Elul Reflections
Rachael Posted:
It is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month before Rosh Hashannah on the Jewish calendar. Usually we hear about retrospective analysis that Elul invites – prep for High Holidays. What choices were good ones and what choices were not so good…who do we owe an apology to and for what specifically…what lead us to an inappropriate behaviour and how could I avoid it in the future?
…and we thought it was about dressing nicely and having a great feast!
And while all of the hard work I just described definitely forms part of Elul, so does a lovely subtle detail connected with the month. The letters themselves, aleph, lamed, vav, lamed, are seen as an acronym for the Hebrew verse: Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li which means ‘I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me.’ It is from the Song of Songs and is usually used connected with Jewish wedding ceremonies or invitations.
So what does this have to do with Elul? Here’s the beautiful subtle part. My relationship with God is parallel to my most intimate relationship with my Beloved. Just as I will take the good with the bad with someone I love, just as I have moments where I can’t wait to see this person and moments when I need a break, just as I know I can always depend on them – they have my back – and they know I would move heaven and earth for them, all of these things and more describe my intimate relationship with God. Before I am overwhelmed with the power of the High Holidays, Elul reminds me to first ground myself in the love and passion and trust I have used as the foundation for my relationship with God. Personally, I worry about Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur - but I love Elul.
Elul – Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li – where honest reflection begins.
Tags: Elul, High holidays, Rosh Chodesh
