We are approaching the last month of the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul.
This is a very special month on the calendar. There's a feeling that something is ending, and at the same time, there's an air of preparation for something new to begin.
And these are two fundamental feelings in Jewish life in general, which do not apply only to one month of the year.
Our sacred books explain that in the Mitzvah of Teshuvah (return) there are two general parts: repentance for the past and acceptance of improvement for the future.
Repentance for past actions is not simply about feeling bad for not responding to God as one should have. After all, God gives us life, which includes health, financial security, food, and so on, and only asks that we cherish and respect the Torah. Repentance serves as a corrective tool for the past.
The Torah transcends the world; it is the source of it, and therefore has the power to change it, even the past. This is the initial feeling of the month of Elul: to correct the year that is ending, taking advantage of every moment to reflect on what happened, what one did, and what one failed to do.
The second part of Teshuvah is the acceptance that in the future, if one were to face the same circumstances in which one sinned in the past, one will not sin again. In other words, it is the focus on personal improvement in the short, medium, and long term. And, like all expectations and goals that a person sets for the future, it must be a real and concrete acceptance, and above all, achievable according to each person's individual capacity.
These are the two feelings that are experienced and felt during the month of Elul. That is why our sages established specific customs for this month, which allow us to focus on these two feelings: meditating on the past and correcting it, and preparing for a better year, both spiritually and materially.