THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
In Jewish tradition, the month of Elul marks the sixth month of the year, while in Roman customs, it is referred to as September. It was essential for the wall of the sacred city to be completed in this sixth month, so that this numeral might represent the accomplished endeavors of believers, whether they are repentant or virtuous. The number six often symbolizes the fulfillment of a righteous act, as the Lord finalized the creation of the universe on the sixth day and ceased His labor on the seventh. Alternatively, it may indicate that we are called to engage in good works throughout the six ages of this present world, with the hope of attaining the Sabbath rest for our souls in the seventh age to come in eternal life.
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Remarkably, the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of that month, influenced by the five senses through which we are meant to perform good deeds externally. The number five often represents these senses, while twenty-five—achieved by squaring five—denotes a more profound embodiment of the same faculties. Thus, we complete the wall of Jerusalem on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month; by aptly directing our senses to serve the Divine, we draw our virtuous beginnings to fruition, and, with God's assistance, realize success in all our undertakings to strengthen the faithful.
It is notably recorded that the wall was completed in fifty-two days. The fiftieth Psalm, wherein the prophet earnestly prays for the restoration of this city by proclaiming, ‘Bless, O Lord, according to Thy good pleasure Zion; build up the walls of Jerusalem’ (Psalm 50:20), embodies themes of repentance and grace. On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Spirit graced the nascent Church, instilling not only our longing for repentance but also bestowing the gift of forgiveness upon those who turn back to God. In this context, we are charged with two commandments of love: to love God and to love our neighbor. Following the Holy Spirit's granting of forgiveness for our sins, we are urged to labor towards achieving eternal life.
The inhabitants of the holy city rebuild the wall, which had been devastated by adversaries, over the span of fifty-two days, reflecting the true perfection of the righteous in this life. This encompasses not only the rectification of sins through repentance empowered by divine grace but also the subsequent embellishment of their lives with virtuous deeds rooted in love for both God and their neighbors.