the hebrew month of elul begins in summer.
the hebrew month of elul begins in summer.
when does the hebrew month of elul begin?
summer
in most yeshivas, the year is divided into three periods (terms) called "zmanim". elul zman starts from the beginning of the hebrew month of elul and extends until the end of yom kippur. this is the shortest (approx. six weeks), but most intense semester as it comes before the high holidays of rosh hashanah and yom kippur. winter zman starts after sukkot and lasts until just before passover, a duration of five months (six in a jewish leap year). summer semester starts after passover and lasts until either the middle of the month of tammuz or tisha b'av, a duration of about three months. during the interim periods, which are called "bein hazmanim" (between the terms), students are on vacation.
academic term
an example given in kabbalah of the dynamics of "masculine" and "feminine" waters, is found in the yartzheit (date of passing) and birthdays of three central figures in the jewish mystical tradition. judah loew ben bezalel (the maharal) died on the 18th day (18 means "chai"-"life" in gematria) of the hebrew month of elul in the year 1609 (17 september). the 18th of elul, 12 days before rosh hashanah, is a central mystical date in the personal preparations of teshuvah (return to god) for the upcoming "days of awe". a central component of the teachings of the maharal was the concept of divine paradox, above intellect. this prepared the way for the hasidic movement, that sought the inner expression in hasidic philosophy of the kabbalistic tradition. the founder of hasidism, israel baal shem tov was born on the 18th of elul in 1698 (august 27), and the founder of habad intellectual expression of hasidism, schneur zalman of liadi, was born on the 18th day of elul in 1745 (september 4). kabbalah teaches that the yarthzeit of a tzaddik (righteous person) causes the spiritual revelation and ascent of their life's spiritual service, the ascent of the "feminine waters" the tzaddik illuminated. anyone who attaches themselves to the teachings and influence of the tzaddik receives from their illumination and blessing on the yartzheit. in the kabbalistic scheme, this "arousal from below" elicited the "arousal of god from above" to descend "masculine waters" by the descent of the souls on this date, later on, of the baal shem tov and schneur zalman of liadi. kabbalah finds an allusion to the deeper aspects of this structure, including the essence of the different spiritual teachings of these three figures, in a scriptural verse that relates to the mystical meaning of the 18th of elul.
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