As we approach the Yom Tovim of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we begin to prepare our homes for the High Holidays. We begin to prepare the menus for the holidays, break fast and order our lulavim and etrogim. We call this the “High Holiday Season”. The “Season” actually begins with Rosh Chodesh Elul. While the things I just mentioned are preparations for the physical, our list of who to invite and who not to invite, is very different from the image of G-d sitting before a large open book. On Rosh Chodesh Elul it is time to prepare for the spiritual as well.

      We begin the month by blowing shofar at the conclusion of the morning prayer service. The sound of the shofar is supposed to be a wake up call for the Jewish People. At this time of year we are asked to take stock of ourselves and the year that has just past. It is a wake up call for us to recommit ourselves to the important things in life such as family and home; to recommit ourselves and our efforts to synagogue and community. Finally to recommit ourselves to ourselves, check our values, remember the resolutions we made to better ourselves as the ark closed last Ne’eilah service. Resolutions are usually associated with the secular New Year. Something else that the Jews were first at. Maimonides teaches us that in order to better ourselves and the world we have to give up our old habits and completely turn ourselves around. This is the opportunity that the month of Elul gives us; the time to be introspective and prepared for the holidays and the year to come.