The Month of Elul
How to Prepare for Rosh Hashanah: 2 Halachot for Elul
From checking tefillin and mezuzot to preparing for the Day of Judgment, discover two important halachot and practical ways to approach Rosh Hashanah with confidence, mitzvot, and good deeds
- Hidabroot
- | Updated
Two halachot a day from BeHalachah U’BeAggadah, based on the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory.
What Is Customarily Checked During the Month of Elul?
It is customary to have one’s tefillin and mezuzot checked during the month of Elul. A person who does not know who wrote his tefillin and mezuzot should make an extra effort to have them checked.
If he knows with certainty that his tefillin were written to a very high standard by a God-fearing Torah scholar and qualified scribe, and were also carefully examined by a reliable proofreader, he is not halachically required to have the tefillin checked even after several years.
Mezuzot, however, are different. Even if a person knows that they were written to a very high standard, he is halachically required to have them checked once every three and a half years. Some have the custom of having their mezuzot checked every Elul.
How Should We Prepare for the Judgment of Rosh Hashanah?
The judgment that takes place on Rosh Hashanah is not an arbitrary trial in which a judge sentences the defendant according to his own whims. We stand in judgment before the King of kings, who loves us deeply. If He sees that we regret our wrongdoing and accept upon ourselves the yoke of His kingship, He decrees good things for us.
For this reason, it is customary to have a haircut on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and to wear beautiful clothing, demonstrating our confidence in the Creator that He will inscribe us for a good life and for peace.
In a sense, then, we are our own judges. Through our actions, we determine our own judgment. With this understanding, we can approach Rosh Hashanah with joy and tranquility.
If a person were facing a trial in this world, he would certainly hire a good attorney to advocate on his behalf and help him emerge innocent. How much more so on Rosh Hashanah, when all the inhabitants of the world are judged for life or, God forbid, death, for peace or war, for prosperity or poverty. Surely, we need as many advocates as possible.
Who are our advocates? The Torah we study, the mitzvot we perform, and the good deeds we accumulate. These are the advocates that can assist us on the awesome Day of Judgment.
