מַתְנִי׳ ...בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה — כׇּל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם עוֹבְרִין לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַיּוֹצֵר יַחַד לִבָּם הַמֵּבִין אֶל כׇּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם״
MISHNA: ...on Rosh HaShana all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds”
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת ׀ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט עַבְדּ֗וֹ וּמִשְׁפַּ֛ט עַמּ֥וֹ
...to do justice to His servant, and the justice of His people, Yisroel, fulfilling the need of each day, on that day.
וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: מֶלֶךְ וְצִבּוּר — מֶלֶךְ נִכְנָס תְּחִלָּה לַדִּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדּוֹ וּמִשְׁפַּט עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל״.
מַאי טַעְמָא?
אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא לְמֵיתַב מַלְכָּא אַבָּרַאי.
וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: מִקַּמֵּי דְּלִיפּוֹשׁ חֲרוֹן אַף.
§ About this verse Rav Ḥisda said: When a king and a community are brought before God for judgment, the king is brought in for judgment first, as it is stated: “To make the judgment of His servant,” and afterward: “And the judgment of His people Israel.”
What is the reason for this?
If you wish, say that it is not proper conduct for the king to stand outside and wait for the trial of his subjects to come to an end.
And if you wish, say instead that the king is brought in first so that he may be judged before God’s anger intensifies due to the sins of the community, and consequently he may be saved from overly harsh judgment.
§ The mishna teaches: On Rosh HaShana all creatures pass before Him like benei maron.
The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase benei maron? The Gemara answers: Here in Babylonia they interpreted it to mean: Like a flock of sheep [kivnei imarna].
Reish Lakish disagreed and said: Like the ascent of Beit Maron, which was very steep; one standing at the summit could discern all those climbing the mountain with a single look.
Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said another opinion: Like the soldiers of the house of King David, who could be surveyed with a single glance.
Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And they are all scanned in a single scan.
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: We, too, learn this in the baraita: The verse states: “He who fashions their hearts alike, who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15).
What is this verse saying? If we say this is what it is saying: That He created everyone and unites all their hearts together, there is a difficulty, since don’t we see that it is not so, as the hearts of people are not united and are not similar to one another? Rather, is this not what it is saying: The Creator sees their hearts together and considers all their deeds with a single scan?
(ב) ר' יהושע בן קרחה אומר ארבעים יום עשה משה בהר קורא בדת מקרא ביום ושונה בדת מקרא בלילה, ולאחר ארבעים יום לקח את הלוחות וירד אל המחנה ובשבעה עשר בתמוז שבר את הלוחות והרג את לייטי ישראל ועשה ארבעים יום במחנה עד ששרף את העגל וכתתו כעפר הארץ והרג את כל אשר נשק לעגל והכרית ע"ז מישראל והתקין כל שבט במקומו, ובראש חדש אלול אמר לו הקב"ה (שמות כד, יב): "עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה" והעבירו שופר במחנה, שהרי משה עלה להר שלא יטעו עוד אחר עכומ"ז והקב"ה נתעלה אותו היום באותו שופר, שנאמר (תהלים מז, ו): "עָלָה אֱלֹקִים בִּתְרוּעָה", ועל כן התקינו חכמים שיהיו תוקעים בשופר בראש חדש אלול בכל שנה ושנה.
(2) Rabbi Joshua, son of Ḳorchah, said: Forty days was Moses on the mountain, reading the Written Law by day, and studying the Oral Law by night.
After the forty days he took the tablets (of the Law) and descended into the camp on the 17th of Tammuz, and he broke in pieces the tablets, and slew the sinners in Israel.
He then spent forty days in the camp, until he had burnt the calf, and powdered it like the dust of the earth, and he had destroyed the idol worship from Israel, and he instituted every tribe in its place.
And on the New Moon of Ellul the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Come up to me on the mount" (Ex. 24:12), and let them sound the Shophar (trumpet) throughout the camp, for, behold, Moses has ascended the mount, so that they do not go astray again after the worship of idols.
The Holy One, blessed be He, was exalted with that Shophar, as it is said, "God is exalted with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet" (Ps. 47:5).
Therefore the sages instituted that the Shophar should be sounded on the New Moon of Ellul every year.
The month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance are particularly auspicious for repentance, as this is the period when God agreed to forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf.
Forty days after the Torah was given, when Moshe had not yet descended from Mount Sinai, a group of sinners persuaded the people to make a golden calf as a replacement for God’s authority. At that moment, a great anger was kindled against Israel. It was serious enough that God said to Moshe, “Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation” (Shemot 32:10). Moshe prayed fervently and reminded God of the merits of the patriarchs and matriarchs, thus delaying the punishment. Then he descended the mountain, shattered the Tablets, and, together with the tribe of Levi, executed the sinners. He melted down and pulverized the calf, mixed the ash with water, and made all the Israelites drink from it. The water served as a litmus test, and those who had worshipped the calf died.
Nevertheless, the threat of destruction still hovered over Israel. Displaying a spirit of self-sacrifice, Moshe stood before God and declared, “Now, if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written” (ibid. v. 32). Following this declaration, the decree was lifted. However, Israel was still disgraced and distant from God. It was as if they were no longer His children, His servants, or His special nation. Furthermore, the first Tablets lay in pieces.
On Rosh Ḥodesh Elul, Moshe once again ascended Mount Sinai to pray as Israel’s emissary, asking God to have mercy upon them and forgive them. On Yom Kippur, their repentance was fully accepted. Moshe descended to give the Jews the second set of Tablets and to inform them that they were forgiven. As an indication of their renewed closeness and specialness, God commanded them to erect a Mishkan (Tabernacle), through which the Shekhina would be revealed to them. Since the timing of important events is not accidental, we see that the forty days from Rosh Ḥodesh Elul until Yom Kippur are particularly auspicious for repentance.
This accords with the following midrash:
On Rosh Ḥodesh Elul, God said to Moshe, “Come up to Me on the mountain” (Shemot 24:12). The shofar was then blown in the camp, to let it be known that Moshe was ascending the mountain again and that Israel must not repeat their mistake. God ascended on that day through those same shofar blasts, as we read, “God ascends with a blast (teru’a); the Lord, with the sound of a shofar” (Tehilim 47:6). Therefore, the Sages ordained that the shofar be blown each year on Rosh Ḥodesh Elul. (Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer 46)
They chose to have the shofar serve as a wake-up call for the people, because it has the power to discourage people from sinning and to awaken the masses to repent (Tur and Beit Yosef, OḤ 581:1)
.
Accordingly, Jewish communities customarily blow the shofar during the month of Elul. Ashkenazic custom is to blow each day at the end of Shaḥarit. Sephardim, who recite Seliḥot all month, blow the shofar when they recite the concluding Kaddish of Seliḥot. Many Sephardim also blow the shofar when reciting the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Blowing the shofar in Elul is not obligatory, but it is proper for communities to try to do so. Nevertheless, an individual who did not hear the shofar blown does not need to search for someone to blow the shofar for him.[1]
The month of Elul is a great gift of love from Hashem. The four Hebrew letters of the month of Elul (אלול) are used to provide us with an understanding of what this great month of opportunity is all about. Perhaps the most well-known one is “אני לדודי ודודי לי–Ani l’dodi v’dodi li (I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine).” The first letter of each of the four words together spell the letters in the word אלול (Elul).
Many write that the days of the month of Elul are days of “rachamim and ratzon” – days of compassion and favor. These days have been embedded with compassion, favor, love, and opportunity since Moshe Rabbeinu went up to the summit of Har Sinai for 40 days, starting with the beginning of Elul and culminating with Yom Kippur, when he brought down the second set of Luchos. At that time, Hashem accepted our t’shuvah and we were completely forgiven for the sin of the golden calf and were consequently reunited with Hashem.
These are days of closeness to Hashem. While the opportunity for t’shuvah is present year-round, the availability and opportunity are by far greatest in the 40 days starting with Rosh Chodesh Elul.
HaRav Aharon Kotler zt”l writes:
ונפתחים שערי חסד ורחמים, ואפשר להשיג בין בתשובה ובין בתורה ועבודה במעט עמל מה שצריך עמל רב בזמן אחר…
…and the gates of chesed [loving-kindness] and rachamim [compassion] are opened, and it is possible to achieve in the areas of repentance, Torah, and service [to the Almighty] with minimal exertion as compared with other times when [this achievement] would require significant exertion. [quoted from Yerach l’Moadim, by HaRav Yerucham Olshin]
A Halachic Guide On The Month of Elul
- 08/11/2010
click for more details
The Month of Elul
What is the special significance of the month of Elul?
Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the beginning of a period of intense spiritual awakening. The Jewish people renew their commitment to the Torah, repent their sins, and prepare for the awesome days of judgment – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. When the nation sinned with the golden calf, Moshe Rabbeinu ascended Mount Sinai to beseech Hashem for forgiveness. Forty days later on erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, Hashem granted His forgiveness and instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to prepare the second luchos. On Rosh Chodesh Elul, he ascended the mountain once again and descended on Yom Kippur with the second luchos, received by the Jewish people with joy and happiness. From then on, this period became one of Divine mercy, when Hashem’s hand is open to welcome those who return to Him.
What are the main customs of this month?
- Many people make an effort to say the Yom Kippur Katan prayers on erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, even if they do not do so at other times of the year.
- Psalm 27 is said daily after shacharis and ma’ariv (or mincha) from the second day of Rosh Chodesh until the day before Shemini Atzeres. In chutz la’aretz it is also said on Shemini Atzeres.
- The shofar is blown in shul after shacharis on weekdays except on erev Rosh Hashanah.
- Some people recite ten chapters of tehillim daily, completing the entire book twice before Rosh Hashanah. This brings the total number of chapters recited to three hundred, which is the numerical value of the word כפר – atone. Those who follow this custom recite fifteen chapters daily during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva in order to complete the book a third time before Yom Kippur.
- When writing a letter to a friend, one should include wishes that the person be written and sealed in The Book of Life.
- Extra care should be taken in the performance of mitzvos, in particular Torah study and charity. Many people have their tefillin and mezuzos checked.
- Selichos prayers are said.
- Vows are annulled (see chapter two).
In order to arouse people to repentance, as it says, “Shall a shofar be sounded in the city and the people not be afraid?” (Amos 3:6). The shofar proclaims: Arouse yourselves from your sleep and awake from your slumber; inspect your deeds, mend your ways, and remember your Creator. Those who are distracted from the truth by the vanities of this world and waste their years with folly and emptiness, which bring neither benefit nor salvation, inspect your souls and improve your ways, and let each person abandon his evil path and his wrong opinion.
Selichos
From which day are selichos recited?
The custom is to begin on the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah. If the first day of Rosh Hashanah is on Monday or Tuesday, selichos begin on the Sunday of the previous week.
When is the best time to recite selichos?
The ideal time is towards the end of the night before halachic dawn, when the Divine attribute of mercy is dominant. According to some opinions, the next best time is at halachic midnight and according to the Zohar this is equally appropriate. Many communities begin the selichos on the first night at this time.
May selichos be said during the day?
Selichos may be said at any time during the day. Most men say selichos in the morning before shacharis. Certain phrases are not appropriate during the day (e.g. ‘when they cry out at night’) and should be omitted or suitably altered.
Is there any time when selichos cannot be recited?
Selichos should not be recited during the first half of the night, since the thirteen attributes may not be said at that time. The exception is the evening of Yom Kippur, when selichos are recited at night.
Are women obligated to recite selichos?
No, but they may if they wish. Some have the custom to attend the shul service on the first night of selichos.
Must selichos be recited with a minyan?
Although it is preferable to do so, it is not essential. An individual may recite selichos but should omit the thirteen attributes of mercy. Alternatively, the thirteen attributes may be chanted with the tune of the Torah reading, in which case one should continue until the end of the verse (Shemos 34:7). Also, the sections towards the end of selichos that are written in Aramaic may be said only with a minyan.
Should one say the verses preceding each selicha?
It is important to say them since they were written with Divine inspiration and form the basis of the following selicha.
What if a person cannot keep pace with the minyan with which he is saying selichos?
He should recite selichos at his own pace but join the minyan for the thirteen attributes and then continue from where he left off. The minyan should be joined for shema koleinu and viduy.
Can selichos be recited in English?
Prayers are more powerful in their original Hebrew even if one does not understand the words. Nevertheless, it is preferable that the prayers be understood and it is praiseworthy to study them beforehand. One who cannot recite Hebrew fluently may say any prayer in English, including selichos. In this situation, a person reciting selichos without a minyan may say the thirteen attributes in English.
If selichos are recited at night, is tachanun said?
Although tachanun is not said when mincha continues until nightfall, it is said after selichos even at night. The head should be rested on the left arm. Tachanun after selichos is recited at night even in situations when it is usually omitted, e.g. when there is a chosson present.
If one recites selichos before shacharis, should he recite any brachos beforehand?
He should say al netilas yadayim, asher yatzar, elohai neshama and bircas hatorah. If selichos are said before halachic dawn, the b’racha al netilas yadayim should not be recited until after selichos.
Must one stand during selichos?
It is preferable to stand for the entire selichos. If this is difficult, one should stand at least when saying the paragraph eil melech yosheiv, the thirteen attributes of mercy, and viduy.
Does one need to fast during this period?
Some people fast on the first day of selichos, and many have the custom to fast on erev Rosh Hashanah (see question 35). These are only half-day fasts and the custom is to eat after mincha. There is no obligation to fast at all on these days and a person who is weak should certainly not attempt to do so. The main intention is to improve one’s ways and come closer to Hashem.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה גְּזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב רֶמֶז יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּלוֹמַר עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם וְחַפְּשׂוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם וְחִזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְזִכְרוּ בּוֹרַאֲכֶם. אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹכְחִים אֶת הָאֱמֶת בְּהַבְלֵי הַזְּמַן וְשׁוֹגִים כָּל שְׁנָתָם בְּהֶבֶל וָרִיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹעִיל וְלֹא יַצִּיל, הַבִּיטוּ לְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם וְיַעֲזֹב כָּל אֶחָד מִכֶּם דַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא טוֹבָה.
Even though blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashana is a Torah decree, it also contains an allusion. Namely, “Wake up you sleepers from your slumber and the unconscious from your stupor and search your ways and return in repentance and remember your Creator!” These are the people who forget the truth in the transience of time and waste all their years in futility and emptiness which does not have purpose and will not save them, look at yourselves and improve your ways and your actions and each one of you should leave your evil ways and thoughts that are not good.”
ועל כי השופר הציל את ישראל מהחטא, וחודש אלול הוא חודש המעותד לתשובה, שהוא החודש האחרון מהשנה, וקודם ימי הדין. וחכמי המוסר רמזו עליו מקרא ד"אני לדודי ודודי לי" שהראשי תיבות "אלול", כלומר: שעתה העת שיהיו כל מחשבותי לדודי, וכשאעשה כן אז גם "דודי לי", שישגיח עלי לטובתי. וגם השופר מסוגל לתשובה... ולפיכך נהגו כל ישראל לתקוע בשופר אחר התפלה כל החודש הזה.
Because the shofar saved Israel from sin and the month of Elul is a month intended for teshuva, for it is the last month of the year and before the Days of Judgment. The sages of musar hinted at this from the verse “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine” whose initial letters form the word “Elul,” which is to say that now is the time when all of my thoughts should be toward my Beloved, and when I do this, then my Beloved is also mine, for He watches over me for my benefit. Also, the shofar is capable of [eliciting] teshuva…Therefore all of Israel have adopted the practice of blowing the shofar after prayer for this entire month.
וחייב כל אדם עכ"פ להכין את עצמו ליום שיכנס למשפט לפני ה' בר"ה שלשים יום קודם בתשובה ותפלה ויתן כל לבו רק בעבודת ה'. ונתנו רמז לזה אני לדודי ודודי לי ר"ת אלול ולכן ירבה בכל החודש בתשובה ותפלה וצדקה...
In any event, each person is obligated to prepare themselves with teshuva and prayer for thirty days prior to the day they enter into judgment before God on Rosh Hashana. And they should give their entire heart only to the service of God. And they alluded to this [with the verse] Ani le-dodi ve-dodi li, I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine (Shir Hashirim 6:3) which is an acronym for Elul. Therefore, one should increase one’s teshuva, prayer and charity throughout the month.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה גְּזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב רֶמֶז יֵשׁ בּוֹ
כְּלוֹמַר עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם וְחַפְּשׂוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם וְחִזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְזִכְרוּ בּוֹרַאֲכֶם. אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹכְחִים אֶת הָאֱמֶת בְּהַבְלֵי הַזְּמַן וְשׁוֹגִים כָּל שְׁנָתָם בְּהֶבֶל וָרִיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹעִיל וְלֹא יַצִּיל,
הַבִּיטוּ לְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם וְיַעֲזֹב כָּל אֶחָד מִכֶּם דַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא טוֹבָה.
Even though the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a decree of the Torah, it contains a symbolical significance. It is as if [the shofar's call] is saying:
"Wake up you sleepy ones from your sleep and you who slumber, arise! Inspect your deeds, repent, remember your Creator. Those who have become forgetful of truth by pursuing things that are vain and transient, who have been absorbed the whole year in vain and idle matters and devote their energies to vanity and emptiness which will not benefit or save:
Look to your souls. Improve your ways and your deeds and let every one of you abandon his evil path and thoughts.