Meaningful Life Center

(Each of the 60 Days comes with a calendar, inspirational quote, facts and historical events, laws and customs, a relevant insight and a daily exercise)

Moses’ Elul journey actually begins seven generations earlier, with Abraham’s journey.

In the Book of Genesis (12:1), G-d speaks to Abraham and says: “Go from your land, your birthplace, the home of your parents, to the land that I will show you.”

This is very strange because when you tell someone to travel, you specify the destination in detail, but you don’t describe over and over again the point of departure. After all, the person knows where he/she is leaving from.

But here G-d tells Abraham to leave his land, his birthplace, and the home of his parents—three descriptions of his present location—and then, when it comes to the destination, He only tells him to go “to a land,” without naming it or even hinting at where it is.

Chassidic thought, which gives voice to the inner dimension of the Torah, explains that in truth this verse is really a commandment issued by G-d to each of us: “Go on a journey of self-discovery. Leave behind anything that might hold you back. And then I will show you the landscape of your Divine soul – the true you.”

Many people get inspired and motivated to go on such a journey; they actually pack their bags—literally or metaphorically—and set out on their way. But after a while, they end up coming right back where they started, repeating the same old patterns.

Good intentions are pure and real. When you decide to leave, you really want to get someplace. But you have so many things weighing you down, so many “golden idols.” So the key to meaningful change is not so much knowing how to get to a new place, it’s knowing how to unload the past, so that it shouldn’t shape your future and bring you back to your old patterns.

Ask yourself: In what areas of your life are you repeating old patterns? In what ways are they damaging to you?

Exercise for the day:
~ Identify and describe one damaging pattern that you want to break in the coming year.
~ List one thing you must do in order to break that pattern.

Quote:
“In the shtetl of Lubavitch, on the Shabbat preceding the month of Elul, though summer still lingered and the day was bright and sunny, there was a change in the air; one already smelled the Elul-scent, a teshuvah-wind was blowing” -- Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak [1]

Events:
2448 (1313 BCE) - Moses ascends Mt. Sinai for the third time to pray and beseech G-d to forgive the people;[2] He will remain there for 40 days, descending on Yom Kippur, when he finally succeeds in his mission. The shofar was sounded when Moses ascended on Rosh Chodosh Elul and every day afterwards. This is why we sound the shofar every day of Elul.[3] We recreate these 40 days beginning from the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul.[4] These 40 are hinted to in the 4 yud’s (4x10) at the end of the words ‘ani l’dodi v’dodi li.[5]

Every day of Elul the shofar is sounded as a wake-up call, reminding us that these are special days of compassion, open to receive all our prayers and teshuvah, as did Moses on Mt. Sinai. The shofar also elicits awe, like thunder before the rain, and prepares us for Rosh Hashana.[6]
We recite three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul[7] until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). This is a custom instituted by the Baal Shem Tov.
In the Sephardic tradition, Selichot (special prayers for forgiveness) are said beginning from the first day of Elul, through Yom Kippur. In the Ashkenazic tradition they begin in the week before Rosh Hashana. (See Elul 21.)

Today is Rosh Hashana of Maaser Beheima, tithing of the livestock (Rosh Hashana 2a).[8]

From Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur it is customary, when corresponding, to wish one another a Kesiva veChasima tova, a happy and healthy new year.[9]

[2]There are two opinions as to when Moses actually ascended Sinai for the third time: 1) Av 30, the 1st day of Rosh Chodosh Elul, 2) Elul 1, the 2^nd day of Rosh Chodosh (see sources in next note. For a discussion on this, see Mogen Avraham 581:2. For a lengthy discussion on this, see the kuntres achron in the addition to Shulchan Aruch HaRav from Divrei Nechemia, sec. 581. Mateh Efraim, Elef L’Mateh 581. Devar Yom B’Yomo Av 28.

[3] Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer ch. 46 (see Radal ad loc). Tur and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 581 (see Beit Yosef and Perisha ad loc).

[4]See Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, Yichud 16; Pri Etz Chaim, beginning of Shaar Rosh Hashana - where Rabbi Chaim Vital writes that in the year 5331 (1571) his master, the Holy Ari, instructed him to fast for two days after Rosh Chodesh Elul, and gave him elaborate guidelines as how to conduct himself during the month of Elul, when the doors of compassion are open and we recreate what Moses achieved on Sinai, including his fasting for all the days he was on the mountain.

[7]In our set calendar (established by Hillel), Elul 1 can fall either on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Friday. This corresponds to Rosh Hashana (29 days later) which can only fall on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Shabbat, never on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday (Lo adu rosh). The average breakdown of these possibilities: 32% of the time Elul 1 falls on Wednesday (and Rosh Hashana on Thursday). 29% Friday. 27% Sunday. 12% Monday.

[9]Mateh Efraim 581:9. This is alluded to in the verse (Exodus 18:7) “Vi’shaalu ish l’rayayhu l’shalom,” acronym Elul (Likkutei MaHarich).