Elul Study

On the 1st of Elul, Moses climbed Mount Sinai for a third forty-day stay--forty cosmic days which unleashed the power of teshuvah for all generations....

The peasant behind his plow 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...

Daniela (not her real name) was an old friend, a very old friend, and it pained me to hear that once again she was in trouble.

Sometimes G‑d finds us even when we’re not looking for Him.

What happens if you gain wisdom but refuse to grow up?

We are bound up with Torah in a reciprocal relationship. As Torah is the blueprint for the universe, the universe reflects all components of Torah. And as it is with the macrocosm, so it is with the microcosm, with man...

The festivals of the High Holiday season pluck every string of our being, from introspection to commitment to solemnity to joy. The key to these diverse experiences is the opening line of Psalm 27: “G‑d is my light.”

Only when we turn around do we realize the truth, the inner essence, and then we are “face to face”—which does not only mean that we can finally look at each other, but more so, that we can look in each other . . .

The collective vessel of the people of Israel is an organism unto itself, that has its own life path and journey from birth to maturity . . .

It’s all there: the underpinnings of creation, the saga of human struggle, and the ultimate triumph which arises from the imperfections and failings of man—all played out in a four-month period . . .

He giggles a bit at the foolishness of adults who waste their time asking such ridiculous questions, and calmly returns to his artwork.

In every relationship, there are times when the “male” or giving partner takes the initiative, and times when the “female” or receiving partner is the first to express her feelings.

Is it hypocritical to resolve to do a particular mitzvah when the person remains an altogether “unspiritual individual”? Would it be proper for me to commit to pray every day if I am not yet prepared to give up non-kosher foods?

The month prior to the High Holidays traditionally is a month of awe and of serious introspection. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi added a new dimension to this month.

There are "cities of refuge" in space, and there is a city of refuge in time...

The important thing for me was just to keep on moving, which I knew was great exercise, even with my sloppy strokes.

How does G-d prepare for His annual reelection? Does He just sit up there in His "palace" trusting in our good sense to proclaim Him king once again? Does He go after the vote, mingling with the masses, pressing the flesh, kissing babies?

It's the time of year that Jews bless each other with life and health, sustenance and happiness. How does the blessing thing work?

The first order of business for the month of reckoning is some soul-searching regarding our approach to our Jewish obligations. Do we run our spiritual business like an entrepreneur, or like a low-level, nine-to-five employee?

In Elul, teshuvah is no longer a matter of cataclysmic “moments of truth” or something to be extracted from the depths of the prayerbook. It is as plentiful and accessible as air...

Leather seats, user-friendly ticketing, signature blue chips and 16 channel satellite TV makes Jetblue. Before takeoff, their TV screens flash a “Thank you for flying with us. Without you, we’d just be flying a bunch of TV’s around the sky.”

Other religions are based on a philosophy; their codes of conduct a direct consequence of their belief system. Judaism, however, is based on a Torah which is principally a book of rules. Jewish philosophy developed afterwards, and is based on the interpretations of the laws

The King is in the field. Okay, we know that the King refers to G‑d. What about the rest? What is the field? What does it mean that G‑d is in the field? And what am I supposed to do about it, if anything?

I've been told that in the month of Elul, we are supposed to do a cheshbon hanefesh – "an accounting of the soul." Though I have a bachelor's degree in mathematics, I still can't figure this one out.

Reflecting on the past sometimes arouses feelings of guilt. Now guilt is a complex emotion. While it ignites a desire for change, it can also be a destructive force. Is there good and bad guilt?

We spend our days running around and juggling our responsibilities. How do we get from here to there? Can we turn on a dime -- shifting from the mundane to the [spiritually] monumental?

Imagine if you could turn your very worst liabilities into your most precious assets--using both cutting edge science and state-of-the-art religion, i.e., Judaism

If you heard a world-class violinist in the subway, would you stop to listen? If you met the Master of the Universe while tilling a field, would you go over and talk?

My Beloved might be rose-like and I, thorn-like, but like a rose among thorns, we belong together.

Football is all about preparation and the last thing you wanted was to feel your legs weighed down on game day as you ran out of the tunnel because you didn’t prepare your body properly.

As any relationship expert will tell you, while the “grand gesture” is certainly the first step to rectifying a relationship, it cannot end there.

Can I tempt you? Invest 3 minutes of your time for the next month or so. In return, you will find hope, faith and consolation.

You’re going to have to clue me in on this one, Rabbi.

Judaism is all about growth. When we slip up, we don’t just accept our imperfections and move on, we work to correct them.

The earliest mention of the custom seems to be the work Sefer Shem Tov Katan, published in 1706.

The month of Elul is the city of refuge, separating himself from his sinful ways, from his desires.