Elul is the time to begin the process of asking
forgiveness for wrongs done to other people. According to Jewish tradition,
G-d cannot forgive us for sins committed against another person until we have first obtained
forgiveness from the person we have wronged.
As the month of Elul starts , the mood of repentance becomes more urgent.
Prayers for forgiveness called
Selichot (properly pronounced "s''lee-KHOHT," סליחות") are added to the daily cycle of religious services.
Selichot are recited in the early morning, before normal daily shacharit .
A fundamental part of the selichot service is the repeated recitation of the "Thirteen
Attributes," a list of G-d''s thirteen attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the golden calf.