Rosh Chodesh Elul

I am my beloved’s
And my beloved is mine;
He browses among the lilies.

Hew these two tablets of stone (Exod. 34:1). When did Moses descend from the mountain? R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Moses remained on the mountain with the Holy One, blessed be He, for one hundred and twenty days. How did he arrive at this conclusion? From the verse In the third month after the children of Israel were gone out of the land of Egypt (Exod. 19:1). On the sixth day of that month He gave him the Ten Commandments, as it is written concerning him: And Moses went up into the mountain of God (ibid. 24:13). He remained there for forty days, that is, the twenty-four days of the month of Sivan and the sixteen days of the month of Tammuz—totaling forty days in all. He descended from the mountain on the seventeenth day of Tammuz, and on the eighteenth day and nineteenth day he saw the calf, broke the tablets, and halted their revelry. On the twentieth day he turned and ascended once again, as is said: And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses said unto the people: “Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto the Lord” (ibid. 32:30). And it is written: And Moses returned unto the Lord and said: “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin” (ibid, v. 31). He remained there the ten days of the month of Tammuz and the entire month of Av, totaling another forty days. He went up on the first day of the month of Elul when He told him: Hew thee these two tablets … and be ready by the morning (ibid. 34:1–2). And he hewed … and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai (ibid., v. 4). He stayed there throughout the month of Elul and until the tenth day of Tishri (another ten days). On the tenth day of Tishri he descended while the Israelites were praying and fasting. On that day He said to him: I have pardoned according to thy word (Num. 14:20). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, established that day as the day of forgiveness and pardon for the future generations (Yom Kippur), as it is said: For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you (Lev. 16:30). Thereupon He commanded Moses: Let them make Me a Sanctuary (Exod. 25:8).

The Sages ordained the blowing the shofar [after morning prayers] from the first of the month [of Elul], as was the case in the desert. That is, if the leaders of the generation seclude themselves from the first of Elul in order to improve (m’shaper) their deeds, like Moses in the desert, then they will ascend and join with the people of their generation. But if not – if they are in the exile of the evil inclination – then, the nation must work for itself. The High Holiday cantors are the generals of the army, and they should wear armor. If not, however, they cannot be relied upon, and each person must fend for himself.
Tzafnah Paneach, p. 25d

Now let us return and see what would be the first cause to have a person be aroused to examine his actions and meditate introspectively during the month of Elul (this matter is relevant to the whole year, in that it touches upon His service, may His name be blessed) - is it not the case that he has no natural desire for this, as [he does] with earthly matters? Our early rabbis - Eden is their rest - trembled about this thing. They relied upon the Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer and instituted the blowing of the shofar in Elul; and it became the first cause for someone to be aroused from his sleep and from the vanities of his slumbers to examine his actions. It is like the statement of the verse (Amos 3:6), "When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town, do the people not tremble?"

And we are accustomed to blow the shofar in all the places of Israel on the first day of Elul. And this custom is supported in the Midrash. And likewise is it written in several Aggadot: On the first day of Elul, Moshe ascended the mountain to receive the second tablets, so they blew the shofar in the whole camp - behold Moshe ascended the mountain - so that they should not err in idolatry anymore. And the Holy One, blessed be He, ascended with this blow and with that shofar, as it is stated (Psalms 47:6), God arose with the teruah; the Lord with the sound of the shofar." So our Sages, may their memory be blessed, accordingly established that they should blow the shofar on the first day of Elul every year. And we are accustomed to say, Avinu Malkenu (our Father, our King) after the morning service and the afternoon service, even on Shabbat.

(1) Of David.

The LORD is my light and my help;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life,
whom should I dread? (2) When evil men assail me
aOr “to slander me”; cf. Dan. 3.8; 6.25.to devour my flesh-a—
it is they, my foes and my enemies,
who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me,
my heart would have no fear;
should war beset me,
still would I be confident.
(4) One thing I ask of the LORD,
only that do I seek:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD,
bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.to frequent-b His temple. (5) He will shelter me in His pavilion
on an evil day,
grant me the protection of His tent,
raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head high
over my enemies round about;
I sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy,
singing and chanting a hymn to the LORD.
(7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
have mercy on me, answer me. (8) bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.In Your behalf-b my heart says:
“Seek My face!”
O LORD, I seek Your face. (9) Do not hide Your face from me;
do not thrust aside Your servant in anger;
You have ever been my help.
Do not forsake me, do not abandon me,
O God, my deliverer. (10) Though my father and mother abandon me,
the LORD will take me in. (11) Show me Your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my watchful foes. (12) Do not subject me to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses and unjust accusers
have appeared against me. (13) Had I not the assurance
that I would enjoy the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living…
(14) Look to the LORD;
be strong and of good courage!
O look to the LORD!

Yours is the power to forgive
so that You may be held in awe.