Just some Halachot and ideas that apply to the upcoming Rosh Chodesh Elul. Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur, is a 40 day period that Chachamim tell us are days of mercy, and days of Selichot (plea for forgiveness). Historically these were the 40 days that Moshe Rabenu went up to G-d and beseeched him and prayed for repentance for the Jewish people’s sin of the Egel (golden calf.) After 40 days Moshe’s prayers were answered on Yom Kippur, when G-d told Moshe, "Salachti Kidvarecha" , I forgive you. Therefore Moshe Rabenu prepared those days for eternity, for Jews to come to G-d and also ask forgiveness for his sins that they did during the year.
Chachamim gave many different hints in their wisdom to the month of Elul. For example, there’s a Pasuk that says, "Umal Hashem Elohecha Et Livavecha Viet Levav Zarecha." This translates to ‘and G-d will circumcise your heart’, which refers to one making Teshuva (repentance). Of course the heart is not literally circumsized, but it means ones heart will become humble in order to come back to G-d. The words "Et Livavecha Viet Levav" is abbreviations ELUL, to teach that the month is designated for Teshuva.
The Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi ben Shlomo, 1534-1572) also gave a lesson on this. He said on the Pasuk, "VeAsher Lo Tzada ViHaEloheem Ina Liyado Vesamti Licha Makom." That Pasuk is talking about somebody that made a sin unintentionally. ‘Veasher Lo Tzada’ means that he didn’t intend to sin. ‘ViHaEloheem Ina Liydao’ means the sin simply came about to him. And, ‘Vesamti Licha Makom’, refers to G-d as he said, I’ll make a place of refuge for you. The Arizal says, the words, "Ina Liyado Vesamti Licha" are the abbreviations of Elul. This is to teach and tell us that it is also a month to atone for the sins that one did unintentionally, and that it is a refuge to merit a good judgement.
There is a famous lesson that ELUL stands for- Ani Lidodi Vedodi Li. I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me. The beloved is G-d. This is a month that we come closer to G-d, and G-d comes closer to us. In that Pasuk, each of the 4 words ends with the letter Yod, which is equal to the number 10. When multiplied 4 times, once for each word, the total comes out to 40, which corresponds to the 40 days from Elul to Kippur. And therefore, Chachamim tell us that its time for Teshuva.
We once learned a lesson that Elul also stands for, Oy Li Vay Li. Which means that when a person gets to this month, already he starts to think about his day of reckoning, and he starts to say, Oy Li Vay Li, what’s going to be with me? This is also the abbreviations of Elul.
We told the story of Rav Yisroel Salantar, that on the night of Pesach, he fainted. When they woke him up, they asked what happened, and he answered that Elul was coming. So you see already that Chachamim were concerned about this month way before the Day of Judgment. And therefore, one must take the month extra seriously in prayers, and supplications.
