Elul - Seek, Search and Draw Conclusions

To most people in the Northern Hemisphere, August is a fun month. Many take exciting vacations enjoying what the Summer has to offer. While August promises relaxation, careless leisure and adventures; for a very small segment of the population, the month promises something entirely different.

This year, August coincides with the Jewish month of Elul. Most of you, don't even know what Elul is. Elul is the 6th month of the Hebrew calendar. The name comes from the Babylonian Exile, has several meanings, one is Harvest (from Akkadian) and the other is Search (from Aramaic). In this case the Aramaic meaning hits the nail on its head. According to tradition, in this period, we all should search our souls, take inventory, seek ways to reconcile not only with others , but also with ourselves. For the religious among us, it is a recurring ritual (blowing the Shofar, reciting Psalms and say special prayers Slichot ) a yearly reminder about ourselves and our deeds of the past year.

But what about us, the less than or not religious at all? Shouldn't soul searching, seeking reconciliation be an ongoing event? Why do we need a designated month to take ownership over our actions? Should fear over punishment guide us, instead of reason? 

Too many questions and very few answers. In the meantime, I am making my own inventory, just in case.