A Guide to 40 Days of Repentance

The sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, counting from Nisan, is the month of Elul. This month precedes the month of Tishrei which is the month containing the High Holy Days. Elul is the month set aside for preparing ourselves for these High holy Days.

Why do we use the whole month of Elul as a month of preparation for these days? Tradition teaches us that Moses had gone up to Mount Sinai in the month of Sivan and after forty days and nights, on the 17th of Tammuz, he came down with the first set of Tablets. When he saw the sin of the golden calf, he threw them down, breaking them into pieces. He ascended Mount Sinai the next day on the 18th of Tammuz and remained there for another forty days and nights praying for forgiveness on behalf of the people. At the end of the forty day period, which was on the 29th of Av, HaShem forgave the people and instructed Moses to ascend once again and receive the Second Set tof Tablets. Moses did as HaShem commanded and the third time ascended Mt. Sinai and remained there another forty days and nights which brings us to Elul and the High Holy Days.

During this time of the 40 Days of Repentance, we examine ourselves and ask forgiveness for the sins we have committed. Traditionally, Selichot, or special prayers for forgiveness, are used and prayed to help us during this time. The point is to corporately repent and return to HaShem in obedience and love. We ask HaShem to forgive us where we have strayed from His Way.

In Hebrew there are three words all related to the word for forgiveness. Selichah, the plural being Selichot as we just described above. Mechilah and Kapparah are the other two. Selichah, which is commonly translated as forgiveness, is the first step one must take when they have committed a sin, either against HaShem or man. We say we are sorry and we truly regret having sinned. Mechilah is commonly translated as wiping away in the way things might restored before sin occurred and Kapparah which is commonly translated as atonement, as in Yom Kippur, is when your conscience will not let you live with yourself and HaShem steps in to comfort. This is the last of the three stages of forgiveness and is accomplished on Yom Kippur.

When we pray and ask HaShem for forgiveness, it is traditional to recall the passage in Exodus 34:6-7, which is also known as the thirteen Attributes of Mercy.

“HaShem¹, HaShem², G-d³, Compassionate⁴ and Gracious⁵, Slow to Anger⁶, and Abundant in Kindness⁷ and Truth⁸, Preserver of Kindness for thousands of generations⁹, Forgiver of Iniquity¹⁰, willful sin¹¹ and error¹² and Who cleanses¹³.”

Traditions tells that after the sin of the golden calf, HaShem appeared to Moses as he was interceding on behalf of the people and taught him the thirteen attributes and told Moses that “whenever Israel sins, let them recite this in its proper order and I will forgive them”.

HaShem is merciful beyond measure or the capability to understand. Through His great mercy, repentance is always possible and He awaits our return when we stray.

From Nisan, the month of Elul is the sixth month, from Tishrei it is the twelfth. It is said that “Elul came up” or returned with, those Jews who returned to Israel from the exile in Babylon. This is significant in the light of the theme of repentance.

We therefore ask HaShem during this time to forgive us from our sins. The Hebrew word for sin is chet, which means failure. Chet separates us from our Creator. We repent or turn back to HaShem from that which separates us from Him. This is done in four stages:

1. Cessation of sin- obviously one can’t repent if they continue to sin, nor would the repentance be sincere or accepted if the sin did not cease.

2. Regret over sin- this is being sincerely ashamed of one’s sin

3. Confession to HaShem- we confess our sins before HaShem, not because He doesn’t know what we have done, but by doing so, we internalize what we have done, we hear with our own ears the sins we have committed and the sincerity that we pour forth in our request for forgiveness

4. Resolve- we must resolve to not sin again.

These of course are sins committed against HaShem. If we commit sins against our neighbor, we must do the following:

1. Cessation of sin-stop sinning against your neighbor

2. Regret over sin-being truly sorry for sinning against your neighbor

3. Confession to your fellow man—This is where we ask forgiveness for sinning against our neighbor.

4. Resolve-we resolve to our neighbor not to commit the sin against them again.

After taking the 4 steps with our neighbor, move to the 4 steps of forgiveness from HaShem. I’m not sure why, but we always seem more comfortable going to HaShem first, and not reconciling or attempting to reconcile with our neighbor. It is as if we fear them more than we fear HaShem.

Tradition teaches us that true repentance does not take place until we have again been faced with the same sin, and we do not commit that sin again.

Repentance is a powerful action. It restores and begins healing. It even has the power to reverse heavenly decrees as we are told in the Talmud. Repentance restores our connection with HaShem and our relationships with our neighbors. Pride, arrogance, and selfishness are the three biggest culprits that keep us from teshuvah (repentance).

Teshuvah or repentance is an ongoing process. We corporately do this as commanded in the Torah, but we should examine ourselves daily and follow the steps of teshuvah as much as necessary.

Selichot:

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, תָּבֹא לְפָנֶֽיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ, וְאַל תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתֵֽנוּ, שֶׁאֵין אָֽנוּ עַזֵּי פָנִים וּקְשֵׁי עֹֽרֶף, לוֹמַר לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, צַדִּיקִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָֽאנוּ, אֲבָל אֲנַֽחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ חָטָֽאנוּ.

Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, tavo l’fanecha t’filateinu, v’al titalam mit’chinateinu, she-ein anu azei fanim uk’shei oref, lomar l’fanecha Adonai eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, tzadikim anachnu v’lo chatanu, aval anachnu va-avoteinu chatanu.

Our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, may our prayer come before You, and do not ignore our supplication for we are not so brazen and obstinate as to say before You, HaShem, our G-d, and the G-d of our forefathers, that we are righteous and have not sinned—rather, we and our forefathers have sinned.

אָשַֽׁמְנוּ, בָּגַֽדְנוּ, גָּזַֽלְנוּ, דִּבַּֽרְנוּ דֹֽפִי. הֶעֱוִֽינוּ, וְהִרְשַֽׁעְנוּ, זַֽדְנוּ, חָמַֽסְנוּ, טָפַֽלְנוּ שֶֽׁקֶר. יָעַֽצְנוּ רָע, כִּזַּֽבְנוּ, לַֽצְנוּ, מָרַֽדְנוּ, נִאַֽצְנוּ, סָרַֽרְנוּ, עָוִֽינוּ, פָּשַֽׁעְנוּ, צָרַֽרְנוּ, קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף. רָשַֽׁעְנוּ, שִׁחַֽתְנוּ, תִּעַֽבְנוּ, תָּעִֽינוּ, תִּעְתָּֽעְנוּ.

Ashamnu, bagadnu, gazalnu, dibarnu dofi. He-evinu, v’hirshanu, zadnu, chamasnu, tafalnu sheker. Ya-atznu ra, kizavnu, latznu, maradnu, ni-atznu, sararnu, avinu, pashanu, tzararnu, kishinu oref. Rashanu, shichatnu, ti-avnu, tainu, tita’nu.

We have become guilty, we have betrayed, we have robbed, we have spoken slander. We have caused perversion, we have caused wickedness, we have sinned willfully, we have extorted, we have accused falsely. We have given evil counsel, we have been deceitful, we have scorned, we have rebelled, we have provoked, we have turned away, we have been obstinate. We have been wicked, we have corrupted, we have been abominable, we have strayed, You have let us go astray.

סַֽרְנוּ מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ הַטּוֹבִים, וְלֹא שָֽׁוָה לָֽנוּ. וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ, כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִֽׂיתָ וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ.

Sarnu mimitzvatecha umimishpatecha hatovim, v’lo shavah lanu. V’atah tzadik al kol haba aleinu, ki emet asita va-anachnu hirsha’nu.

We have turned away from Your commandments and from Your good laws but to no avail. But You are righteous in all that has come upon us, for You have acted truthfully while we have caused wickedness.

אֵל אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם אַתָּה, וּבַֽעַל הָרַחֲמִים נִקְרֵֽאתָ, וְדֶֽרֶךְ תְּשׁוּבָה הוֹרֵֽיתָ. גְּדֻלַּת רַחֲמֶֽיךָ וַחֲסָדֶֽיךָ, תִּזְכֹּר הַיּוֹם וּבְכָל יוֹם לְזֶֽרַע יְדִידֶֽיךָ. תֵּֽפֶן אֵלֵֽינוּ בְּרַחֲמִים, כִּי אַתָּה הוּא בַּֽעַל הָרַחֲמִים. בְּתַחֲנוּן וּבִתְפִלָּה פָּנֶֽיךָ נְקַדֵּם, כְּהוֹדַֽעְתָּ לֶעָנָו מִקֶּֽדֶם. מֵחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ שׁוּב, כְּמוֹ בְתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב. וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶֽיךָ נֶחֱסֶה וְנִתְלוֹנָן, כְּיוֹם וַיֵּֽרֶד יְיָ בֶּעָנָן. תַּעֲבוֹר עַל פֶּֽשַׁע וְתִמְחֶה אָשָׁם, כְּיוֹם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם. תַּאֲזִין שַׁוְעָתֵֽנוּ וְתַקְשִׁיב מֶֽנּוּ מַאֲמַר, כְּיוֹם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְיָ, וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר:

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְיָ עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא:

Eil erech apayim atah, uva-al harachamim nikreita, v’derech t’shuvah horeita. G’dulat rachamecha vachasadecha, tizkor hayom uv’chol yom l’zera y’didecha. Teifen eileinu b’rachamim, ki atah hu ba-al harachamim. B’tachanun uvitfilah panecha n’kadeim, k’hodata le-anav mikedem. Meicharon ap’cha shuv, k’mo v’torat’cha katuv. Uv’tzeil k’nafecha necheseh v’nitlonan, k’yom vayeired Adonai be-anan. Ta-avor al pesha v’timcheh asham, k’yom vayityatzeiv imo sham. Ta-azin shavateinu v’takshiv menu ma-amar, k’yom vayikra v’sheim Adonai, v’sham ne-emar: Vaya-avor Adonai al panav vayikra:

O G-d—You are slow to anger, You are called the Master of Mercy, and You have taught the way of repentance. May You remember this day and every day the greatness of Your mercy and Your kindness to the offspring of Your beloved ones. Turn to us in mercy for You are the Master of Mercy. With supplication and prayer we approach Your Presence in the manner that You made known to the humble one, Moshe, in ancient times. Turn back from Your fierce anger as it is written in Your Torah. In the shadow of Your wings may we find shelter and lodging as on the day ‘HaShem descended in a cloud’ to appear to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. Overlook sin and erase guilt as on the day, ‘G-d stood there with Moshe’. Give heed to our cry and hearken to our declaration as on the day, ‘He called out with the Name of HaShem’ and there it was said: And HaShem passed before Moshe and proclaimed:

יְיָ, יְיָ, אֵל, רַחוּם, וְחַנּוּן, אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם, וְרַב חֶֽסֶד, וֶאֱמֶת, נֹצֵר חֶֽסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן, וָפֶֽשַׁע, וְחַטָּאָה, וְנַקֵּה. וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵֽנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵֽנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ. סְלַח לָֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כִּי חָטָֽאנוּ, מְחַל לָֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ כִּי פָשָֽׁעְנוּ. כִּי אַתָה אֲדֹנָי טוֹב וְסַלָּח, וְרַב חֶֽסֶד לְכָל קֹרְאֶֽיךָ.

Adonai, Adonai, eil, rachum, v’chanun, erech apayim, v’rav chesed, ve-emet, notzeir chesed la-alafim, nosei avan, vafesha, v’chata-ah, v’nakeih. V’salachta la-avoneinu ul’chatateinu un’chaltanu. S’lach lanu avinu ki chatanu, m’chal lanu malkeinu ki fasha’nu. Ki atah Adonai tov v’salach, v’rav chesed l’chol kor’echa.

HaShem, HaShem, G-d, Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to anger, and Abundant in Kindness and Truth. Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations, Forgiver of iniquity, willful sin, and error, and Who cleanses. May You forgive our iniquities and our errors and make us Your heritage. Forgive us, our Father, for we have erred; pardon us, our King, for we have willfully sinned; for You, my Lord, are good and forgiving and abundantly kind to all who call upon You.

When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the Lord your G-d has banished you, ^2and you return to the Lord your G-d, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, ^3then the Lord your G-d will restore your fortunes^a and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where the Lord your G-d has scattered you. ^4Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world,^b from there the Lord your G-d will gather you, from there He will fetch you. ^5And the Lord your G-d will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.

^6Then the Lord your G-d will open up^c your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love the Lord your G-d with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live. ^7The Lord your G-d will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you. ^8You, however, will again heed the Lord and obey all His commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. ^9And the Lord your G-d will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will again delight in your well-being, as He did in that of your fathers, ^10since you will be heeding the Lord your G-d and keeping His commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to the Lord your G-d with all your heart and soul. (Deuteronomy 30:1-10)^[1]

May it be the will before You, HaShem, my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers that You dig a tunnel beneath the Throne of Your Glory to bring back in complete repentance all the evildoers of Your people the House of Israel. And along with them bring me back in complete repentance before You for Your right hand is outstretched to accept penitents and You desire repentance.

We have turned away from Your commandments and from Your good laws but to no avail. But You are righteous in all that has come upon us, for You have acted truthfully while we have caused wickedness.

What can we say before You, Who dwells on high, and what can we relate before You, Who abides in the highest heavens? For indeed, all hidden things and revealed things You know. You know the secrets of the universe, and the mysteries of the hidden things of all the living. You probe all the chambers of man’s most innermost parts and examine his thoughts and feelings. No item is hidden from You and nothing is concealed from before Your eyes. And so, may it be the will before You, HaShem, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that You grant atonement to us for all our unintentional sins, and forgive us for all our intentional sins, and pardon us for all our rebellious sins.

For the sin we have sinned before You under duress and willingly;

For the sin we have sinned before You through hardness of heart;

For the sin we have sinned before You without knowledge;

For the sin we have sinned before You with the utterance of the lips;

For the sin we have sinned before You through sexual immorality;

For the sin we have sinned before You in public or in private;

For the sin we have sinned before You with knowledge and deceit;

For the sin we have sinned before You through harsh speech of the mouth;

For the sin we have sinned before You through wrongdoing a friend;

For the sin we have sinned before You through inner thoughts of the heart;

For the sin we have sinned before You in a gathering of lewdness;

For the sin we have sinned before You through insincere confession of the mouth;

For the sin we have sinned before You by showing contempt for parents and teachers;

For the sin we have sinned before You willfully and inadvertently;

For the sin we have sinned before You by exercising coercive power;

For the sin we have sinned before You through desecration of Your Name;

For the sin we have sinned before You through defilement of the lips;

For the sin we have sinned before You through foolish speech of the lips;

For the sin we have sinned before You with the Inclination of Evil;

For the sin we have sinned before You against those who became aware of it and those who did not become aware of it;

For all these, O G-d of forgiveness, forgive us pardon us, and grant atonement to us.

For the sin we have sinned before You through denial and untrustworthiness;

For the sin we have sinned before You with a hand involved in bribery;

For the sin we have sinned before You through scoffing;

For the sin we have sinned before You through talk that is evil;

For the sin we have sinned before You in business dealings;

For the sin we have sinned before You with food and with drink;

For the sin we have sinned before You through interest and usury;

For the sin we have sinned before You through extending the neck in haughtiness;

For the sin we have sinned before You with the speech of our lips without thought;

For the sin we have sinned before You with prying eyes;

For the sin we have sinned before You with eyes that haughty;

For the sin we have sinned before You with brazen-facedness;

For all these, O G-d of forgiveness, forgive us pardon us, and grant atonement to us.

For the sin we have sinned before You in throwing off the yoke of Your mitzvot;

For the sin we have sinned before You before You in judgment;

For the sin we have sinned before You through entrapping a friend;

For the sin we have sinned before You through a begrudging eye;

For the sin we have sinned before You through light-headedness;

For the sin we have sinned before You with stiff-necked obstinacy;

For the sin we have sinned before You with the running of our legs to do evil;

For the sin we have sinned before You by gossip-mongering;

For the sin we have sinned before You through taking an oath in vain;

For the sin we have sinned before You through hatred without cause;

For the sin we have sinned before You in defaulting on a loan that was placed in our hands;

For the sin we have sinned before You through confusion of heart;

For all these, O G-d of forgiveness, forgive us pardon us, and grant atonement to us.

For the sins that we are obligated because of them an elevation offering;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them a sin offering;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them a sin offering that is variable;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them a guilt offering for a definite or a possible sin;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them lashes for rebelliousness;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them forty lashes less one;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them death at the hands of the Heavenly Court;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them spiritual excision and childlessness;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them the four death penalties of the earthly court of justice, stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling;

For the sins that we are obligated because of them for violating a positive or a negative commandment;

My G-d while I was not yet formed I was not worthy, and now that I have been formed, it is as if I had not been formed. Dust am I in my lifetime, and all the more so in my death. Behold, I am before You like a vessel filled with shame and humiliation. May it be the will before You, HaShem, my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, that I not sin again. And what I have sinned before You, erase with Your mercy that is abundant, but not through suffering or illnesses that are serious.

אָנָּא, בְּכֹֽחַ גְּדֻלַּת יְמִינְךָ, תַּתִּיר צְרוּרָה. אב”ג ית”ץ

קַבֵּל רִנַּת עַמְּךָ, שַׂגְּבֵֽנוּ, טַהֲרֵֽנוּ, נוֹרָא. קר”ע שט”ן

נָא גִבּוֹר, דּוֹרְשֵׁי יִחוּדְךָ, כְּבָבַת שָׁמְרֵם. נג”ד יכ”ש

בָּרְכֵם, טַהֲרֵם, רַחֲמֵם, צִדְקָתְךָ תָּמִיד גָּמְלֵם. בט”ר צת”ג

חֲסִין קָדוֹשׁ, בְּרוֹב טוּבְךָ, נַהֵל עֲדָתֶֽךָ. חק”ב טנ”ע

יָחִיד גֵּאֶה, לְעַמְּךָ פְּנֵה, זוֹכְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁתֶֽךָ. יג”ל פז”ק

שַׁוְעָתֵֽנוּ קַבֵּל, וּשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתֵֽנוּ, יוֹדֵֽעַ תַּעֲלֻמוֹת. שק”ו צי”ת

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

Anna, b’choach g’dulat y’minecha, tatir tz’rurah.

Kabbal rinat amcha, sag’veinu, tahareinu, norah.

Na gibbor, dorshey yichudecha, kevavat shamrem.

Barchem, tahareim, rachamem, tzidkatecha gamlem.

Chasin kadosh, berov tuvecha, nahel adatecha.

Yachid ge’eh, le’amecha p’neh, zochrey kedushatecha.

Shavateinu kabbal, ushma tza’akatenu, yode’a ta’alumot.

Baruch shem kevod malchuto le’olam vaed.

We beg You! With the strength of the greatness of Your right hand, untie the bundled sins.

Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us purify us, O Awesome One.

Please O Strong One, those who foster Your Oneness, like the pupil of an eye guard them.

Bless them, purify them, show them mercy; may Your righteousness always recompense them.

Powerful One, Holy One, with the abundance of Your goodness guide Your congregation.

Unique One, Exalted One, to Your people turn, those who proclaim Your holiness.

Our entreaty accept, and hear our cry, O Knower of mysteries.

Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.