Elul facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elul
The shofar is blown every morning from the first day of Elul until Rosh Hashanah (except on Shabbat).
Native name	אֱלוּל‎  (Hebrew)
Calendar	Hebrew calendar
Month number	6
Number of days	29
Season	Summer (Northern Hemisphere)
Gregorian equivalent	August–September
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Elul is the twelfth month in the Jewish civil year and the sixth month in the Jewish religious year. It is part of the Hebrew calendar and has 29 days. Elul usually happens in August or September on the regular Gregorian calendar we use today.

What Does "Elul" Mean?

The name "Elul" comes from the time when Jewish people were held captive in Babylon. It comes from an old word that means "harvest." This makes sense because Elul is often the time when crops are gathered.

In Turkish, the word for September is "Eylül," which also comes from the same old word as Elul.

Some people also see the Hebrew word "Elul" as a special acronym. It stands for the phrase "Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li," which means "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." This phrase comes from the Song of Songs in the Bible and is seen as a way to describe the special relationship between people and God.

Customs and Traditions in Elul

The month of Elul is a very important time for Jewish people. It's a time for repentance, which means thinking about your actions, saying sorry for mistakes, and trying to do better. This preparation is for the important holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).

Jewish thinkers from long ago said that Elul is a time to look deep inside your heart. It's a chance to feel closer to God before the "Day of Judgment" (Rosh Hashanah) and the "Day of Atonement" (Yom Kippur) arrive. Imagine a king visiting his people in the fields before going back to his palace – that's how some describe God's closeness during Elul.

During Elul, there are several special things people do:

• Blowing the Shofar: It's a tradition to blow the shofar (a ram's horn) every morning, except on Shabbat (the Sabbath). This starts from the first day of Elul and continues until the day before Rosh Hashanah. The sound of the shofar is meant to wake people up and encourage them to start thinking about their actions and preparing for the High Holy Days.
• Asking for Forgiveness: Elul is also a time to start the important, sometimes difficult, process of asking for forgiveness from others and forgiving those who have wronged you.
• Reciting Psalm 27: Many people read Psalm 27 every day. This starts from the first day of Elul and continues through Hoshanah Rabbah (a day during the holiday of Sukkot).
• Saying Selichot Prayers: Special prayers called selichot are recited. Some Jewish communities (Sephardi Jews) say these prayers every morning during Elul. Other communities (Ashkenazi Jews) start saying them on the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah. These prayers are about asking for forgiveness and mercy.
• Visiting Graves: Many Jewish people visit the graves of family members and loved ones during Elul. This helps them remember and honor those who have passed away and inspires them to live a better life.
• Wishing a Good Year: When people write letters or messages during Elul, they often end them with a special wish: "K'tiva VaHatima Tova." This means "a good writing and sealing [of judgment]." It's a wish that the person will be written and sealed in the "Book of Life" for a good year. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, God decides who will have a good or bad year, based on their actions. On Yom Kippur, that decision is "sealed."

Elul in Jewish History

Many important events in Jewish history have happened during the month of Elul:

• 1 Elul (1313 BCE) – Moses went up Mount Sinai for the third time for 40 days.
• 1 Elul (520 BCE) – The Prophet Haggai told people to continue rebuilding the Second Temple.
• 2 Elul (1555) – The Shulchan Aruch, an important book of Jewish law, was published.
• 3 Elul (1935) – Death of Abraham Isaac Kook.
• 5 Elul – The prophet Ezekiel had a vision about the destruction of Solomon's Temple.
• 10 Elul (2105 BCE) – Noah sent out a raven from the ark.
• 12 Elul (1294) – Birth of Nachmanides.
• 12 Elul (1945) – Rabbi Shlomo Zev Zweigenhaft performed the first kosher animal slaughter in Germany since it was banned by the Nazis.
• 13 Elul (1909) – Death of Yosef Hayyim.
• 14 Elul (1983) – Birth of Shlomo Rafuel Ben Moshe Dovid.
• 15 Elul (1964) – Birth of Watson de Emmanuel, OBE.
• 17 Elul (2105 BCE) – Noah sent out a dove from the ark.
• 18 Elul (1609) – Death of Judah Loew ben Bezalel.
• 18 Elul (1698) – Birth of Baal Shem Tov.
• 18 Elul (1745) – Birth of rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
• 23 Elul (2105 BCE) – The dove brought an olive leaf back to Noah.
• 23 Elul (1942) – Death of the Grand Rabbi of Aleksander, Yitzchak Menachem Danziger.
• 23 Elul (1978) – Vladimir Horowitz's Golden Jubilee Concert was broadcast live.
• 23 Elul (2001) – The September 11 attacks happened.
• 24 Elul (1933) – Death of Israel Meir Kagan.
• 25 Elul (3761 BCE) – The first day of the world, according to the Genesis creation narrative.
• 25 Elul (335 BCE) – The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt.
• 25 Elul (2nd century CE) – Death of Eleazar ben Simeon.
• 27 Elul (1855 CE) – Death of Sholom Rokeach.
• 28 Elul (1983 CE) – Death of Rabbi Yoel Halpern.
• 29 Elul (1789 CE) – Birth of Menachem Mendel Schneersohn.

See also

In Spanish: Elul para niños

• Jewish astrology
• Repentance in Judaism
• Rosh Hashanah LeMa'sar Behemah
• Song of Songs
• Ellul