Elul is the twelfth and final month in the Hebrew calendar. It is the month that directly precedes Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which are days of judgment and attornment. As such, the month of Elul is a serious time of preparation. One month remains before the arrival of Rosh Hashana at which time every single member of mankind will stand in judgement and be evaluated. Based on calculations of vast importance, Hashem formulates decrees of every kind for the coming year. Each man’s destiny is decreed on this awe-inspiring and frightful day. Elul is the month to prepare.

Who will live through the year? Who will die? Who will remain healthy? Who will become ill? Who will find success? Who will become impoverished? Which countries will prosper? Which ones will be destroyed? Every event that transpired over the course of the year was decreed ahead of time on Rosh Hashana, and everything that will transpire in the coming year will have be decreed on the coming Rosh Hashana. As such, it behooves us to prepare ourselves properly for judgment day.

Elul can be understood to be an acronym for “Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li” – “I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me” (Shir Hashirim 6,3). This means that G-d is our most beloved and we are most beloved in G-d’s eyes. And because we are so beloved by Hashem, He urges us to be ready for judgment day. Showing up to court unprepared is a recipe for disaster. Smart people prepare ahead of time, and judgement day is no different. As such, Elul is a time for introspection and repentance, and for forging a closer connection with G-d.