Long Island Torah Network
  • Home
  • Locations
    • East Northport
    • Huntington
    • Merrick
  • Programs
    • Pizza and Parsha
    • BBQ
    • Beis Medrash Night
    • Weekly programs
    • Catalog >
      • Hebrew
      • Jewish Values
      • Holidays
      • Jewish Living
      • Jewish History
      • Text Study
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Mission
    • Publications/Media >
      • LITN Video
      • Audio Library >
        • Pathways Archives
        • Mishneh Berurah Archives
        • Torah Minute >
          • Balak - The Strength Of G-d's Love
          • Chukas - Always Finding Inspiration
          • Shlach - The Hand Of God Is Obvious - If We Want To See It
          • Naso - Action Leads To Feeling
          • Shavuos - The Treasure That Is Ours
          • Emor - We Have The Answers
          • Tazria-Metzora - It's Just an Honest Opinion
          • Shmini - Kosher? Why?
          • Pesach - G-d's Powerful Love For Each Of Us
          • Vayikra - Greater Than The Angels
          • Pekudei - The Privilege of Mitzvos
          • Vayakhel - Mastery Over Our Emotions
          • Yisro - The Power Within Us
          • Beshalach - Always Drawing Closer
          • Bo - G-d Is Always With Us
          • Va'eira - The Power Of G-d's Kindness
          • Vayechi - Standing Alone
          • Vayishlach - But I Already Know It!
          • Toldos - Let's Say It
          • Chayei Sara - Always In Control
          • Nitzavim-Vayelech - But It's Too Difficult!
          • Ki Savo - The Power Of Encouragement
          • Ki Seitzei - Preserving Our Fellow Man's Dignity
          • Shoftim - The Gift of the Oral Law
          • Re'ei - Fulfillment and Happiness? We Have the Recipe!
          • Eikev - Open Our Eyes and We'll See It's Hashem!
          • Devarim - We're Starting From Here!
          • Korach - The Power To Protect
          • Shlach Let's Do What We Can!
          • Beha'aloscha - Everything Is From Hashem!
          • Shavuos Looking For Happiness? We Have It In The Torah!
          • Emor - Blessings from Hashem
          • Acharei Mos - Dress The Part
          • Shmini - Being In Control
          • Pekudei - The Jewish Nation - Eternally Holy
          • Vayakhel - Doing Mitzvos - What a Privilege!
          • Ki Sisa- Sensitivity To Feelings - How Far Do We Go?
          • Tetzaveh-Hashem Loves Us! Again and Again
          • Terumah-The Impact of One Deed
          • Yisro - What A Priceless Treasure We Have!
          • Bo - Hashem Loves Me!
          • Va'eirah - Nothing Is Too Difficult For Hashem
          • Shemos - Small Thoughts - Huge Accomplishments
          • Vayigash - Torah Study - Key To Our Survival
          • Chanukah - Good vs. Evil - Then and Now
          • Vayishlach - Is it Helping or Hurting?
          • Toldos - The Source Of Our Strength
          • Vayeirah - The Time Is Now
          • Lech Lecha - Torah - A Beacon Of Truth When The World Has Lost It's Way
          • Noach - The Power of our Mitzvos - Israel
          • Bereishis - The Situation in Israel Light through the Darkness
          • Soldiers Eishes Chayil
          • Sukkos - Season of Joy-Season of Trust!
          • Shabbos Shuva - Yom Kippur The Keys To Growth - We Have Them!
          • Rosh Hashana - A Father's Love
          • Nitzavim- Vayeilech - A Small Step - An Enormous Accomplishment
          • Ki Savo - Say It To Feel It
          • Ki Seitzei - Together - With Sensitivity
          • Re'ei - Intellect or Emotion - Do I Need Both?
          • Eikev- Thinking Of Hashem At All Times? Is That Possible?
          • Devarim- When It's So Important We See It Differentlly
          • Pinchas - The Pendulum of our Emotions
          • Chukas - How Valuable is one mitzvah?
          • Beha'aloscha - Always With Gentleness
          • Shavuos - Pause To Change Our Lives
          • Bamidbar - Moving Forward With Joy!
          • Behar - Bechukosai I'm Great - And I Need To Know It!
          • Emor - It's In My Mind or It's Who I Am?
          • Tazria-Metzorah - Let's Be Uniters
          • Acharei Mos-Kedoshim - Kindness and Love - One Without The Other?
          • Shabbos Hagadol - Why So Many Rituals?
          • Vayakhel - Pekudei - But I have a good Reason!
          • Ki Sisa - Relationship With God - Look What I've Got!
          • Tetzaveh - Purim - Always With Gentleness
          • Mishpatim - Choosing Our Influencers
          • Beshalach - Mitzvos - Just How Priceless Are They?
          • Shemos - Mitzvos With Joy
          • Vayechi - Our Relationships with People - Our Relationship with G-D
          • Toldos - The Power Within Us
          • Chayei Sarah - Through Someone Else's Eyes
          • Vayeirah - Every Spiritual Success - A Priceless Treasure
          • Lech Lecha - Influenced By My Surroundings? Not Me!
          • Noach - The Two Deeds Look The Same, But Are They?
          • Sukkos - Key to Happiness
          • Vayeilech - Shabbos Shuva - One Small Step in Man's Eyes - One Giant Leap in Hashem's
          • Nitzavim - Rosh Hashana - My Relationship With Hashem
          • Shoftim - The Dignity of Every Human Being
          • Devarim-Tisha B'Av - Dignity - Key To Growth
          • Matos-Masei Past Misdeeds - A Source of Encouragement?
          • Pinchas - Seeing is Believing
          • Chukas - Torah-A Gift for All of Us
          • Korach- Strength of Unity
          • Shlach- The Power of Speech
          • Naso - The Path to Internal Peace
          • Shavuos - Our Purpose - The World's Purpose
          • Balak - The Greatness of Torah Study
          • Korach- Capacity for Growth
          • Beha'aloscha - Mitzvos - The Greatest Gift and Opportunity
          • Naso -New Stage - New Opportunities
          • Tzav / Pesach - From Generation to Generation
          • Chayei Sarah - Kindness and Respect
          • Yom Kippur - Take the First Step to Greatness
          • Naso - Every Mitzvah is a Big Mitzvah
          • Yisro - What A Priceless Treasure We Have!
          • Yisro - Finding Happiness with what we Have
          • Vayechi - Seeking Advice
          • Bereishis - Greatness of Humanity
          • Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement- A Time to Thank
          • Vayeilech - Shabbos Shuva - The Impact on Others
          • Ki Savo - The Future of Judaism
          • Ki Savo - My Idea or Yours?
          • Ki Savo - Every Day a New Opportunity
          • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Hashem is Always with Us
          • Tisha B'Av - A Day of Mourning, A Day of Hope
          • Matos-Masei- It's Not "Just Words"
          • Korach - The Power of Community
          • Bo - Appreciating Every Detail
          • Ki Seitzei - Working Together with Sensitivity
          • Pinchas - The Impact of an Experience
          • Tetzaveh - Purim - Seize the Moment
          • Torah Inspirations - Parshas B'Shalach
          • Nitzavim-Vayeilech - Change-We Could Do It
          • The Situation in Israel - How We Can Help
      • Text Library >
        • Snapshot >
          • Parshas Vayechi
          • Parshas Vayigash
          • Parshas Mikeitz
          • Parshas Vayeishev
          • Parshas Vayishlach
          • Parshas Vayeitzei
          • Parshas Toldos
          • Parshas Chayei Sarah
          • Parshas Vayeirah
          • Parshas Lech Lecha
          • Parshas Noach
          • Parshas Ha'azinu
          • Parshas Nitzavim-Vayelech
          • Parshas Vayeilech
          • Parshas Nitzavim
          • Parshas Ki Savo
          • Parshas Eikev
          • Parshas Va'Eschanan
          • Parshas Devarim
          • Parshas Matos-Masei
          • Parshas Pinchas
          • Parshas Balak
          • Parshas Chukas
          • Parshas Korach
          • Parshas Shlach
          • Beha'aloscha
          • Parshas Naso
          • Parshas Bamidbar
          • Parshas Behar
          • Parshas Behar - Bechukosai
          • Parshas Emor
          • Parshas Kedoshim
          • Parshas Acharei Mos
          • Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
          • Parshas Tazria-Metzorah
          • Parshas Shmini
          • Parshas Tzav
          • Parshas Vayikra
          • Parshas Pekudei
          • Parshas Vayakhel
          • Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei
          • Parshas Ki Sisa
          • Parshas Tetzaveh
          • Parshas Terumah
          • Parshas Mishpatim
          • Parshas Yisro
          • Parshas Beshalach
          • Parshas Bo
          • Parshas Va'eirah
          • Parshas Shemos
          • Beha'aloscha
          • Parshas Vayeitzei
          • Parshas Vayechi
        • A Closer Look >
          • Beha'aloscha
          • Parshas Ki Savo
          • Parshas Tazria-Metzora
          • Parshas Vayikra CL
          • Parshas Vayakhel CL
          • Parshas Noach CL
          • Parshas Ki Sisa CL
          • Parshas Pekudei CL
          • Parshas Tetzaveh
          • Parshas Terumah
          • Parshas Mishpatim CL
          • Parshas Beshalach CL
          • Parshas Yisro CL
          • Parshas Vayechi CL
          • Parshas Vayigash CL
          • Parshas Shemos CL
          • Parshas Vayeisheiv CL
          • Parshas Vayeitzei CL
          • Parshas Vayishlach CL
          • Parshas Chayei Sarah CL
          • Parshas Toldos CL
          • Parshas Vayeirah CL
          • Parshas Korach
          • Parshas Yisro
          • Parshas B'shalach
          • Sh'lach
          • Haazinu
          • Beha'aloscha
          • Parshas Vayakhel
          • Parshas Shemos
          • Parshas Vayechi
          • Parshas Vayigash
          • Parshas Vayaishev
          • Vayishlach
          • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
          • Parshas Emor
          • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
          • Parshas Shmini
          • Parshas Vayeitzei
          • Parshas Noach
          • Thoughts and Perspectives on the Coronavirus situation
        • Month of Elul
        • Rosh Hashana - One By One
        • Relationships Seminar
        • Thoughts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
        • Sukkos - Meanings, Observances and Traditions
        • Yom Kippur Overview
        • Chanukah - History, Meaning, and Observance >
          • Laws of Chanukah Candle Lighting
      • Seder Box Event
      • The Tenth of Teveth
      • Purim
      • Pesach - Passover
      • Shavuos
      • Three Weeks and Nine Days
      • Tisha B'Av
      • Trivia
    • Membership
    • Photo Gallery >
      • Challah Bake at the Library
      • Dinner 2019
      • Huntington Torah Retreat
    • L.I.T.N. Video
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Ask the Rabbi
  • Torah for Kids
    • Torah for Kids Application

Elul - a Month for Reconnecting

Picture


Elul, the last month of the year before Rosh HaShanah, is a time for introspection and self-improvement.

As recounted in the Torah, the first of Elul marks Moses' third and final ascent to Heaven, with each visit lasting forty days, as follows:

1) Ascends on 6 Sivan (the Holiday of Shavuot), following the Revelation at Sinai; returns on 17 Tammuz, sees the Golden Calf, and smashes the Tablets of the Law.
2) Ascends on 18 Tammuz; returns on 29 Av, with the news that G-d has agreed to forgive the Jews for the Golden Calf and give them a second chance.
3) Ascends on  1 Elul; returns on 10 Tishrei (Yom Kippur) with new Tablets of the Law and the joyous news of complete forgiveness and reconciliation. 

Elul continues to be a time for serious thought and reflection on the past year. If we have deviated from the proper path, what steps can we take to correct our course?

In the Ashkenazic tradition, starting from the first of Elul a Shofar is blown each day after morning services (this practice is a Minhag, or custom - not to be confused with the Biblical mitzvah of blowing Shofar on Rosh HaShanah itself.) In the Sephardic tradition, special additional prayers called Selichot are added to the morning service (the Ashkenazic tradition begins these prayers only towards the end of the month.)

The mood of Eluel is a combination of somber preparation for the upcoming Judgment on Rosh HaShanah, coupled with joy and hope in the knowledge that G-d himself reaches out to us at this time, urging us to take a small step towards Him - and He will reciprocate many times over. The letters of Elul can be read as an acronym for the Hebrew phrase, "l am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" - a quote from Song of Songs that captures the spirit of this season.

Related articles: Rosh Hashanah, One By One, Yom Kippur