Rosh Chodesh Elul – 51 Days Until Hoshanah Rabbah

Rosh Chodesh Elul – 51 Days Until Hoshanah Rabbah

Ben Ish Chai (may his merit protect us) taught: “A person should increase his prayers and plead for mercy on Hoshanah Rabbah, because it is the 51st day from Rosh Chodesh Elul.” These 51 days were given to Am Yisrael as an act of chesed; the Gates of Teshuvah are open so that we may repent. The hint is found in the word «נא» (“please”). «נא» has a gematria of 51, and this is precisely why this day is called «הושע נא» – “Hoshia Na” (“please save us”). On this day, the final seal is affixed.” the Matzishov Admor (may his merit protect us) explains that Moshe Rabbeinu asked HaShem (Exodus 4:13): «שלח נא ביד תשלח» (“And he said: ‘Please send through whomever You will send.’”). The word נא (“please”) has a gematria of 51. The Admor said 200 years ago that this is a clear sign that Gog and Magog will begin their actions on Hoshanah Rabbah—51 days after Rosh Chodesh Elul. The gematria of the word “Va’etchanan” (“I beseech”) is 515. Between the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and the end of Hoshanah Rabbah, there are exactly 516 hours, which is the final opportunity to change the decree issued on Yom Kippur. Moshe prayed 515 prayers until HaShem stopped him—if Moshe had recited the 516th prayer, HaShem would have forgiven him and would have been compelled to bring him into the Land of Israel. Rabbi Ezra Sheinberg (may he live long and prosper) said that a war would break out on Hoshanah Rabbah. He said that the mekubalim know this reality. We must pray that the decree will be sweetened. the Zohar HaKadosh (Tzav 31b) describes Hoshanah Rabbah as a day of judgment, similar to Yom Kippur, because on Hoshanah Rabbah the scrolls containing the decrees of Yom Kippur are sealed. The mystics maintain that although our fate is decided on Yom Kippur, the final seal is affixed on the seventh day of Sukkot, which is Hoshanah Rabbah—the day when we make seven circuits around the bimah with the lulav branches. But the starting point is Rosh Chodesh Elul!   (based on material from the American blog post “Shirat Dvora”)