Making Space for Reflection: Preparing for Elul

Elul is almost here (it starts on Monday).  Elul is our preparatory month before the High Holidays.  Normally I share some of my favorite options for Elul – like Jewels of Elul, #BlogElul, and some others, but as we look forward to Elul, at the time of writing, we are also just far enough away that these social media and internet-based resources haven’t launched yet.  So instead of sharing this year’s “up and coming Rabbinic favorite” – stay tuned online for some potential suggestions as Monday draws closer! – I thought I’d provide a little more about why I think these are a valuable way to engage with the reflective month of Elul.

Way back in our pre-pandemic world when I was teaching mussar weekly, we emphasized the importance of small daily practices as a means of making small steps toward bigger personal-growth related goals.  The idea of using the same prompt, the same style, the same email list, or similar, every day for 30 days, far exceeds the generally agreed upon 2-3 week time frame for establishing new habits. 

These resources provide challenges and prompts.  Whenever I open a blank journal page, I find myself staring at it.  For those who struggle with ‘getting started’ from a blank slate – the prompts of Judaism’s yearround “learning schedules” (Daf Yomi, weekly Torah portion, and others exist) along with our special periods like Elul can give enough structure to overcome the obstacle of starting, while leaving enough room to explore freely your own thoughts.

These resources also provide connection with community.  I love seeing responses when I remember to #BlogElul, or talk about a Jewel with someone else that is reading them.  And I also like the comfort of knowing on the days I just think about the prompt in passing that there are some number of other Jews thinking about the same prompt that day – like when we say the Shema and feel a connection to Jews around the globe. 

These resources also connect us to the broader community – when I put Elul prompts on social media – it’s not just my Jewish connections that respond.  We can share this journey with others, because a little extra self-reflection practice is generally a good thing.

So, as we close in on the first of Elul – take some time this week to explore what pops up in the Jewish world, or grab a pre-made reflective journal with prompts, or write your own and share them, put the upcoming Temple events for Elul on your calendar.  Whatever it is you do, my challenge is that you do something this Elul to intentionally reflect and prepare for the coming year.