According to Jewish tradition, the Hebrew month of Elul (the month preceding the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) is a time for us to undertake cheshbon hanefesh , an accounting of the soul. It is a time for us to reflect on the year that has passed and on the kind of people we were during that year. It is a time to ask ourselves – are we living the life that God wants for us? A life that makes our families proud? That makes us proud? This accounting prepares us to make teshuva , repentance, for the mistakes that we have made and the hurt that we have caused over the course of the past year. Each person must go about this accounting in their own unique way, but the more one prepares, the more meaningful the High Holy Days can be.

By signing up for Word for Word you will receive a daily email containing one word that embodies an idea or practice that can assist you in your spiritual preparations. Many of these words are middot – ethical traits in which we may wish to grow or change. Each email will also contain Jewish texts and teachings, as well as questions upon which you can reflect and actions that you might take. Many people find that it is helpful to record their reflections in some sort of journal. Others prefer to discuss the ideas and questions presented here with a trusted partner or friend. If you are interested in being paired with a reflection partner, please contact Stacy Jespersen at sjespersen@sestl.org .
The emails will arrive in your inbox for 29 days, beginning on the morning of Sunday, September 1, 2019. 

  • Days 1-8 contain ideas and skill that can help you in this reflective undertaking.
  • Days 9-14 contain middot (qualities) you may wish to curb or change in the coming year.
  • Days 15-27 contain middot (qualities) in which you may want to grow during the coming year.
  • Days 28-29 contain actions and attitudes we want to adopt as we head into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

If you miss any of the emails, you can find all of them archived on the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis website at mindfulness.sestl.org/elul2019.

Archived emails from the past week will be posted every Friday throughout the month of Elul.
Thank you again for signing up for Word for Word: 29 Words, Reflections and Questions to Help Us Prepare for the Days of Awe . We wish you a meaningful Elul and a happy and healthy new year.

L’shalom,
Rabbi Andrea Goldstein
Director of the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis
The inspiration for this project came from Rabbi Nicole Auerbach. Many of the traditional texts and teachings come from her learning packet, 29 Days of Reflection, created for the CORE Groups of Central Synagogue.