“Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li.”

“I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”

-Song of Solomon 6:3

The Jewish Calendar is a rhythmic dance through the phases of personal and collective growth throughout the year. As we wax and wane through each moon and each season, we are asked to learn new lessons and grow. Each month has a unique mood and calls upon our souls. We feel this energy both individually and collectively.

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The recent summer months of Tammuz and Av have brought energy of heat, conflict and tumultuous shake-up. We were asked to continue to observe and pray for Israel and our own country’s struggles with faith in our hearts. This has not always been easy and may have resulted in the exacerbation of our character flaws. Have no fear, the rhythm of our dance through the Jewish year inherently anticipates this boil-ing over. We are cradled by G-d’s love and wisdom, as we move now, together, into the month Elul.

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Unlike the heat of the Tammuz and Av, Elul is a month of soothing and deep reflection. It is the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah. We are being asked in Elul to return to G-d’s love. By reflecting on the past year, we renew our connection to G-d through tapping deeply into our conscience for memories of betrayal and harm done to others and to ourselves. We move from the time of allowing the outer clamor of the world to misdirect our thoughts, words, and actions, into a time inside. We are placing our attention, not on the outer world but deep inside our own heart.

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The opportunity in Elul to reignite our loving

bond with G-d is further exemplified in the name of Elul. The four letters of the name Elul are an acronym for the phrase in “Song of Songs” (6:3) “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.” Though often this phrase is used to describe the love between our human partners and spouses, the name suggests that we are to remember our loving partnership with G-d. In remembering G-d as our “Beloved” we remind ourselves of the merciful, kind, and forgiving energy always around us. With this return, we can courageously and humbly let go of the mistakes and pain of the past and move into 5785 renewed and full of hope.

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One practice that may assist in reigniting one’s connecting during Elul is the reading of Psalm 27. In Psalm 27, David reminds himself many times that G-d is “our light and our hope.” By reading the Psalm below for the next month of Elul together we can come back to our beloved and light our community’s way forward with an honest sense of what must change, and a deep enthusiasm nestled in our big hearts full of hope.

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Psalm 27:

G-d you are my light and my hope

you are my light and my hope why should I fear? you are my life and my strength so why do I tremble?

when I contemplate surrender to my dread of the unknown, I hold tight to you and your strength gives me strength.

I only ask one thing of you, just this one thing:

that I may be welcome in your house all the days of my life, to dwell in your innermost place in safety beneath the softness of your wings.

be my shelter when I am wracked by hardship and disquiet, offer me sanctuary and from there I will sing hymns to the darkness with openness and love

do you hear my song? do you hear me when I cry to you? do not turn away – I seek you endlessly, I turn constantly toward your light.

in my darkest moments of this I am sure: I will never be alone, yes, even if my father and mother abandoned me, you will be there to gather me up

guide me in your ways, lead me down the paths of wholeness and peace, remind me that no matter how far I may stray there is always a road to return.

though I don’t always see it I will ever trust in your goodness right here right now in the land of the living.

hold on to your hope and be strong. the time of our return will soon arrive.