Elul: The City of Refuge for the Soul

Many allusions have been offered regarding the name of the month of Elul, each revealing a different dimension of its unique spiritual character.

The Mishnah Berurah cites two well-known hints. The first is the verse from the Song of Songs: "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" (Song of Songs 6:3).

The initial letters of these four Hebrew words spell the word Elul, while their final letters add up to forty, corresponding to the forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur. As the Mishnah Berurah explains: "During these forty days, repentance is especially accepted, for a person's heart draws close to his Beloved through repentance, and then his Beloved draws close to him, accepting his repentance with love." (Mishnah Berurah, Orach Chaim 581:1)

Another allusion cited by the Mishnah Berurah comes from the verse: "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." (Deuteronomy 30:6)

The initial letters of the words "et levavcha ve'et levav" also spell Elul, hinting that during this month God assists a person in removing the spiritual barriers surrounding the heart and grants heavenly assistance in the process of repentance.

An additional allusion, found in early Jewish writings, is the verse: "Each person to his friend, and gifts to the poor." (Esther 9:22)

Here too, the initial letters spell Elul, reminding us that this is a time to strengthen relationships between people through kindness, generosity, and charity, thereby increasing our merits before the judgment of Rosh Hashanah.

Similarly, the prophet Nehemiah instructed the returning exiles on Rosh Hashanah: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be saddened, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8)

Elul is therefore a month in which we should pay special attention to all matters between one person and another.

The Hidden Allusion in Parashat Shoftim

Let us focus on another allusion, one that is directly connected to Parashat Shoftim.

Among the laws discussed in this week's Torah portion is the case of someone who unintentionally causes another person's death.

The Torah commands that such a person must flee to one of the Cities of Refuge. Six such cities were established throughout the Land of Israel so that anyone guilty of accidental manslaughter could escape there. As long as he remained within the city's boundaries, no one was permitted to harm him. However, before reaching the city — or if he left it afterward, he remained vulnerable to the avenger of blood, a close relative of the deceased who was legally permitted to take his life.

The laws governing the Cities of Refuge are extensive, but one aspect is particularly relevant to Elul.

A person who kills unintentionally is not a deliberate murderer, yet a human life has nevertheless been lost because of his actions. Even without malicious intent, he bears a degree of responsibility and is therefore exiled.

The Levites, the tribe entrusted with Israel's spiritual leadership, lived in these Cities of Refuge. They taught Torah, wisdom, and moral guidance to those who arrived there. Life in the city transformed the exile completely, providing an opportunity to develop greater awareness, caution, and spiritual sensitivity.

The Torah describes this law elsewhere with the words: "If he did not lie in wait, but God caused it to happen through his hand, I will designate for you a place to which he may flee." (Exodus 21:13)

Elul as a City of Refuge

The Arizal teaches that the phrase: "God caused it to happen through his hand, and I will designate for you..." contains another allusion to Elul. The initial letters of the words "Elokim Inah Leyado Vesamti Lecha" spell Elul.

At first glance, the earlier allusions are easy to understand. They speak of drawing close to God, opening the heart, and strengthening relationships with others. But what connection could there possibly be between an accidental killer fleeing to a City of Refuge and the month of Elul?

One of the Jewish works of ethical thought offers a profound explanation.

Every time a person sins, he metaphorically becomes an accidental killer. Sin diminishes the soul, and restricts and weakens its spiritual vitality. A person may not even realize the damage he has caused and may therefore be, in a sense, "unintentional." Nevertheless, the soul has been wounded, and that spiritual loss demands accountability.

Escaping the Accuser

On Rosh Hashanah, every person asks God to grant them and their family a good year.

Yet at that very moment, the prosecuting angel, often referred to as the "avenger of blood," stands before the Heavenly Court, arguing that since the individual has "shed the blood" of his own soul through sin, justice demands that his own life be judged accordingly.

In His mercy, however, God provides us with a City of Refuge. 

That refuge is Elul. It is a protected spiritual sanctuary where anyone who chooses to "flee" can step away from the distractions of life, engage in honest self-examination, repent sincerely, and thereby find protection from the accusations awaiting him.

Returning to Our True Self

Elul is like entering a safe haven where we are sheltered from life's storms and given the opportunity to examine ourselves honestly.

It is a time to reflect on the "spiritual deaths" we have caused, such as abilities we failed to develop, opportunities we allowed to slip away, and actions that diminished our character.

Within this unique month, we are invited to absorb the atmosphere of the City of Refuge, learning once again how body and soul can live together in harmony.

This is the very essence of Elul: a city that receives you exactly where you are.

The phrase "God caused it to happen" contains another beautiful insight. The Hebrew word inah ("caused") echoes the word ani ("I"). God has given us Elul so that we can return to our true self — to the soul that lies beneath all the distractions and failures.

The accidental killer may have believed there was no place left for him. Yet God says: "I will designate for you a place to which he may flee."

That is the secret of teshuvah. No matter how far a person has wandered, God prepares a place where they can begin again.