The Month of Elul

The month of Elul is a wake-up call for all of us –

The distant sound of shofar drawing very near;

A time to stop and contemplate, and do teshuvah –

And take account of our deeds throughout the year.

Review our thoughts and re-examine our values;

Ponder on our relationships with kin and friend;

Confirm our ties and connection to G-d Almighty –

Our purpose and our goal in life, let’s understand.

Let’s scrutinize our deeds and our behavior-

Be honest and truthful – at least to oneself;

Take stock of our actions, motives and emotions –

Deep into our heart and our neshama let us delve.

Have we done wrong, despite our good intentions -

And in the process hurt somebody’s soul;

And have we corrected our unintended errors,

And made peace with those around us – one and all.

Teshuvah is our great remedy for things regretted –

Tears and prayers, combined with tzedakah, pave the way;

It brings a cleansing of the soul, and new beginnings -

Allowing us to start afresh, with a brand-new day.

The image we present to others, is important;

But even more crucial than what anyone perceives,

Is what lies inside our heart invisible to humans –

And the message from our soul that G-d receives.