This week at Azamra
26 Av 5785 / 20 August 2025

Torah Calendar

23 Menachem Av-6 Elul, 5785
August 17-30, 2025

For this week's study schedule & classes, CLICK HERE

Attributes of the month of Av: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: KEH VAV YOD KEH, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of Haskeis Ushmo'a Yisrael Hayom... "...take heed and listen, O Israel, this day..." (Deut 27:9). The month's corresponding letter is: TET; Human attribute: HEARING; Body Part: LEFT KIDNEY ; Tribe: SHIMON; Constellation: ARYEH (Leo, the Lion).

Tuesday night-Wednesday August 19-20 / 26 Av

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe (1887-1979).

Those responsible for the Shofar blowing in the synagogue during the month of Elul and on the High Holidays should ensure that the Shofar is truly kosher and has not been artificially treated to conceal flaws.

Thursday August 21 / 27 Av

Since the eve of the coming New Moon of Elul this year falls on Shabbat, the usual Yom Kippur Katan ("minor day of atonement") observed before Rosh Chodesh is brought forward to today as a day of optional fasting (from dawn to nightfall) and penitential prayers in preparation for the new month of Elul on Saturday night.

Friday night-Saturday August 6-7 / 29 Av
Shabbat Parshat RE'EH
Shabbat Mevarchin ELUL

Torah Reading: RE-EH, Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17. Haftara: Isaiah 54:11-55:5.
Shabbat Mevarchin: After the Shabbat morning Synagogue Torah reading, we bless the coming month of Elul. The Molad (junction of the sun and the moon) will be on Sunday morning August 23 at 11:26 and 6 chalakim p.m.. Rosh Chodesh is on Saturday night-Sunday-Monday August 23-25.

Attributes of the month of Elul: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: KEH KEH VAV YOD, contained in the final Hebrew letters of the words of the verse ootzedakaH tihyeH lanOO kI "and it shall be righteousness to us when..." (Deut 6:25). The month's corresponding letter is: YOD; Human attribute: ACTION; Body Part: LEFT HAND ; Tribe: GAD; Constellation: BETULAH (Virgo, the Maiden).

Saturday night-Sunday August 23-24 /30 Av
Rosh Chodesh Elul First Day

Add Ya'aleh Veyavo in the Saturday night evening prayer and Sunday morning and afternoon prayers as well as in Grace after Meals. Following the morning Shacharit prayer, "half" Hallel and the additional Musaf prayer are recited. On Rosh Chodesh it is customary to eat a festive meal with bread.

Chodesh Tov UMevorach!!!
Have a Good and Blessed Month!!!

Sunday night-Monday August 24-25 / 1 Elul
Rosh Chodesh Elul Second Day

Add Ya'aleh Veyavo in evening, morning and afternoon prayers and in Grace after Meals. Following the morning Shacharit prayer, "half" Hallel and the additional Musaf prayer are recited. On Rosh Chodesh it is customary to eat a festive meal with bread.

On this day Moses ascended Mt Sinai for his third forty-day stay culminating on 10 Tishri (Yom Kippur) when he received the Second Tablets after accomplishing G-d's reconciliation with Israel following the sin of the golden calf. In our times too, these forty days are a time of supreme favor (Ratzon) and the gates of Teshuvah, return to G-d, are open to all.

At the conclusion of the morning prayers the Shofar is sounded today and every day (except Shabbat) until one day prior to the eve of Rosh Hashanah, as a reminder to arouse ourselves to Teshuvah in preparation for the coming Days of Awe.

From today onwards until Shemini Atzeret (last day of Succot), Psalm 27 "HaShem is my light..." is recited daily after the morning and afternoon (Chassidic custom) or evening (Lithuanian custom) prayers.

Everyone who recites Psalm 27, "HaShem is my light", morning and evening from the beginning of Elul until the end of Succot is assured he will live out his years in goodness and pleasantness, and he removes from himself all the accusing forces and nullifies all harsh and evil decrees, and he will win his case in the Judgment.
-- ARI

It is appropriate to have one's Mezuzot and Tefilin checked during the month of Elul to ensure that they are not flawed.

Tuesday August 26 / 2 Elul

The Edot HaMizrach (Sephardic communities) today begin rising for pre-dawn Selichot (penitential supplications) every day (except Shabbat and Yom Tov) until Yom Kippur. Although the Ashkenazi communities do not begin rising early for Selichot Sunday August 29 / 21 Elul, their members are advised to take advantage of the longer nights for Torah study, hisbodedus and prayer.

During the Elul season of repentance, Israel are like the inhabitants of a city who go out to greet the King in the fields prior to His entry into the city (on Rosh Hashanah), and now each individual has the opportunity to approach the King in person in advance of the coming Day of Judgment

Tuesday night-Wednesday August 26-27 / 3 Elul

Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Palestine, outstanding Jewish thinker, Halachist and Kabbalist, and founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva, "Merkaz HaRav".

Today is also the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendelovitch (1886-1948), founding father of the Yeshiva system in America and head of Torah VeDaas, Brooklyn New York.

Friday night-Saturday August 29-304 / 6 Elul
Shabbat Parshat SHOFTIM

Torah Reading: SHOFTIM, Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9. Haftara: Isaiah 51:12-52:12.
Today is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Gershon Shaul Yomtov Lipman Heller (1578-1654), author of the Tosfos Yom Tov in-depth commentary on the Mishneh.

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