Breaking The Jewish Code Perry Stone

God ascended in the trumpet blasts, as it is said: “God went up in a blast, the Lord in the sound of the shofar.”5 Thus, the forty days of Teshuvah commemorate the second trip Moses made to the top of the mountain, where he spent another forty days as God revealed His commandments for the second time (Exod. 34:28). The forty days of Teshuvah are divided into two parts. The first part consists of the twenty-nine days in the month of Elul. Each day a shofar is sounded, reminding the Jewish people to repent. During Moses’s first trip, the people became weary of waiting for him and built the golden calf. The second time, the trumpet blasts reminded them that God was in their midst and watching their actions. During the twenty-nine days of Elul, the Jewish people follow several customs. 1. The people recite special prayers, called Selichot , to ask God’s forgiveness. These prayers are recited in some communities early in the morning, and in older communities, during the week before Rosh Hashanah. 2. Letters are written to correct wrongs and ask for forgiveness from others. Often at the conclusion of the letters, the wish “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life” is penned.