Happy Elul, everyone!

Last week, we celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul– the beginning of the month of Elul! Elul is the last month in the Jewish calendar and commonly used as a time of reflection and teshuva: repentance. While this may seem very mellow, don’t worry! Elul is followed by Tishrei and guess what holidays are in the month of Tishrei? Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Out of those three holidays, I’d like to talk about two important objects: the shofar and the sukkah.

The shofar is a horn made from the horn of a ram. On Rosh Hashana, there is a tradition to hear the shofar 100 times- on each day! The shofar is also used on Yom Kippur to signal that G-d’s schechina, or divine presence, is making its way back to heaven. Lastly, there is a custom to blow the shofar at the end of Shacharit (the morning prayer) during each day in Elul (excluding Shabbat)- this serves as a reminder for what’s to come.

I really like this painting by Martha Hoffman. What captures my eye every time I look at it is not only the hazy colors, but also the lack of clean lines. I see it as a reminder that everyone is muddled mess of different parts, something that we ought to be reminded of on the High Holidays. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are times to look inwards and see who we are and want to become.

The sukkah is a bold and often question-invoking mitzvah to those who may not understand it’s meaning. Every element of it is bound by guidelines, from the height to the material of the roof. To an outsider, there is nothing logical about the sukkah. Why put all this effort in a structure that only stands for 8 days? For those who celebrate Sukkot, we know that the sukkah symbolizes the huts the Jews stayed in during their 40 years in the desert. It’s a way of being grateful for all the G-d has done for us.

In this painting of a sukkah, the focus is not on the structure itself, but rather the communal moment within a family. The central figure demonstrates to his (implied) family how to shake the lulav and etrog­- the ceremonial species of the holiday.