‘Repent (introspection) and you will find His divine grace and mercy’
Elul is the 6th month of the Hebrew year.
Month: Corresponds August or September on the Gregorian calendar.
Repent and Return
The two months prior to Elul – ‘Tammuz’ and ‘Av’ confronts our inner beings, and leaves us with a lot to think about. About how easily we get sidetracked by what we see (Tammuz) and hear (Av), knowing all to well that we need only keep our eyes and ears on YHVH’s promises. But here in the month of Elul, we can once again seek and find the presence ofYHVH. We need to turn back (repent) from all the worldly things (what we saw and heard) that distracted us (in Tammuz and Av) from His will. May you be filled with new hope and repentance from within – The king is in the field –go speak to Him – face to face, no more hearing and seeing what others say or show you about Him .
Return – start to once again communicate with Your Maker!
During the month of Elul we “search” our hearts for evil and repent in preparation for Rosh Hashanah (month 7 Tishri) –longing to receive mercy and grace in Tishri (time of Judgment).
The Name “Elul”
The name ‘Elul’ – a name is not a mere way of referring to something, but actually represents its soul (character). Every parent needs to pray for divine inspiration when he or she names a child. It is the name that represents the deepest aspects of this person. To uncover the essential meaning of a Hebrew word, we need to analyze the letters that comprise it, their numerical value, their form and their meaning. From this it is derived that the word “Elul” means “search” or“inspect”, alluding to the nature of our task during this month.
Another interpretation of Elul is, “repentance” (to turn around). The month when the bride (church) prepares herself for her bridegroom(Messiah).This month is the month of “returning”. Returning back to YHVH, also called the month of Teshuva in Hebrew. In this month we once again seek YHVH with all our hearts, because this is also the same month when YHVH releases the atmosphere of intimacy and spiritual desire to connect to Him (as in Hosea 2:14-15 & Jeremiah2:2)
The Brief History of Elul
Old Testament: (40 Days): The origins of Elul as a month of special repentance, divine grace and mercy go back to the time of Moses, in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE)–the first year after the Jewish people went out of Egypt.
Seven weeks after the exodus, the people of Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai and entered into an eternal covenant with YHVH as His chosen people. But just 40 days later, while Moses was still up on the mountain, they violated their special relationship with YHVH by worshipping a golden calf. Upon descending from the mountain and witnessing their transgression, Moses smashed the two stone tablets on which YHVH had inscribed the Ten Commandments; he then returned to Mount Sinai for a second 40 days to plead with YHVH on Israel’s behalf.
On the early morning of the 1st of Elul, Moses once again ascended Mount Sinai, taking with him the stone tablets, for YHVH to re-inscribe the Ten Commandments. On the mountain, YHVH allowed Moses to “see My back, but not My face” (which interprets as a perception of His essence) — the closest any human being ever came to knowing God YHVH — and taught him the secret of His “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” (Exodus 33:18-34:8).
For the third time, Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days, from the 1st of Elul until the 10th of Tishri (Yom Kippur), during which time he obtained YHVH’s whole-hearted forgiveness and reconciliation for the people of Israel. Ever since, the month of Elul serves as the “month of introspection, repentance, divine mercy and forgiveness.”
Only repentance and introspection finds favour and mercy
- Ex 32:10 – And now, let Me alone, that My wrath might burn against them and I consume them and I make of you a great nation. 11 But Mosheh pleaded with YHVH’ his Elohim, and said, “YHVH, why does Your wrath burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with a strong hand? 12“Why should the Mitsrayim speak, and say, ‘For evil He brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from the heat of Your wrath, and relent from this evil to Your people. 13 “Remember Abraham, Yitshaq, and Yisrael,Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I increase your seed, and they shall inherit it forever’”14 And YHVH relented from the evil which He said He would do to His people.
- Ex 34: 6 – 7 – And YHVH passed before him and proclaimed, “YHVH,YHVH, and El compassionate and showing favour, patient, and great inloving-commitment and truth, watching over loving-commitment for thousands, forgiving crookedness and transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished, visiting the crookedness of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and thef ourth generation.”
- New Testament: In this 6th month of Elul the scripture says that; Yahushua our Messiah was led by the Ruach Spirit (Luke 4:4-2); notice the word led, in other words He did not lead Himself, but He was led (drawn by a strong inward desire of intimacy, that cannot be fulfilled by anything else but YHVH’s presence), into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days, why 40 days? Because it’s 40 days from the 1st day of the month of Elul to the 10th of the 7th month called Tishri, it took 40 years from the time YHVH brought out Israel from Egypt to the time they were spiritually ready to posses their spiritual inheritance (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).
(Matthew 4:1-2) says that Yahushua, fasted and sought YHVH for 40 days in the sixth month of Elul according to the Hebrew calendar. After these 40days Yahushua comes from the mountain full of the Spirit, casting out demons, raising the dead, provoking religious leaders to jealousy, declaring and commanding the people to repent from their wicked ways because the kingdom of YHVH has come (Luke 4:1-37)
Elul is also the month that prepares us for that great day of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the day when Yah makes decisions and also becomes the Judge of all living beings on the earth, as we seek Him in (the month of Elul):
- In prayer,
- charity, (favour of Gad)
- intercession – the above two is increased ahavat (love for a fellow believer), in the quest for self improvement and coming closer to YHVH
- and studying of His word, and also fasting (any time through these 40 days), this increases our expectations and desire to meet with our Judge, Father and King on that day (Yom Kippur) when He gives us a new beginning for a new year. We seek Him for 40 days, starting on the 1st of Elul and ends on the 10th of Tishri in the 7th month, which is Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement.
In this month YHVH begins to prepare, and to call out for separation of those people that are really hungry for His presence.
The Mazal: Virgo
The symbolic meaning: Israel can be compared to a virgin, presumably because of its purity.
But we can go further and say that the symbol of the virgin fits this month, being the month in which Yah’s people strive to wipe their minds clean from the images that have infiltrated their brain in the past year, so that they may rediscover the innocence they knew.
Elul is a busy month of preparing to be reborn and reunite the vision ofy our mind with Yah’s image of His will for your life, Keeping yourself pure and clean for the sake of pleasing your bridegroom (HaMessiah)
The Tribe: Gad
- The 6th month called Elul on the Hebrew calendar,
Yah’s calendar stands for Gad who was the seventh
son of Jacob born by Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah
(Genesis 30:9-11).
- According to the Hebrew alphabet letter Gad represents the Hebrew letter called Vav, which means; hook. Gad also means “camp,” as in the verse (the blessing of our father Jacob to his son Gad): “Gad shall organize [lit. camp] camps [army camps], and he shall return with all his camps” (Genesis 49:19). The special talent of Gad is to organize a“company.”
- The name Gad means as well “good fortune.” It is truly the “good fortune” of Israel to beYHVH’s beloved bride, and this “good fortune” reveals itself through the means of our good deeds, especially those which are intended to rectify our blemishes and beautify ourselves, as a bride for her groom.
- The “good fortune” of Gad relates to the thirteen principles of mercy that are revealed in the month of Elul, in order to arouse the soul from its root (its “good fortune”) to return to YHVH.
- Gad = 7. Gad was the 7th son to be born to Jacob. Mazal, the more common word for “good fortune” = 77. The middle letter of mazal is zayin = 7. When the two letters gimmel dalet that form the name Gad (= 7) are substituted for the zayin (= 7) of mazal, the word migdal, “tower,”is formed. The verse states: “A tower [migdal = 77] of might [oz = 77] is the Name of YHVH, into it shall run the tzadik and become exalted.” The “tower” represents the bride, the betulah of Elul. The tzadik, the groom, runs, with all of his might, to enter the “tower of might.” (YHVH is my strong tower).
- In (Deuteronomy 33:20-21) Moses blesses Gad being the 6th month on the Hebrew calendar, and this is the prophetic blessing that YHVH gave to this month through Moses.
- (Deuteronomy 33:20) And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, and tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21 He provided the first part for himself, because a law giver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of YHVH, And His judgments with Israel.”
The Secret of Elul: Love & Mercy
It is the most powerful of human emotions. We all crave it. We cannot live without it. And yet it is so overwhelming, so all-encompassing, that there is no way to measure it, prove it, define it, or even describe it. When we speak of the intellect, it is represented by the mind. And when we speak of the emotions, specifically of love and mercy, they are represented by the heart.
Elul, is the key to unlocking the inner and most potent meaning of the heart. As is well known, the Hebrew letters that make the word “Elul,” aleph, lamed, vav and lamed, are an acronym for the phrase (from the biblical Song of Songs) ani l’dodi v’dodi li,which means “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.”
Back to Back – Face to Face
- The Zohar explains that at the beginning of Elul we are achor el achor, meaning “back to back,” and by the end of Elul we are panim el panim, “face to face.” Rabbi SchneurZalman of Liadi teaches us—“the King is in the field”
- Is it not the month when YHVH is more accessible than ever, when He is waiting for us to greet Him, when He is there for us in the “field” of our everyday lives
- The fact that we are described as “back to back” and then “face to face” is an incredible lesson. Often, when we feel angry, hurt, abandoned, whatever the root of our pain maybe, we turn our back. When our back is turned, we have no idea of the state of the other. And it is often easier to believe that we are not the only one with a turned back. It is easier to think the other also turned around, that the other isn’t facing us at all, because if that is the case, then even if we turn around it won’t help, so why bother. Why make that first move only to turn around and see the back of the other.
But this rationalization is the cause of many unsettled arguments, hurt feelings, and broken relationships. How classic is the scene, played out endlessly in movies, of the couple who walk away from one another. At some point the man turns around, wanting to call her name, ask for another chance, beg for forgiveness. He is about to speak, but realizes thather back is turned. She is walking away. He tells himself that it is too late, she just doesn’t care. So he turns back around. Seconds later, she turns to look at him. She doesn’t want this to end. She wants to say something, but can’t garner the courage, doesn’t have the strength. And why, why should she, when his back is turned?
- The month of Elul teaches us the necessity of being willing to turn around
She looks at him longingly, but it just doesn’t matter—she assumes he couldn’t care less as he continues to walk away from her. And we, the viewers, sit on the edge of our seats, hoping that maybe they will both turn around at the same second, that they will finally realize that the other does care, that even though they appear to be back to back, they really want to be face to face. Sometimes that fairytale ending does happen; other times they simply continue to walk in opposite directions, right out of each other’s lives.
Lamed
- As we said above, the word “Elul” is comprised of an
aleph, followed by a lamed, followed by a vav, followed by the final letter, another lamed. The first letter in “Elul” is also the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The letter aleph is numerically equivalent to one, which represents the idea of YHVH’s total unity.
- It is the 12th letter of the hebrew alphabet (only one assending)
- Meaning staff (authority/Moshes) meaning ‘to learn’– train for; betrained; teach; instruct; impart knowledge; disciple a follower.
- The law kills – kills sin – in order for us to learn to walk in the Spirit(to be led by the Spirit/heart and not the mind/knowledge)
- In Hebrew, the word for heart is lev, which is also starting/spelled lamed-beit.
Only those who live by the heart (personal relationship with YHVH)will be able to ascend and be born again.
The lamed means two things simultaneously. It means both “to learn” and “to teach,” which shows us that the two are intertwined and both are essential. In a relationship, I must be willing to learn from the other, there by making myself a receiver. Yet the other person also must be able to learn from me, which then makes me the teacher, the giver.
Furthermore, the image of the lamed can be broken down into three other letters. The top part of the letter is that of a yud, the smallest of the Hebrew letters, and the letter that represents the head. The head contains the mind, the intellect, and also the face.
The next letter in “Elul” is a vav. In Hebrew, the vav serves as a conjuctive “and.” As a word, vav means “hook,” and in its form it looks like a hook. So in this case the vav is the hook which is connecting the yud, the mind, with the bottom letter, the chaf, which represents the body. Physically speaking, it symbolizes the neck, which transports the flow of blood from the brain to the heart.
Origin of the Heart
- A professor of psychology who studied the symbolism, origin and history of Valentine’s Day said the traditional double-lobed heart symbol on candy and cards is inspired by the shape of female buttocks as they appear from behind, according to Discovery News.
- The “essential literary and speculative evidence from mythology and secondary sources” leads to the theory, Prof. Galdino Pranzarone of Roanoke College in Salem, Va., told Discovery News.
- The fact that the symbol doesn’t resemble the human heart organ is one fairly glaring piece of evidence, he said.
- “The twin lobes of the stylized version correspond roughly to the paired auricles and ventricles [chambers] of the anatomical heart,” Pranzarone told Discovery News, adding that the organ “is never bright red in color” and the “shape does not have the invagination at the top nor the sharp point at the base.”
- The ancient Romans and Greeks may have started the link between the heart symbol and female anatomy, Pranzarone said. The Greeks associated beauty with the female behind’s curves, he said. “The Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, was beautiful all over, but was unique in that her buttocks were especially beautiful,” he told Discovery News. “Her shapely rounded hemispheres were so appreciated by the Greeks that they built a special temple Aphrodite Kallipygos, which literally meant, ‘Goddess with the Beautiful Buttocks.’ This was probably the only religious building in the world that was dedicated to buttock worship.“
- What the traditional “heart shape” actually depicts is a matter of some controversy. It only vaguely resembles the human heart. The seed of the silphium plant, used in ancient times as an herbal contraceptive, has been suggested as the source of the heart symbol. The heart symbol could also be considered to depict features of the human female body, such as the female’s buttocks, pubic mound, or spread vulva. The tantric symbol of the “Yoni” is another example of a heart-shaped abstraction of a woman’s vulva.
Certainly the connection between silphium and sex is apparent, though it’s not exactly a complimentary connection. However, a number of contemporary writings, namely Pausanias’ Description of Greece and a love poem from Catullus to his wife Lesbia(Catullus 7) draw a deliberate and unmistakable correlation between laserpicium and romance. It may bethat the medicinal properties of the plant were regarded as a means to treat madness or love-sickness.
A different symbolic interpretation of: The King in the Field
- There is a profit in the land over all else, for the king is sustained by the field (Ecclesiastes 5:8)
In the latter respect, the month of Elul resembles the “holy” portions of the calendar. Elul is a haven in time, a “city of refuge” from the ravages of material life; a time to audit one’s spiritual accounts and assess the year gone by; a time to prepare for the “Days of Awe” of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by repenting the failings of the past and resolving for the future; a time to increase in Torah study, prayer and charitable activities. Elul is the opportune time for all this because it is a month in which YHVH relates to us in a more open and compassionate manner than He does in the other months of the year. It is a time when Yah’s “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” illuminate His relationship with us.
Yet unlike Shabbat and the festivals, the days of Elul are workdays. On Shabbat, the Torah commands us to cease all physically constructive work (melachah). The festivals, too, are days on which melachah is forbidden. Regarding the month of Elul, however, there are no such restrictions. The transcendent activities of Elul are conducted amidst our workday lives in the field, shop or office.
The Position of the King
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi explains the paradox of Elul with the following metaphor: Theking’s usual place is in the capital city, in the royal palace. Anyone wishing to approach the king must go through the appropriate channels in the palace bureaucracy and gain the approval of a succession of secretaries and ministers. He must journey to the capital and pass through the many gates, corridors and antechambers that lead to the throne room. His presentation must be meticulously prepared, and he must adhere to an exacting code of dress, speech and mannerism upon entering into the royal presence.
However, there are times when the king comes out to the fields outside the city. At such times, anyone can approach him; the king receives them all with a smiling face and a radiant countenance. The peasant behind his plough has access to the king in a manner unavailable to the highest ranking minister in the royal court when the king is in the palace.
The month of Elul, is when the king is in the field
May we turn and meet Him!
Who wil intervene for you and for whom do you intervene?
The Thirteen Atributes of Mercy
Who Knows 13?
- Let us now explore the power and significance of the number 13.
- Any person can show mercy to another, yet there are always restraints and calculations as to how much mercy will be shown. For example, most people walking past a beggar on the street will have a sense of rachmanut(mercy) for the unfortunate person. However, before someone reaches into a pocket to give, he or she will think about the children’s tuition, the mortgage, medical bills, etc. And so, only a small sum will be given to the beggar.
- The number 13 signifies the infinite. The number 12 signifies constraint and order: e.g., the 12 zodiac signs and the 12 months in a year. Above order and control, 13 connotes boundlessness and immeasurability. The fact that there are 13 Attributes of Mercy teaches us that when YHVH shows mercy, He does so without limit. No matter how low we fall, He will come to our aid and forgive us.
- This is further demonstrated in the word echad (one), which has the numerical value of 13 (ד=4 / ח=8 / א=1). This signifies YHVH’s oneness in the world, how He is beyond any measure and limitation.
| Rachum — merciful, that humankind may not be distressed; | Compassion before a person sins | Who is a G‑d like you (in compassion) |
|---|---|---|
| ve’chanun — and gracious if humankind is already in distress; | compassion after a person has sinned; | who bears iniquity; |
| אַפַּיִם erech apayim — slow to anger; (once, to the righteous) | mighty in compassion, to give all creatures according to their need; | and overlooks sin; |
| erech apayim — slow to anger; (repeated again for the wicked) | merciful, that humankind may not be distressed; | For the remnant of his heritage; |
| ve’rav chesed — and plenteous in kindness; | and gracious if humankind is already in distress; | He does not retain his anger forever; |
| ve’emet — and truth; | slow to anger; | for He desires kindness; |
| notzer chesed — everlasting keeping kindness | and plenteous in kindness; | He shall again have mercy on us; |
| laalafim — unto thousands | and truth; | and suppresses our iniquities; |
| עָוֹן noseh avon — forgiving iniquity; | keeping kindness unto thousands; | casts our sins into the depths of the sea; |
| וָפֶשַׁע vafeshah — and transgression; | forgiving iniquity; | You grant truth to Jacob; |
| vechata’ah — and sin; | and transgression; | kindness to Abraham; |
| קֵּה venakeh — and pardoning. | and sin; | which You previously swore to our forefathers; |
| א-ל G‑d — mighty in compassion to give all creatures according to their need; | and pardoning. | from the earliest days. |
Conclusion
If you were born in the month of Elul, you need to realize that you have received a message/blessing from YHVH to give to the nations. Remind the people that YHVH blessed them with the ability to tap into the anointing of the month of Elul, to recognize and reveal their ability to both learn and teach, and through that, to come face to face with themselves, with their loved ones and with their Creator, as they are taught through this month’s secret anointing.
May YHVH bless you and guard you
May YHVH shine His countenance towards you and be gracious to you
May YHVH lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace