Everyday Judaism: The Laws of the Month of Elul [Siman 128]

0:00You are listening to Rabbi Arya, will be of torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Living Jewishly Podcast. Alright everybody, welcome back, welcome back to everyday Judaism, previously known as the Living Jewishly Podcast. We're now in the month of Elul and we're going to talk about the laws of this month, the Days of Divine Favor. This is chapter 128 in the Shloharach and the 40 Days between Roshchodesh El, between the beginning of El and Yom Kippur are called Yameir Ratson Days of Divine Favor. Although throughout the year one can repent and do Tashuva, but since Moshe ascended the mountain and attained forgiveness for the sins of the Jewish people with the golden calf, these 40 Days have been sanctified for repentance. They're special days. Many have the custom to fast the day before Roshchodesh El and recite special prayers to inspire Tashuva already then.

1:02The Arizal brings that these days are favorable and our repentance is accepted for all sins intentional and unintentional. The following three acronyms, for Elul, allude to the three keys of forgiveness, Tashuva repentance, Tafila prayer and Sadaka charity which are mentioned in our the highlight of our prayer on Roshchodesh El Yom Kippur. Hashem, your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love Hashem, your God. And this is the acronym of Elul teaching us the principle of Tashuva, your hearts and the hearts of your offspring. I am for my beloved and my beloved is Bain, Aniludodhividodhili. He browses among the lilies. This is in Song of Songs, Chapter 6, Verse 3. This acronym for El teaches us about prayer. And then the in Esther, it says, the sending of the delicacies to one another and gifts

2:05to the poor is the acronym for El teaching charity. These three powers, Tashuva prayer, repentance, prayer and charity have the ability to change our judgment from no good to good to really good. So the more we immerse ourselves during these days in Tashuva repentance, having, we'll talk about the four steps of repentance, praying, talking to Hashem and giving charity, praying selfless, these three ingredients are key to our transformation and preparation for the high holidays. It is customary to blow the four sounds of the Shofar Takiya, Shavarim Taroa and Takiya, each day after the morning prayer to cause a trembling of fear for our sins and awaken and arouse the people to repent. We do not blow the Shofar the morning before Rosh Hashana to confuse the satan. Now we don't either blow it on Shabbos because the Shofar is mucked on Shabbos.

3:08It is also a popular custom to recite Psalm 27, twice daily after prayer services, Shakras and Minchha or according to Ashkenaz, its Shakras and Marith. In this chapter of Psalms, we recite Hashem is my light, my salvation and he will hide me in a shelter. These three are references. To Rosh Hashana, Yom Kipper and Sukot. Hashem is my light, Rosh Hashana, my salvation is Yom Kipper, hide me in a shelter, meaning protect me that's referring to Sukot. Many have the custom to recite Psalms throughout the month of Elul. Halakh number 10. It is proper from the beginning of Elul until Yom Kipper that whenever writing one another, we wish and greet them with a blessing of being inscribed and sealed in a book of good life. So we say, Kativa and Khatima Tova, you should be written and sealed for a good life and that's already a custom to do that from the beginning of Elul.

4:11Many have the custom to check their Tfilin and Misesus during this period of time. Additionally, any mitzvah that needs improvement should be rectified during this time. So if a person is weak in any particular area whether it be prayer, whether it be charity, whether it be preparing for a mitzvah, getting ready for Shabbos, you need help in that. This is the time to rectify it. During the seven weeks between the 9th of Av and Rosh Hashanah, we read seven half-tours of consolation. If Rosh Chaudhish, Elul coincides with one of these Shabbos Shabbos, then the half-tour is replaced the following week. From Sunday pre-seeding Rosh Hashanah, we begin to arise early and recites leechaus the prayers of supplications. If Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, then we begin leechaus on the Sunday the previous week. It is necessary to wash hands and recite the blessings over the Torah prior to saying leechaus. We know we wake up early in the morning and before the prayers, the morning prayer, we

5:15already recite these supplications. So what do we do prior to the leechaus, prior to the supplications? We wash our hands and we recite the prayer for the over the Torah. The Chazan who leads the leechaus should wrap himself in a talus prior to beginning ashray. If there is no talus available, we are still permitted to recite leechaus and the 13 attributes of divine mercy, even if the Chazan does not have a talus. In many places, the custom is that the Chazan for leechaus should also lead the Shakhras and Minchha prayer that day, as well as the mire of the night before. This Chazan takes precedence over the mourner and the Yard site. So if someone is mourn in mourning or someone has a Yard site, the Chazan for leechaus takes precedence over them. It is proper to stand throughout the rest of the recitation of leechaus, one who has difficulty standing the entire time should at least stand for the 13 attributes of divine mercy.

6:18The congregation should be careful to choose a Chazan who is worthy, who has great Torah knowledge and good deeds, over 30 years old married and with children, for then his prayers will be heartfelt. The same qualifications should be seeked out of the Shofar blower and the one who calls out the Shofar sequence. So those two honors should be also someone who is God-fearing, someone who has Torah knowledge, someone who has good deeds, someone who is married, someone over the age of 30, someone has children, etc. The most important attribute for all of these is someone who is accepted and beloved by the congregation, not someone who is in a quarrel with others or someone dishonest. A mourner who is within the 12 month mourning period should not be the Chazan leading Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur services or blow the Shofar. If there is no one else or if this individual is the regular Chazan, then it is permissible. A mourner is allowed to lead the slichaus except if they are in the Shival Week when it really

7:24isn't appropriate to even leave their homes for slichaus. The only exception is for the mourning before Hashanah. When we have longer and more serious supplications, so that mourning even someone who is in the Shival Week can leave their home and go to pray in Senegal. The 13 attributes of Divine Mercy and their accompanying passages should only be recited with dominion. Those leading services or blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur should refrain and distance themselves from anything that can bring about spiritual impurity. They should learn the meaning of their prayers and the laws of the Shofar bless. Additionally, they should learn muster teachings as they arouse the heart to fear Hashan. 29. It is proper that the person blowing the Shofar be a God-fearing Jew in someone who is knowledgeable in Torah and the various laws of Shofar. Many have the custom to fast during the ten days of repentance, however, since four

8:27of the ten days are already taken, there are already holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Shabbos and Araviyam Kippur, where Yonalat-af-Fast read the day before Yom Kippur. They usually precede Rosh Hashanah with four days of fasting. Many have the custom to visit the graves of the righteous for special prayers after the mourning services on Arav Rosh Hashanah and to give charity to the poor and recite many supplications to arouse the Holy righteous ones who are interred there to advocate on our behalf for our good judgment, as their prayers are more readily accepted and hopefully God will bestow His kindness upon us in their merit. However, one should never direct their prayers towards the deceased, even if they are righteous because this is prohibited by the Torah, but rather one should seek mercy in the merit of the deceased. We don't pray to the deceased, we try to seek mercy from heaven in the merit of the deceased.

9:27It is proper upon arriving at a cemetery when one has not been there for more than 30 days to recite a special blessing who fashioned you with justice so you can see Simeon 60 Allah-Hallah 11 which details this blessing. Upon approaching a grave one should say, may it be your will Hashem that so-and-so the person buried here who is buried here should rest in dignity and may His merit stand for me. When placing one's hand on the grave the left hand should be placed on the grave stone and not the right hand. One should not visit the same grave twice in one day, nor should one read the protruding writings on the grave stone which is why they're engraved, they're embossed in it and not out of it because if it's protruding it's not a good omen. There is a positive mystical omen to recite the prayer of Ahavir Abba from the morning services until Uliya Khedh-habiyahwa and to unite with you with love.

10:34Number 37. Many have the custom to fast an hour of Shashana until after Munchah, when it is appropriate to taste food so that we do not enter into Yomta of Inhunger. It is proper to learn Torah, do Mitzvahs and repent on Aero-Vashashana. Number 39. Certainly, for sins involving our fellow men one should not wait until Yomkippah to address these sins, but it's proper to seek forgiveness prior to Yomkippah already and even perhaps before Shashana. It is proper to wash clothes and take haircuts on Aero-Vashashana in honor of Yomta of and is best to do so before mid-day. We immerse in the mikvah prior to Shashana and we are our special Shabas clothes for the holiday to demonstrate that we are confident in Hashem's kindness and that we will be judged favorably. And finally, it is customary to perform the ennullment of vows on Aero-Vashashana. This is done in front of three adults who nullify our vows.

11:34The request for nullification should be recited in any language that a person understands. And my dear friends, this concludes this episode of Every Day Judaism, The Laws of the