Elul: It’s About Love, Not Fear

 Many people assume that this period is associatedwith the frightful judgment which awaits us on Rosh Hashana. This attitude isdeeply rooted in lore, for example the Yiddish legend that ‘’in Elul even thefish tremble.’’ However, when we research the significance of Elul in primarysources a very different perspective emerges. Elul is actually a time of love,and its message self-affirming and neshamah redeeming.