Growing Closer to Adonai Through Daily Practice
By Daniel.
The month of Elul is a sacred and precious time of introspection, preparation, and drawing closer to Adonai. It calls me to look honestly into my heart, examine my deeds, acknowledge where I have fallen short, and begin anew through teshuvah - returning to Adonai with sincere repentance, prayer, humility, and a renewed commitment to live according to His will.
Teshuvah is not merely an expression of regret. It is a process of returning: turning away from what distances me from Adonai and turning toward a life of mitzvot, tefillah, Torah, and avodat Hashem - the service of God. It requires the courage to recognize my shortcomings, the humility to ask forgiveness, and the determination to change through action as well as words.
Elul therefore invites me to ask not only, “What have I done wrong?”, but also, “How can I draw closer to Adonai? What mitzvah can I strengthen? How can I improve my tefillah? How can I become more mindful of His presence and bring greater holiness into my everyday life?”
Beginning the Morning with Gratitude
This return to Adonai can begin the moment I awaken. Each morning, I have the privilege of reciting Modeh Ani:
Modeh ani lefanecha, Melech chai v’kayam, shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemlah; rabbah emunatecha.
“I give thanks before You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul to me; great is Your faithfulness.”
These words remind me that waking up is itself an act of divine kindness. Before I speak to another person, begin my work, or attend to the concerns of the day, I can turn my thoughts toward Adonai and acknowledge that my life is a gift from Him.
Each morning is therefore more than the beginning of another day. It is another opportunity to serve Adonai, perform mitzvot, learn, pray, and become a better servant of G-d.
After rising, negel wasser, the ritual washing of the hands, continues this transition from sleep into conscious service of Adonai. This small but meaningful act of kedushah reminds me that even ordinary actions can become part of a life directed toward holiness.
I want to begin the day not merely by following a routine, but with kavanah - awareness and intention. My body has awakened, and I also want my soul to awaken to the presence of Adonai.
The Shema and Daily Remembrance
This awareness continues through the daily recitation of the Shema, morning and evening. When I proclaim:
Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad,
I affirm the fundamental truth of Jewish faith: Adonai is One.
Reciting the Shema in the morning and again at night creates a rhythm of remembrance throughout the day. In the morning, I place the coming day before Adonai; in the evening, I return my thoughts to Him before surrendering myself to sleep.
The Shema calls me to love Adonai “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might,” and to allow that love to shape the way I live. It connects my daily practices to the larger purpose of serving Him with my whole life.
Growing Through Daily Practice
During Elul, Modeh Ani, negel wasser, the morning and evening Shema, prayer, Torah study, and the observance of mitzvot acquire an even deeper significance. These are not isolated religious acts. Together, they form a path by which I can gradually bring my entire life closer to Adonai.
I am learning that becoming more observant does not happen all at once. It is a gradual journey of kabbalat ol mitzvot - accepting upon myself the yoke and responsibility of the mitzvot - with sincerity, patience, and commitment.
Every blessing recited with intention, every prayer offered with greater concentration, every mitzvah observed, every act of kindness, and every moment devoted to Torah can become another step toward a life of greater kedushah.
Elul teaches me that Adonai is never distant from the person who sincerely seeks Him. Each morning, I can begin again. Each prayer gives me another opportunity to turn toward Him. Each mitzvah gives me another opportunity to sanctify an ordinary moment.
A Renewed Commitment
During this month of Elul, I want to make my daily practices more than habits. I want them to become expressions of my relationship with Adonai and tangible signs of my teshuvah.
One day at a time. One prayer at a time. One mitzvah at a time. One sincere step of teshuvah at a time.
May this journey bring me closer to Adonai, deepen my faith, strengthen my commitment to Torah and mitzvot, and prepare my heart for the coming Yamim Nora’im - the Days of Awe, referring to Rosh Hashanah, Taschlich and Yom Kippur - with humility, sincerity, and hope.