WORD OF THE MONTH

A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... 

We bench Rosh Chodesh ELUL • Shabbat Parshat R'Ei - Aug.18 • 
ROSH CHODESH ELUL Y'H'YEH MACHAR YOM RISHON U'V'YOM SHEINI HABA ALEINU V'AL KOL YISRA'EL L'TOVA
HAMOLAD Y'H'YEH MACHAR YOM RISHON, ESRIM-V'ACHAT DAKOT VACHAMISHA-ASAR CHALAKIM ACHREI TEISHA BABOKER
The Molad will be Sunday morning (Aug.19) 9h 21m 15p
In Rambam's notation: Rishon • 15h • 393 chalakim• 
On the local clock: SUN Aug.19, 10:01am (sum)
The actual (astronomical) Molad - SUN Aug.19, 5:46am (sum)

With the announced Molad on Sunday morning, three days later is Wednesday morning, and the first (and best) opportunity for Kiddush L'vana according to Minhag Yerushalayim is Wednesday night, August 22nd. Others will wait for Motza"Sh of Sho'f'tim to say K.L.

REMINDER: We start saying L'DAVID (Ps. 27) on Sunday night or Monday morning (depending upon your Nusach)

ELUL
ELUL - ALEF-LAMED-VAV-LAMED - is Rashei Teivot (initial letters) of 57 4-word sequences in the Tanach, most of which do not speak to us. But several do. 

The famous phrase from Shir HaShirim, ANI L'DODI V'DODI LI, describes the relationship between G-d and us. 

In D'varim we have: And you shall circumcise ET L'VAV'CHA V'ET L'VAV of your offspring... These words speak to the task of T'shuva during Elul. 
In Megilat Esther we find the mitzva of giving gifts (of food) from ISH L'RE'EIHU U'MATANOT LA'EVYONIM. This highlights the interpersonal aspect of the T'shuva process, which we dare not neglect.

In Divrei HaYamim we have our declaration: And now, our G-d, we acknowledge and thank you and praise Your glorious Name - modim ANACHNU LACH U'M'HAL'LIM L'SHEM tif'artecha - this points to the significance of prayer during this special month. 

In Yirmiyahu's prophecy of G-d's accepting our T'shuva and returning us fromthe exile, G-d promises to return ISH L'NACHALATO V'ISH L'ARTZO - each person to his Heritage and his Land. 

And finally (not really finally), we have a thrice-repeated phrase that describes two korbanot, each of which addresses a different aspect of sin. ECHAD L'CHATAT V'ECHAD L'OLAH, one as a Sin Offering and one as aBurnt Offering. The former sacrifice is part of the process of seeking atonement from G-d for acts that were in inadvertent vio;ation of certain sins. The latter is for the wrong kind of thoughts, and sometimes for the non-fulfillment of positive mitzvot.