Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

This week we entered the Hebrew month of Elul. It means that Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year, is fast approaching. As we look forward to the High Holidays, we also look backward to the past year and review our lives. The month of Elul is a time of cheshbon hanefesh – of taking an inventory of ourselves. What are our strengths, and what are our weaknesses? What did we change about ourselves in the past year, and where have we failed to change? Have we broken old, destructive habits? Have we been callous or sensitive, hostile or loving? Have we been envious, or contented? These are some of the questions we might ask ourselves during this penitential season.

In our morning and evening prayers we add Psalm 27. It begins:

God is my light and my salvation, Whom should I fear?
God is the stronghold of my life, Whom should I dread?

Through this month, we seek the courage to change and to grow, so that we can become the best versions of ourselves. The psalmist asks, “Whom should I fear….Whom should I dread?” We should fear and dread aspects of our old selves – if they prevent us from becoming the people that we aspire to be.

Based on a teaching of Kerry Olitzky and Rachel Sabath from Preparing Your Heart for the High Holidays.