The month of Elul is called the month of teshuva. It is a most auspicious time to make a cheshbon and to correct whatever needs to be corrected. For this reason, we sound the shofar to awaken us to do teshuva.
Though we are assured that during this month HaShem greets us lovingly, nevertheless it is incumbent upon us to reveal those thirteen midos harachamim through davening, learning and teshuvah.
(טור או"ח סי' תקפ"א, שיחו"ק תשל"ח ח"ג ע' 333)
In the year תרצ”ז (1937), at the request of the Pupa Rebbe, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote a letter addressed to all talmidei yeshiva, arousing them to prepare fittingly for Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur:
“The month of Elul is a time for accounting of the past year, when one regrets whatever was negative, and commits to fulfill mitzvos behiddur, to be diligent in one’s Torah and davening, and to cultivate middos tovos. The Baal Shem Tov taught that the avoda of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur depends on one’s avoda during the month of Elul and the week of Selichos. One’s emphasis should be on learning Chassidus and other seforim that will heighten his yiras Shamayim.”
As to the talmidim of Tomchei Temimim, the Frierdiker Rebbe required that they increase their learning of Chassidus and daven deliberately. “What matters most is not the study, but the cheshbon hanefesh at night and in the morning. Every individual should arouse his friend concerning middos tovos and commitment to proper conduct.”
(אג"ק מהוריי"צ ח"ד ע' קלא, אוצר מנהגי חב"ד ע' ג-ד)
During the month of Elul one should designate more time for davening than usual. The Rebbe writes that similarly in the realm of Torah learning, one should learn those areas of Torah which focus on avodas Hashem, and those maamorim of Chassidus which arouse one to do teshuvah.
(מט"א סי' תקפ"א סי"א באלל"מ, אג"ק חי"ט ע' תלב)
