Elul Musings

Inspired by McAryeh's Elul post, I was also surprised to find that Elul has snuck up again. I knew it was coming, and I tried to start planning for it last week, but you know how it goes... Every year, I wish I had made a daily plan for improvement and teshuva before Elul started. That way, I could properly utilize the potential that this time of year has to offer. Kind of like sefirat haomer, taking one day at a time and using it to it's fullest.

Better luck next year on the preplanning i guess, but one thing I actually did do was to go to shul for Shacharit on Friday - to hear the shofar being blown for the first time this season. In my shul, they blow after the recitation of L'David Hashem and I wasn't quite finished with the mizmor when I literally jumped, as a strong blast of the shofar hit me. A loud wakeup call, as Rambam calls the sound of the shofar.

This year, I feel like I am focused, not neccisarily on teshuva per se, but on myself and my future (kabalah al ha'atid?). I have yet to really feel the intense koach of this time of year, but I had pulled my old standby, Rav Avigdor Nebenztal's Sichot L'Rosh HaShannah, which I hope to get back into soon. I feel like I need to curl up in a warm corner, with the hood of my sweatshirt over my head, where no one can see me and just do some hard thinking. This year is bringing new challenges and I want to meet them head on, while taking advantage of all of the opportunities that they present.