By
Rabbi Yochanan Eskenazi
The 40 day period beginning
Rosh Chodesh Elul
thru
Yom Kippur
is a period that is an
es ratzon
(an auspicious time), a time that our
teshuva
(repentance) is more easily accepted. There are allusions to this in
Tanach
:
A
ni
L
'dodi
V
'dodi
L
e
(I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is mine) [
Shir Hashirim 6:3
]. Furthermore, the Torah [
Devarim 30:6
] states "
U'mul Hashem Elokecha
E
s
L
'vavcha
V
'es
L
ev Zar'echa"
(
Hashem
your God, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring). The first letters of these words are
Alef, Lamed, Vuv, Lamed
, which spells
Elul
. Additionally, the
gematria
(numerical value) of the end letters [of
Ani L'dodi V'dodi Le-
4 letter
yuds
] equals to 40 [10 x 4] which hints to that there are 40 days that
Hashem
is close (Mishneh Berurah 581: introduction).
There is a custom to recite 10 chapters of
Tehillim
(Psalms) each day during
Elul
, in order to complete the entire
Sefer
Tehillim
two times before
Rosh Hashanah
(Mishneh Berurah 581:1).
If possible, it is better not to recite
Tehillim
at night [during
Elul
and the rest of the year] (Koveitz Halachos 1:10). Additionally, many people have their
tefillin
and
mezuzos
checked during the month of
Elul
(Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:3).
One who writes a letter to a friend during the month of
Elul
should include wishes for a
k'siva v'chasima tova
(you should be inscribed for a good year) (Mateh Ephraim 581:9 & Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:2). Therefore, if one is speaking to or writing an email to a friend who he does not intend to speak to again before
Rosh Hashanah
should include wishes for a good year (Rabbi Biberfeld,
shlit"a
).
The
shofar
is blown during the entire month of
Elul
, since hearing the
shofar
arouses a person to repent (Rama 581:1). The prevalent custom is to blow the
shofar
in the morning after
davening
shachris
(Aruch Hashulchan 581:1). If there is no adult available, a
katan
(boy younger than 13 years old) may blow the
shofar
(Koveitz Halachos 1:18). One does not need to stand while the
shofar
is being blown (Koveitz Halachos 1:17). If the congregation forgot to blow
shofar
in the morning, it is proper to blow by
mincha
(Igros Moshe OC 4:21:5). If an individual missed hearing
shofar
, it is proper for him to blow himself or hear from someone else, although it is not obligatory (Koveitz Halachos 1:21). If one is
davening shemoneh esrei
while the
shofar
is being blown, it is proper to pause and concentrate on the
shofar
(Koveitz Halachos 1:22).
The
minhag
is to recite the chapter "
L'Dovid Hashem oree v'yeeshee"
[
Tehillim 27
]
from
Elul
until
Shmeinei
Atzeres
(Mishneh Berurah 581:2). Anyone who says this paragraph from
Rosh Chodesh Elul
until
Simchas Torah
is able to nullify bad decrees against him and merit being innocent in judgment (Sefer Shloshim Yom Kodem Hachag pg. 3 fn. 6 quoting Sefer Sheim Katan). One should recite it at the end of
davening
, after the
shir shel yom
[and after
barchi nafshe
on
Rosh Chodesh
] (Mishneh Berurah 581:2).
There are different customs regarding which
tefillah
to say
L'Dovid
. Some congregations say it after
Shachris
and
Mincha
(Mishneh Berurah 581:2) while others say it after
Shachris
and
Maariv
(Alef Ha'magen 581:10). One who is
davening
in a
minyan
that says it during a different
tefillah
than he is accustomed to saying it, is not required to say it together with them (Shloshim Yom Kodem Hachag pg. 3 fn.8 quoting Shu"T Divrei Moshe 1:35).
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