Entering Elul

A Campaign of Blessings: Turning Every Greeting Into Light
By Rabbi Anchelle Perl

As we enter the month of Elul, (starting August 24-25) the precious days of preparation for Rosh Hashanah, we are gifted with a unique opportunity to fill the world with blessings. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, taught that every blessing we give to another Jew is far more than polite words. Each sincere greeting — “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year, in health and in spirit” — actually creates a defending angel. On Rosh Hashanah, when each of us stands before the Heavenly Court, these angels appear and lovingly present our merits before Hashem.

Think of it: a simple smile, a heartfelt blessing to a neighbor in the supermarket, to a coworker in the office, even to a stranger passing on the street — all of it becomes eternal spiritual currency. It is the easiest mitzvah, and perhaps one of the most powerful.

We live in a time when people are overwhelmed — by news, by worry, by loneliness. How transformative it would be if the Jewish community committed, for the month of Elul, to go out of our way to bless each person we meet. To pause for just a moment, look them in the eye, and wish them: “L’shanah tovah tikateiv v’tichateim — May you and your family be inscribed and sealed for a sweet and good year!”

These blessings are not just for the righteous or the pious — they are for everyone. For the elderly man in the pharmacy, for the mother rushing her children to school, for the young professional feeling alone in a crowd. Every Jew deserves to hear that they matter, that they are cherished, that someone wishes them good.

And let us not underestimate the ripple effect. When you bless another, you awaken in them the strength to bless others. Before long, one blessing turns into ten, ten into hundreds, and a community is uplifted, bound by a web of blessings and goodwill.

On Rosh Hashanah, when we stand together before the King of Kings, our courtroom will not be silent. It will be filled with an army of angels, each carrying the testimony of our kindness, each whispering before the Throne: “This soul blessed another, this Jew cared, this person spread light.”

With such an advocate, who could doubt that we will all be written and sealed for a year of goodness — both physically and spiritually?

My friends, let’s make this Elul unforgettable. Let’s turn our town, our homes, our schools, our very sidewalks into rivers of blessing. One greeting at a time. One angel at a time. One merit at a time.

And may we all be blessed — together — for a year of health, joy, peace, and revealed goodness.

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