Elul Day 10

Dear Elul Writers,

You won’t find the month of Elul in the Torah (insert collective gasp). This shouldn’t be altogether shocking– the month of Nissan, when we celebrate Pesach, is referred to biblically not as Nissan, but as chodesh ha’aviv, the month of Spring. The month of Tishrei, the very month that we are counting down to, the month that is at the center of our High Holy Days, is simply called chodesh ha’shevi’i, the seventh month. So, how does the Torah refer to Elul? Acharit shanah, year’s end; a designation that is derived from Devarim 11:12.

מראשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה
M’reseishit hashanah v’ad acharit shanah.
…from the beginning of the year, until year’s end.

This name for the month, while admittedly underwhelming, is a reminder that what we are doing here is not just looking forward, but also encompasses the act of closing out or finishing. Acharit Shana is about ending what we started when the year began; taking a look at the proverbial books to see which promises have been kept, which debts are outstanding, which goals have been achieved and which are still in process. The end of the year is a time for assessing. If, like me, this raises your anxiety a smidge, I remind you that this need not mean harsh judgment, rather it is about honest attention. We aspire to close the year with the same intention with which we begin.

In his book on the month of Elul, R’ Dovber Pinson, plays with the small linguistic difference between Acharit Shanah and Rosh HaShanah that focuses on the definite article in HaShanah that is not there in Shanah. He writes, “When the new year arrives, we all say, “This is going to be the year”...But, sadly, as the year comes to a close, we are likely to look back and say, “Well, that was just a year. It didn’t turn out to be the year. But, next year will for sure be the year.” For Pinson, the work of Elul is about not giving up on the past year, but, instead, it is about tying one year to the next. “In this way, we will add positive value to the past year before it is over, so we will finish it well.”

Prompt

In Elul it is possible to be so focused on the start of the new year that we lose track of the fact that we are also closing out a year. Perhaps there are small tasks or conversations or reviews that would be helpful in finishing up this past year. What would healthy closure feel like when it comes to wrapping up 5785? How can you still add positive energy to this year? In what ways would you like to tie this year to the year to come? 

Take care,

Jordan