What on earth is "Elul"?

Other than being the 6th month on the Hebrew Biblical calendar, I previously had no knowledge at all about "The 40 Days of Favor." That was in the days before I discovered the helpful explanations on a website, Hebrew for Christians.

According to information I found on Reform Judaism:
"Elul is the Hebrew month that precedes the High Holidays (Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur), a time of study and personal reflection on our actions of the past year. It also is a time when we seek forgiveness from those we have wronged or with whom we otherwise have “missed the mark” in our interactions and behaviors."

Another website, Judaism 101, shares this thought:
"According to tradition, the month of Elul is the time that Moses spent on Mount Sinai preparing the second set of tablets after the incident of the golden calf (Ex. 32; 34:27-28). He ascended on Rosh Chodesh Elul [the First of Elul] and descended on the 10th of Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur, when repentance was complete."

Not being ethnically or culturally Jewish or Hebrew myself (other than a random smattering of "Ashkenazi" showing up in my DNA profile), but rather a person who believes in the truth of the entire Bible and seeks to apply those truths to everyday life, I had to ask myself: What, if any, of the Jewish practices or traditions can help me gain a better understanding of what that truth could look like in my life? I want to add that I do tread lightly here, knowing that Jesus/Yeshua had a "few" words to say to the religious leaders of his day about their traditions replacing the commands of YHVH. So, there is that. I'm more about understanding the prophetic symbolism of those traditions. Bottom line: Can understanding the practices and traditions bring me closer to an understanding of who I was created to be and how it would please YHVH for me to live my life? That is my only goal.

From what I have learned from the various Jewish and Christian/Messianic websites I have found, I understand Elul as being a time to spend in personal reflection - much how some in the liturgical Christian traditions observe Advent or Lent. It is a time that many people add a special devotional study to their routine and reflect on the spiritual significance of this time of the year, and maybe discover that they could use a little "course adjustment." A time of reflection and repentance can hardly be a bad thing.

To that end, I have found an insightful study by a teacher whose writings have been thought-provoking for me, and will be incorporating those devotionals into my study time each day, starting the first day of Elul (Sunday, August 12, 2018) and continuing up until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), 40 days.

I hope to share some of my thoughts and gleanings as I go through that study with the intention of encouraging someone else take another step on their journey of faith.