The Hebrew month of Elul begins at sunset on Sunday, August 24, and continues for 30 days. This is followed by the Ten Days of Awe, the first ten days of the month of Tishri, beginning with Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah) and ending with Yom Kippur. This constitutes a forty-day period called Teshuvah, meaning Repentance. It is a time to prepare our hearts for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Beginning at sunset this evening: The month of Elul on the Biblical calendar: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies.” (Song of Songs 6:3 TLV) Traditionally this month is seen as the month when a king inspects his fields. Elul signifies "The King is in His Field". Traditionally it is a time when God is seen as being particularly close to His people who earnestly seek Him, and blessings follow those who do. The custom for the month of Elul is to read Psalm 27 every day and to hear the sounding of the shofar every day (either by sounding a shofar yourself or listening to it on YouTube).