(א) אני לדודי ודודי לי.
ר"ת אלול כי בחדש אלול הקב"ה מתרצה עם ישראל ונעשה דוד להם לקרבם בתשובה והוא קרוב לקוראיו בחדש הזה.
(אח"י ועוד רמזו הראשונים פ' ומל ה"א את לבבך ואת לבב ר"ת אלול.
ואני עני אומר כי אלול גימט' חיים עם הכולל וגם גימט' חלל
וס"ת את לבבך ואת לבב הוא תכתב כלומר שאם לא יעשה תשובה יכתב למיתה וכן אלול גימט' חלל ח"ו
אך אם יעשה תשובה יכתב לחיים ולכן אלול גימטריא חיי"ם ועוד הארכתי בדרוש ברמזי תוכחות מוסר.
וס"ת אני לדודי ודודי לי ד' יודין כלומר לא לבד באלול שהוא סוף השנה אלא אף בעשרת ימי תשובה שהוא תחילת השנה וס"ד שלא יועיל לכפר לשנים שעברו אפ"ה מכפרים ולרמוז זה יש בס"ת ד' יודין כנגד מ' יום אלול ועשרת ימי תשובה
ועוד רמז לד' יודין דשם ע"ב שהוא גימ' חסד. מאי"ן):
אני לדודי ודודי לי
"Ani L'Dodi Ve'Dodi Li" - the first letter of each word (Roshei Teivot) forms the acronym E.L.U.L. - because in the month of ELUL, G-d reconciles with Israel, and becomes a Beloved to them, to draw them near in teshuva (repentance). [He] is close to those who call upon [Him] this month.
The Rishonim (early rabbinic scholars 11th-16th c) expound on the verse (Deut 30:6) ומל ה"א את לבבך ואת לבב -- "and G-d will circumcise your heart and the heart (of your children)"- as connects with ELUL.
(A) But I, your poor [servant] say that אלול ELUL is Gematria for חיים HAYYIM (life) - using the Inclusion Counting Method. ELUL is also Gematria for חלל KHALAL (a slain person).
(B) And if you use the last letter (Sofei Teivot) of each word in את לבבך ואת לבב
it yields "TIKATEV" (will be written into...) - which is to say, that if a person doesn't make teshuva, he will be "written for death"
- as in "ELUL=KHALAL" (G-d forbid).
But if a person makes teshuva, he will be "written for life" as in "ELUL=HAYYIM"
...
(C) And if you take the last letters (Sofei Teivot) of אני לדודי ודודי לי Ani L'Dodi v'Dodi Li, you get 4 yuds, which signifies that that's [teshuva] is not only for Elul at the end of the year, but also during the 10 Days of Teshuva which are the beginning of the year. It might occur to you that it's not effective to atone for past years, but even so, they are granted atonement. And hinting at this are the four yuds, (4 x 10) corresponding to 40 days = 30 days of Elul + 10 Days of Teshuva...
Nightfall brought us into Shabbat and into a significant new month – the month of Elul
– the moon will wax and grow to full, wane and diminish to darkness – and behold -- it will be Rosh Hodesh Tishrei - the new moon of Tishrei – and behold -- it will be Rosh HaShanah – the beginning of the New Year
So this month before Tishrei, this month of Elul is a month of preparing ourselves for the New Year – we are invited and encouraged to use this month to begin our process of introspection – to reflect on what is truly important, to reflect on our intentions in the world, in our families, in our communities
We seek connection – we seek to align ourselves with what is good – our ancestors said it this way – that Elul is a month in which we draw close to G-d – that G-d and the People Israel are like lovers, sometimes loving, sometimes fighting – and Elul is a time of reconciling.
A verse from the Song of Songs begins: Ani L’Dodi v’Dodi Li – I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine
Some take this work as a human love song, and some understand it as a song of love between G-d and the People Israel – a song of reconciling and once again drawing close – especially fitting in this month of Elul – and in fact, the word ELUL appears in this phrase: Ani L’Dodi v’Dodi Li
We think in this month about how to align ourselves with Beloved people, with our Beloved purpose – we open ourselves to connection -- we roll back any callousness and open our hearts wide...
-Rabbi Loewenthal