Elul and Rosh HaShanah a month of self-analysis
There are Jewish holidays that apply only specifically to Israel and there are Jewish holidays that also have universal significance. Although Noahides are not obliged to observe these holidays, you can give them attention given their importance.
One of the holidays is Rosh HaShanah because we read in Mishna Rosh HaShanah 1:2
At four times of the year the world is judged: On Passover judgment is passed concerning grain; on Shavuot concerning fruits that grow on a tree; on Rosh HaShanah, all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15); and on the festival of Sukkot they are judged concerning water, i.e., the rainfall of the coming year.
What is meant by judged? Isn’t Rosh HaShanah Jewish New Year, wasn’t it on that day that Adam or creation came about?
The creation of the world began on the 25th day of the moon Elul. So actually, one would expect New Year’s Day to fall on this date. However, with the creation of man, G-d introduced the potential for voluntary acceptance of His Oneness and active assent to His will. It was on this day that He became the Giving King. Man, as G-d’s partner, was given the task of making creation an abode for G-d. This makes Rosh HaShanah, Adam’s birthday, to be New Year’s Day. However, at the same time, it is also the day Adam and Evan ate from the tree of knowledge, with all its consequences.
So it is a day of joy, because man is the crown of creation, but also a day of judgement. It is the day when Adam should have reflected on his behaviour and it is the day when we humans today should reflect on our behaviour. Realising the importance of self-analysis is the beginning of spiritual growth. What behaviour was right or wrong. How was our relationship with G-d, with our fellow man and creation in general. It should not just stop at this reflection, but we should value what we did right and expand on it where possible, and we should correct our mistakes, improve and define goals for the coming year and think about how we align our behaviour to achieve these goals – with the help of the Eternal One.
Preparations for Rosh HaShanah begin on the first day of Elul. A whole month we take time for our self-analysis. The whole month focuses on learning to change our behaviour. We return to G-d and answer the question G-d asked Adam: where are you? Where are you in your life after what you have done in the past year? This is called Teshuvah (repentance/repentance). When we set aside time in the month of Elul and sincerely ask G-d for forgiveness, He is gracious and will forgive and may you know that you will be inscribed in G-d’s Book of Life when He judges us on Rosh HaShanah. In what way could you spend time on it:
You can read Psalm 27 once or twice a day.
In addition, you can read 3 Psalms every day. If you start doing that on the first day of Elul and you do it all days then you will end up on Sukkot where the judgement of the water is given. ( See diagram at the bottom of the article)
You can read books or articles and watch YouTube videos about Teshuvah.
Let us look back at the text of the Mishna for a moment:
On Rosh HaShanah, all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15);
On Rosh HaShanah, the Eternal One views each person individually according to his actions. Everyone is therefore responsible for their own judgement. But how then should we read “He forms their hearts as one, He understands all their deeds”? Rashi explains in his commentary on this Mishna that the Eternal One also judges the world as a whole on this day. Just as the scale for positive/negative judgement applies to a person, it also applies to society as a whole. Teshuvah is therefore important not only for you personally, our goals, our achievements, our shortcomings affect the entire world. Because 1 extra act of Teshuvah can positively/negatively affect the judgement of the whole society, of the whole world..
Our efforts during the month of Elul are important to bring about the ultimate goal of creation, unity between G-d and the world in the Age of Messiah. As we strengthen and expand our bond with the Eternal One, we bring Redemption closer…let us say that good example [hopefully] makes good followers. In any case, let us set an example for those around us. So that eventually “the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean floor”. (Isa. 11:19)
Psalm schedule:
The schedule for reciting three chapters of the Psalms per day until the end of Sukkot is given below. (Those who have not started on the first day of Elul should start with the Psalms of the particular day on which they begin the recitation, and complete the missing Psalms later – (It is the date of the morning, remember that the Jewish day begins in the evening, so 1 Elul starts on the evening of Sept. 3)
| Date | Psalms | Special Day |
| 4-9-2024 | 1-2-3 | |
| 5 | 4-5-6 | |
| 6 | 7-8-9 | |
| 7 | 10-11-12 | |
| 8 | 13-14-15 | |
| 9 | 16-17-18 | |
| 10 | 19-20-21 | |
| 11 | 22-23-24 | |
| 12 | 25-26-27 | |
| 13 | 28-29-30 | |
| 14 | 31-32-33 | |
| 15 | 34-35-36 | |
| 16 | 37-38-39 | |
| 17 | 40-41-42 | |
| 18 | 43-44-45 | |
| 19 | 46-47-48 | |
| 20 | 49-50-51 | |
| 21 | 52-53-54 | |
| 22 | 55-56-57 | |
| 23 | 58-59-60 | |
| 24 | 61-62-63 | |
| 25 | 64-65-66 | |
| 26 | 67-68-69 | |
| 27 | 70-71-72 | |
| 28 | 73-74-75 | |
| 29 | 76-77-78 | |
| 30 | 79-80-81 | |
| 1-10-2024 | 82-83-84 | |
| 2 | 85-86-87 | |
| 3 | 88-89-90 | Rosh HaShanah |
| 4 | 91-92-93 | |
| 5 | 94-95-96 | |
| 6 | 97-98-99 | |
| 7 | 100-101-102 | |
| 8 | 103-104-105 | |
| 9 | 106-107-108 | |
| 10 | 109-110-111 | |
| 11 | 112-113-114 | |
| 12 | 115-116-117 | Yom Kippur |
| 13 | 118-119-120 | |
| 14 | 121-122-123 | |
| 15 | 124-125-126 | |
| 16 | 127-128-129 | |
| 17 | 130-131-132 | 1e Day of Sukkot |
| 18 | 133-134-135 | |
| 19 | 136-137-138 | |
| 20 | 139-140-141 | |
| 21 | 142-143-144 | |
| 22 | 145-146-147 | |
| 23 | 148-149-150 | Hoshanah Rabah |
By Angelique Sijbolts
With Thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton for his feedback
Sources:
Month of Elul: Prepare for Rosh HaShanah in the Noahide Path (asknoah.org)
Rosh HaShanah Reflects the Purpsose of Creation (asknoah.org.)
Prayerbook for Noahides (asknoah.org)
Texts: Sefaria.org
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