Fear in Elul

The sefarim discuss the great fear that Yidden experience in Elul.

The Beis Aharon (p.130:) writes, "The main thing is that everyone should draw fear onto himself during these days..."

One year, in Elul, the Beis Aharon was in Anipoli and davened shacharis in the inn where he was staying. Before he put on the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, he said to his gabbai, "Quickly prepare the horses [to tie them to the wagon for traveling]. My hair is on fire from fear of Rosh Hashanah." (Birkas Aharon p.119). (He wanted to get home as quickly as possible to prepare himself for Rosh Hashanah.)

The Imrei Emes once traveled a long way during Elul. He said, "For my father [the Sfas Emes], the walls of the home would tremble during Elul. But for me, on Elul, I go on one train and then I get onto another train..." The Pnei Menachem said that his father, the Imrei Emes, said this due to his humility, but actually, the Imrei Emes had a lot of fear during Elul, and the fear was felt in his home.

Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaar HaYirah 101) writes, "From when Elul arrives until after Yom Kippur, a person should be afraid of the judgment."

The Baal HaTurim (Netzavim ד"ה על לבבך) gives some hints to אלול. One is from the pasuk (Devarim 30:6) את לבבך ואת לבב, that we should circumcise our hearts, and the hearts of our children to love Hashem. The roshei teivos of את לבבך ואת לבב spell Elul. Also, he brings the pasuk (Tehillim 27:13) לולא האמנתי לראות בטוב ה', and he writes that לולא spells אלול. He concludes with the following awesome words: "From Elul on I am afraid before Hashem."

The Shlah Hakadosh explains the pasuk (Amos 3:8) אריה שאג מי לא יירא, "a lion has roared, who will not fear." He writes that אריה is roshei teivos for אלול, ראש השנה, יום כיפור, הושענא רבא.