichot. In the Selichot, we beseech G-d to forgive us for all of our improper actions over the year.
Moses on Mount Sinai
After the Exodus from Egypt, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai to receive from G-d the Two Tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. When he was informed that the Jews had committed the Sin of the Golden Calf, Moses broke the Tablets at the foot of the mountain and “cleansed“ the nation’s camp of the sinners.
Moses then ascended Mount Sinai again in order to receive a second set of Tablets. He remained at the top of the mountain for forty days, during which time he neither ate nor drank. At the end of this period, he returned from the mountain and gave the people the Ten Commandments, which had been written on tablets of stone. The day that Moses ascended the mountain for the second time was the first day of Elul, and he remained there for forty days, throughout the month of Elul, until he returned on Yom Kippur.
The name of the month in Elul is spelled alef-lamed-vav-lamed. These letters are famously interpreted as an acronym for the Hebrew verse in Song of Songs, “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li—I am to my Beloved, and my Beloved is to me.“ In this verse, King Solomon refers to G-d as “Beloved“ and alludes to the special close relationship that exists between the Jewish people and G-d specifically during the month of Elul.
This acronym also conveys an important message regarding how to serve G-d. Man must take the first step by moving closer to G-d, as is represented by the beginning of this verse, ’I am to my Beloved.’ Only after a person has made his own effort, subduing his evil inclination and coming closer to G-d, the verse tells us that “my Beloved is to me,“ i.e., that G-d also “approaches“ us and showers His kindness upon us.
The King Is in the Field
In the world of Chassidut, the special nature of the month of Elul is explained by a parable that compares G-d to a flesh- and-blood king. The king in the parable spends the entire year closeted in his royal palace. He leaves his palace only once a year to visit his subjects, the people working in the fields of his kingdom.
When the king comes to the fields, all of his subjects have an opportunity to meet him face to face, to present their requests and explain their needs to him, to unburden themselves of whatever is troubling them, and even to simply gaze upon the face of their beloved ruler. The king, for his part, uses this opportunity to give his people a sense that he relates to them; he greets them warmly and takes care of their needs with love.
The forty days from the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur are special days in which G-d, our King, leaves His “palace,” so to speak, “comes down” from His Heavenly Throne, and brings Himself closer to us. Elul is a special month because it affords us a tremendous opportunity to beseech G-d for whatever we need, to engage in repentance, and to come closer to Him.
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy
During the month of Elul, the world is permeated by a special Divine energy. In the terminology of Kabbalah, we experience the “revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,” which gives us the opportunity to come closer to G-d and to internalize our feelings of sanctity.
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are enumerated in the Book of Exodus, the second Book of the Torah, as part of an event in which G-d revealed His glory to Moses.
The background to this revelation is a highly charged exchange, in which G-d expresses His anger and His intent to wipe out the entire Jewish nation in return for the grievous sin they had committed by worshiping the Golden Calf. Moses, the consummate leader of the Jewish people, is driven by his love for the nation to defend them before G-d, and he succeeds in averting the evil decree. Moses then asks G-d to give him a guarantee that the Jewish nation will remain eternally G-d’s chosen people, and G-d gives Moses a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of the workings of the Divine. G-d demonstrates His infinite kindness and compassion by revealing to Moses thirteen different forms of mercy that He employs.
It is our custom to recite this Biblical passage in our daily morning services, and we repeat it several times during the Selichot services (which we describe below). In keeping with the method of repentance that G-d taught us through His servant Moses, we pray to Him to display kindness and mercy to us.
A brief overview of each of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy appears in Yahaduton—The Synagogue and Prayers.
The letters that form the name of the month of Elul can also be interpreted as an acronym for part of a different Biblical verse. In Exodus 21:13, the Torah discusses the case of an inadvertent murder: “If he did not lie in ambush and G-d brought it to his hands, I will provide for you a place to which he will flee.” This verse teaches about the “cities of refuge,” cities that were designated to provide asylum for an individual who accidentally brought about the death of another person. An accidental murderer is required to remain in a city of refuge, but he is guaranteed immunity from harm as long as he stays there. In Hebrew, the words “brought it to his hands, I will provide for you” are translated as four words: “inah l’yado v’samti lecha.” The initial letters of each of these four words also spell the word “Elul.” What is the significance of this?
The month of Elul can also be compared to a city of refuge. Throughout the year, we have acted improperly in various matters, and our evil inclination has pursued us in an effort to cause us to commit additional sins. Elul is the appropriate time to flee to the “city of refuge,” taking shelter in the process of repentance and immersing ourselves in Torah study in order to save ourselves from the temptation of sin.
In the original cities of refuge, the courts were required to see to it that well-paved roads were available to enable the inadvertent murderer to travel quickly to the nearest one, and that there were clear signs detailing how to get there. Extending our metaphor, we must adopt a similar practice with respect to our “refuge” in the month of Elul. We must not be content with the fact that we ourselves have found a safe haven from sin in this auspicious month. We must also broadcast to everyone else, at every opportunity, the fact that the month of Elul is a spiritual haven and that everyone should flee to the “safe harbor” of prayer and Torah study and immerse themselves in repentance.
