What Is The Month of Elul -(Part 1 of 2)???
Obedience to being a Berean as in Acts 17, can be helpful in being steadfast in the narrow and straight path.
The 6th month known as the month of Elul is riddled with man-made traditions. Major among the traditions is that it’s the month of repentance, or rather the beginning of a 40-days period of repentance which leads up to Yom Kippur.
While this may, at the surface, seems like a wonderful idea and a devotional thing to do, what we must be cautious of, is the danger of simply following such traditions and teachings against the validity of Scripture in what YAHWEH commands.
The word ‘elul’ is only used once in the Scripture, in the following verse:
Nehemiah 6:15 “And the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.”
This word אֱלוּל elul – Strong’s H435 is a word that is believed to be of foreign derivation which carries the meaning of, ‘nothingness, worthlessness, no value’.
According to the “Jewish” traditions, based on Talmudic and kabbalah teachings, this month begins a period of 40 days of repentance, known as ‘teshuvah’, which means, ‘repentance’.
The Hebrew word תְּשׁוּבָה teshuḇah – Strong’s H8666 is used in Scripture 8 times and means, ‘a recurrence, an answer, return’ and comes from the root word שׁוּב shuḇ –
Strong’s H7725 which means, ‘to turn back, return, repent, recover’, which is the word that we get the idea and term for ‘repentance’, which implies a turning back to Elohim from all ways of falsehood and wickedness and lawlessness!
Repentance is certainly one of the major themes in Scripture, as we are to repent and be immersed in the Name of Yahushua ha-Messiah for the forgiveness of sins.
Our Master also told us that we are to bear fruits worthy of repentance, which implies the proper bearing of the fruit of righteousness, having turned away from all sins and lawlessness, which He has redeemed us from!
The daily fruits of our lives will reveal if we have repented or not!
Of the 8 occurrences of the word תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah – Strong’s H8666, we do not see any use of it for a repentance, but is primarily used to describe the turn of the year or a returning home or answering.
The main point is that when looking at the terms ‘elul’ and ‘teshuḇah’, we find no Scriptural basis for being a proclamation of a 40-day period of repentance that leads to Yom Kippur!!!
NOWHERE in Scripture do we find this instruction given.
If one wants to seek a time, or period of days, that can be counted and used to reflect on one’s life, then certainly the time from the waving of the sheaf of the first to Shaḇuoth would and is a better period to consider – as the command is clear for us to count 50 days until Shaḇuoth!
This period of counting teaches us the vital lessons of how our Master Yahushua died for our sins and cleansed us from all lawlessness and as we rid ourselves of the leaven of this world, we are able to be a counting people who can be filled with the good leaven of the kingdom, who daily count the cost of serving in Spirit and Truth, with Shabuoth signifying for us the release and betrothal as a set-apart Bride!
According to the Talmud and the Zohar, which is a classical text of the Kabbalah which was compiled in the 2nd century, the traditions of elul and teshuḇah in the 6th month are taught!
According to the”Jewish” tradition this month ends the “Jewish” civil year, while being the 6th month of the biblical year and the “Jewish” traditions teach that with this being the end of the civil year, it becomes a time for introspection and teaches that this time becomes the important liturgical season of Return and Repentance, culminating in Yom Kippur.
3 Is that not attempting to change the calendar of Elohim, by thinking that they can have a civil year that is counted differently to the biblical year?
There is one calendar that our Creator set forth and the 7th month cannot be the 1st month of a civil or any other kind of agricultural year…it is the 7th month and that is that!!!
It’s adding to scripture to call the 7th month Rosh Hashanah…as Rosh Hashanah is the first month of the year, as confirmed in Scripture, when Yisra’ĕl came out of Mitsrayim,(Egypt).
There are various man-made traditions that have been taught as teachings from the “Jewish” mystical sources around this month and we must be on guard not to stray from the clear witness of Scripture.
According to the “Jewish” mysticism the word אֱלוּל elul – Strong’s H435 is believed to be an acronym for the phrase which is found in the Song of Songs:
Song of Songs 6:3 “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.”
As luring as this may sound, it has no Scriptural basis!
It is from this idea of the acronym, referring to the Song of Songs and the picture of the Bride and Bridegroom being in the field, that the traditional teaching of the King being in the field waiting for His Bride at this time of the 6th month, is being taught… and by asking the question: The King is in the field, where are you? With the call for a period of repentance
and return!
Liturgical customs during “Elul”, according to the “Jewish” customs, include the recitation of “Selihot” – the what? The “Selihot” are prayers, mentioned in the Mishnah, which are prescribed as prayers to be recited during the 40 days of Teshuva, starting at the beginning of ‘Elul’.
Another “Jewish” tradition that is taught for this period, is that the shofar is to be blown every day of the 40 days, except on the Shabbat!
How ridiculous is that?
Scripture teaches us to blow the shofar on the new moon, on the day of our festival, Shabbat and in the day of rejoicing!
Here, in this rabbinic tradition, they are teaching to blow the shofar on the days that are taught to be days of repentance and sorrow and teach not to blow the shofar on the Shabbat during this repentance period!!!
Once again, this is a very dangerous trap to fall into, when following false traditions of man-made mysticisms!
The “Jewish” mystical traditions go on to teach that the word אֱלוּל elul – Strong’s H435 is also used as an acronym for various Scriptural phrases that include words associated with prayer, repentance, righteousness and redemption.
Not really sure how one can use an acronym of a foreign derived word that means “nothing, worthlessness, no value”, to promote these passages of Scripture!
Where does one stop!
Please be on guard against the corrupted mystical traditions, that are often presented as something wonderful and good to hear, and be diligent in holding firm to the commands of Elohim, for NOWHERE in Scripture do we find any such commands from Elohim, that require us to repent for 40 days in the 6th month!
Next week is part 2, stay tuned.
This greeting is not to condemn anyone with a different perspective or to strike the fires of a negative debate. But rather that we become like the Bereans, who search the scriptures daily to prove what they heard-Acts 17:10-13.
Rev.1:3 Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and guard what’s written in it, for the time is near.
May Yahweh grant us all to shema, (hear) and shall guard to do, that it might be well with us, in Yahshua’s Name,
Shabbat Shalom,
Deacon AnaYah Akpelu
