Elul – The Final Month of the Jewish Year

Elul is the final month of the Jewish year—a time set aside at the end of our yearly cycle for each of us to pause, take stock of how we are living, and clarify what adjustments we need to make so that we end our year—and begin the new year, Rosh Hashanah—in the best possible way.

The Shofar’s Wake-Up Call

In shul (synagogue), the daily blasts of the shofar act as a spiritual alarm clock, reminding us that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are approaching. To really understand the work of this month, we need to understand the essence of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—so please keep reading.

Practical Help for Elul

ElulTime.com’s simple, practical exercises are designed to help you make the most of this preparation and actually do the work that this month invites us to do.

Yemei Ratzon – The Days of Divine Desire

The entire month of Elul has been imbued by Hashem with an extraordinary blessing—what our sages call Yemei Ratzon, the “Days of Divine Desire.” As the verse says, “I am to my Beloved, and my Beloved is to me”—Hashem is especially close and wants to help us.

A Fear of Missing the Opportunity

In earlier generations, when the chazzan (prayer leader) would announce “Rosh Chodesh Elul is coming,” a sense of awe would fill the room. It wasn’t fear of punishment—it was fear of missing the opportunity. Imagine being given a fixed amount of time to prepare for an amazing year, with all the help you need—and knowing that your year ahead will be shaped by how you use this month. You’d want to use it well!

That’s Elul.

Tuning In to What We’re Here For

The way we see life—our paradigm—affects everything. It shapes how we spend our time, what we value, and what we work for. If our focus is sharp and true, our days fill with things that matter. But if we lose sight of the bigger picture, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the small stuff and reach the end of a season—or even a lifetime—realising we were aiming at the wrong goal.

The Chofetz Chaim illustrated this with a powerful story.

A man once heard about a far-off island where diamonds and other precious gems lay scattered on the ground. Anyone could pick them up. The only catch was that it took a year to get there, a year to gather treasure, and another year to sail home.

When he finally arrived, he bent down to pick up a diamond—but the locals laughed. “That’s worthless here. We use fish oil as money.”

At first he didn’t believe them, but it was true. Diamonds couldn’t even buy him a drink of water. So he learned the fish oil trade, worked hard, and became wealthy—at least by the island’s standards.

After a year, he filled barrel after barrel with fish oil and loaded them onto the ship. But during the long voyage home, the oil went rancid. By the time they docked, the smell was unbearable, and it all had to be thrown overboard.

The stench jolted his memory. He suddenly remembered why he had come—and how badly he had been distracted. His heart sank.

When he arrived home, his wife greeted him joyfully. He managed a quiet hello and went to rest, still heavy-hearted. She picked up his coat and felt something in the pocket. Reaching inside, she found a handful of diamonds he had absentmindedly gathered during his first days on the island.

Her face lit up. “You did it! We’re rich!”

He forced a smile but thought: If only I had remembered my true mission, I could have brought home so much more.

The Essence of Rosh Hashanah

That’s what Rosh Hashanah is about: remembering why we came into this world and reconnecting to that mission as our big picture.

Life offers endless “fish oil” opportunities—things that seem valuable in the moment but fade when we see them in the light of eternity. Rosh Hashanah calls us back to the diamonds—the eternal truth that there is a Creator, Hashem, who is real, who runs the world, and who has a purpose for history and for each of us.

It’s about choosing—deep in our heart—to live in the truth that life is more than the physical. There’s a spiritual reality, a World to Come, and a destination to history: the time of Mashiach.

When we keep that focus, our time and energy go into things that last forever. When we lose it, we risk spending our lives stockpiling “fish oil” that we can’t take with us.

Teshuva – The Big Picture First

Rosh Hashanah is the first two days of the Ten Days of Teshuva (teshuva literally means “returning” or “realigning”). Yom Kippur is the last day of the Ten Days of Teshuva (returning / realigning).

Here’s the question: if teshuva is about fixing mistakes, why don’t our Rosh Hashanah prayers focus on admitting them? The answer is that before we deal with the details, the first teshuva is big picture.

It’s about asking:

• Do I see myself as part of Hashem’s people?

• Do I accept Hashem as my leader and King?

• Do I understand Hashem purpose for the world — to use Torah and mitzvot - Hashem's instructions for living the best life possible in this world and the next - to bring out our inner light, to express the Divine spark in our soul, to unite as a nation that loves and supports one another and to enjoy the privilege of a close, loving relationship with the Source of all life?

This isn’t just about how we live now — it’s about our connection to Hashem for all time, both in this world and in the World to Come.

Rosh Hashanah is when we realign our worldview, setting the right direction before we work on the details.

Accepting Hashem as King

At the heart of Rosh Hashanah is one mission: to choose Hashem as our King. Not just believing He exists—but taking Him seriously, welcoming His guidance, and putting His truth at the centre of our lives.

Crowning Hashem means choosing meaning over emptiness, clarity over confusion, and connection over disconnection. It’s saying:

“Hashem, I want to live in line with Your truth. I want You to be King over my life.”

This is the starting point of all teshuva—returning to the deep truth that Hashem is at the centre of life and the world.

The CEO Meeting

Imagine a yearly review with the CEO of your company. They want to invest in you, to help you achieve your goals—but you need to be committed to the company’s mission, clear about your direction, and ready to take the next step.

That’s Rosh Hashanah. Hashem is the CEO. How we “show up” over these two days sets the spiritual “DNA” of the year ahead—our health, livelihood, relationships, and growth opportunities.

It’s not about changing everything overnight. It’s about getting our compass pointing in the right direction, committing to one real step forward, and making sure we’re working towards the diamonds—not distracted by fish oil.

It’s about planting your feet in what’s real, deciding what truly matters, and committing to live for it—even knowing the details will take time to grow into.

Working on the Details

If Rosh Hashanah is about setting the big picture—committing to the truth of Hashem, His purpose for the world, and our place in it—then Yom Kippur is about beginning to align the details of our lives with that truth.

The Shema has two main paragraphs from the Torah. The first paragraph is about the big picture — recognising Hashem, accepting Him as our King, and making Him central in our lives. The second paragraph is about the details — the mitzvot and specific ways we live that connection.

The Sages (Talmud, Berachot 13a) explain that the order is deliberate:

First we take on the big picture — “Hashem, I’m in” — and then we focus on the details.

That’s exactly the flow of the High Holidays:

• Rosh Hashanah is like the first paragraph — committing to Hashem and His purpose for us.

• Yom Kippur is like the second paragraph — starting to work on the specific changes and mitzvot that will bring our lives in line with that purpose.

The basic parts of teshuva are simple: recognising what needs repair, feeling genuine regret, verbalising it before Hashem, and making a commitment not to repeat it—or, if that’s not immediately possible, committing to a real plan to get there over time.

It’s important to know: Yom Kippur cleanses only between us and Hashem. If there’s hurt or damage between us and another person, we need to make that right beforehand—through apology, repair, and reconciliation—because Yom Kippur does not wipe away those debts without action.

The ElulTime.com exercises will go into this more and explain the practicalities—how to identify the people we may need to approach, how to do it in a respectful and effective way, and how to move forward even in situations that are complicated or sensitive. They will also help with areas between us and Hashem—clarifying which changes to focus on, and how to begin making them in a way that is steady, realistic, and lasting.

Looking Beneath the Surface

Real teshuva is not just about stopping a particular action — it’s also about understanding what’s going on inside that leads to it. Every repeated behaviour has a reason. It often grows from an attitude, a way of thinking, or an inner need that’s out of alignment.

For example, if someone has a habit of speaking negatively about others, the surface-level fix is to learn and practise the mitzvah of guarding one’s speech. But for the change to last, we also need to ask: What’s driving this? Is it insecurity? A need to feel in control? Jealousy? Anger? When we understand the root cause, we can work on that too—and real change begins to take hold.

This is deeply encouraging, because it means change isn’t about fixing everything at once. It’s about uncovering one root at a time, and taking one practical, achievable step forward. And every step makes life richer, more meaningful, and more connected to who we truly want to be.

The ElulTime.com exercises are designed to guide you through this—helping you identify patterns, understand what fuels them, and create realistic steps that work on both the action and its source.

You Can’t Do It All at Once - The Pesach Offering – A Huge Lesson

In the Torah, Moshe tells the people to bring the Pesach offering on the 14th of Nissan. The verse says they did it—yet later, we find that they only actually brought it two weeks later, on the day it was due.

Why does the Torah phrase it as if they had already done it?

Because once they accepted it fully in their hearts and committed to doing it, it was considered as if it was already done.

This is a life-changing principle: when we commit with sincerity, choose our next clear step, and set ourselves up with the support to follow through, Hashem counts it as if we’ve already achieved it—even if it will take time to fully live it out.

One Step at a Time

Yom Kippur is not about perfection. It’s about clarity, honesty, and direction. It’s about saying:

“Hashem, I know where I’m heading. I’m taking this next step towards You, and I’m setting up my life so I can keep going.”

When we approach it this way, the details fall into place naturally—one step at a time. Each step is a real victory, each step brings cleansing and renewal, and each step builds a life of purpose and meaning.

The point is this: when we admit, regret, and truly commit—even if full change will take time—Hashem sees it as if we’ve already done it. In His eyes, we’re on the path, and that is a huge success.

After Yom Kippur – Turning Inspiration into a Year of Growth

Hopefully, we are leaving Yom Kippur with clarity and commitment—clear on what we believe, that Hashem is real, that He has given us a blueprint for life, and committed to heading in a good direction.

This is the moment to translate those commitments into a living, breathing reality. What we do now is the manifestation of the focus and choices we made on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is how they become part of our everyday life.

It really can be an amazing year—but only if we set ourselves up for success. Without structure, the inspiration of the Yamim Noraim fades quickly. The same routines and distractions creep back in. The key is to lock in the momentum while it’s fresh.

Make It Real – Create a Plan

By the time we finish Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, we should already have a clear sense of our next steps—what we’re committing to, what matters most for us right now, and how it translates into practical terms.

Now it’s about making sure those steps actually happen in real life:

• How will these commitments look in my daily or weekly routine?
• When will I do them?
• What reminders or supports will help me stay on track?

The work of Elul and the Yamim Noraim gives us the what. This stage is about locking in the how — so those commitments move from inspiration into action. Small, steady steps taken consistently will always beat big, unsustainable bursts of effort.

Support Makes It Stronger

Support is huge. You are far more likely to follow through—and to keep going when things get tough—if someone else is there with you. And they’re more likely to succeed if you’re supporting them.

Pair up with one person or join a small group. Agree on check-ins—daily, weekly, or whatever works best for you. You don’t have to share every detail of what you’re working on if you don’t want to—just enough to keep each other encouraged and moving forward.

Even a short WhatsApp message like:

“I did my goal for the week—how are you doing?”

…can make all the difference. Support creates accountability, encouragement, and a sense that you’re not doing this alone.

Your Monthly Calendar – A Simple, Powerful Tool

Once a month—just before the new month — ElulTime will send you:

• A quick reminder to take one minute to fill in a simple, printable calendar with your own small, realistic goals for the month (or even just the week).
• Wise answers to common questions sent in by readers.
• And potentially, invitations to online live support sessions and programs.

The calendar takes less than 30 seconds to fill in and can be very powerful. Put it somewhere you’ll see it often. Use it to track your progress, note small wins, and even add mini-rewards to keep things enjoyable.

This is more than a sheet of paper—it’s a monthly reset, a reminder of what you committed to, and a way to keep the big picture alive in the day-to-day.

You can subscribe today to start receiving it every month. Click below Subscribe for Support. And easily unsubscribe at any time.

Keep Moving Forward – One Step at a Time

Some weeks will go better than others. That’s normal. Real growth is not about never falling—it’s about having the structure and support to get back up quickly.

The exercises you’ve done will have helped you clarify what matters most and how to start. Now is the time to keep building on that, with a clear plan, a support network, and simple tools to keep the focus alive.

Your Next Steps:

1. Subscribe for Ongoing Support – Sign up for the monthly email to receive your calendar, insights, and access to upcoming, free, live sessions and courses.
2. Look at the Exercises – Go to the Exercises section and check them out. They are there so you can feel prepared and focused as you enter Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and your year ahead.
3. Set Up a Support System – See the Stronger Together section - and connect with at least one person who can encourage you and keep you accountable.
4. Share It – If you think this could benefit someone else, please, please, please use the share button at the bottom of the page to pass it on. You never know whose year you might change.