It's funny 'cause these are figs!Welcoming the Month of Plums & Pears
In Europe, Elul arrived when the plums were purple and ripe and the pears were ready for picking. Jews called Elul the time of the "Flaumen un die Beren" (the plums and pears). In Yiddish these two words have additional meanings: "Flaumen" means flames, and "Beren" means to burn. Thus Elul is a time to search our hearts, and to seek God with fiery, burning intensity. Enjoy plums and pears as you do so!
It is taught that the Hebrew letters ELUL (aleph, lamed, vav, lamed) are an acronym for the verse from Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. In Elul we celebrate women's ability to maintain our independence, individuality, and uniqueness at the same time that we enter into relationships and recommit ourselves to those we love.
Elul is a time of intense spiritual preparation for the coming year and the upcoming High Holy Days (in Tishrei).
In Aramaic (the language spoken by Jews living at the time that the months were given names), the word "Elul" means "search." Elul is a time to search our hearts.
