The shofar’s blast
Has since been heard
The moon has blocked the sun
And suddenly a whispered word
Elul has begun
Indeed, the summer’s sun is gone
Along with all its fun
For Elul’s call throughout the world
Shouts out to everyone
The bochurim have packed their bags
Their Kovetz and Gemaros
No more idle words now said
It’s chakiros and sevaros
Mussar daily and at night
Learning four great seforim
Chovos, Shaarei, Tomer, too
Of course, Mesillas Yeshorim
The baalei batim energize
Learn more and daven slower
Voices heard (in back of shul)
Suddenly are lower
The children ready for their schools
No matter age or grade
All of them will surely learn
How their deeds, too, are weighed
Yes, apples dipped in honey
And shofar horns to blow
But even midst the fun of youth
They, too, soon know
That Elul’s here
And summer’s gone
Despite their child’s play
That Rosh Hashanah, Yom Hadin
Is not too far away
They told us how
Before the war
Everyone would shake
The call of Elul in the street
Meant so much was at stake
The cobblers would tremble
When fixing shredded soles
Carpenters would quiver
As they boarded gaping holes
Rabbonim would be fasting
Crying as they pleaded
That all their words of mussar
Somehow would be heeded
And though we’ve lost the sanctity
And our forefathers’ fear
I know that if the community
Will feel that Elul’s here
Their lives would all be different
For these next 40 days
How it learns and how it yearns
And how it acts and prays
If just a drop of Elul
Of days of yesteryear
Would come into our midst today
And permeate the air
Then we would also know for sure
When Yom Hadin does come
A great decree of yeshuos
Will sure greet everyone
