The Month of Cheshvan

At the end of the spiritually rich month of Tishrei we declare, "And Yaakov went on his way" — now is the time to take all the light we accumulated during the month of holidays and bring it into the world, into our mundane lives. This begins with the month of Cheshvan.

Cheshvan is the only month that has no holidays or special mitzvot. At first glance it looks like a dreary month leading into the dark winter. In the Bible it is called the month of "bul," from "mabul" — flood; the flood that covered the world began on the 17th of Cheshvan. Yet from a deeper perspective the flood served as a mikvah, a purifying bath that refined the world and made it receptive to the process of rectification that will culminate with the coming of Moshiach.

The Month of Moshiach

Cheshvan is the eighth month of the Jewish calendar. The number seven signifies the perfection of nature; the number eight signifies the supernatural — the Divine light that transcends the limitations of the finite. The first Temple, built by King Solomon, was completed in Cheshvan, though its dedication waited until Tishrei; G-d promised the "deprived" month of Cheshvan that the third and eternal Temple will be built and dedicated in Cheshvan. The inaugurations of the three Temples fall in the first three months of the year — the first in Tishrei, the future third in Cheshvan, the second in Kislev — associated with the three tribes descended from Rachel: Ephraim, Menashe and Benyamin.

The Powers of Cheshvan

According to the book of Yetzirah the sense of Cheshvan is the sense of smell, the most spiritual of the senses and the only one not blemished by the sin in the Garden of Eden. The prophet teaches that Moshiach will detect the righteousness of each person through his sense of smell. In Hebrew smell is "reyach," similar to "ruach" — spirit; the word "neshama" (soul) shares its letters with Menashe, the tribe of Cheshvan, whose name also shares the letters of "shmone" (eight). Menashe alludes to the power to transform darkness to light through the neshama, the Divine soul that never loses touch with the inner G-dly intent of every experience. This power is the letter Nun, the letter of Moshiach, which signifies the 50th gate of understanding and the number of freedom — freedom from the confines of creation that comes with understanding G-d's deepest intention.

Elevating the Scorpion

The Zodiac sign of Cheshvan is Scorpio. The scorpion's poison is deadly because it is cold, representing coldness to holiness and the sarcastic rejection of the miraculous; it attacks at the heel and poisons with doubt and skepticism. The way to counteract it is by positioning oneself as a heel — the position of humility — recognizing G-d as the source of all existence: "akrav" (scorpion) transformed becomes "ikar bayit," the permanent dwelling of G-d in this world, the third Temple. So turn yourself into a sanctuary of G-dliness, filled with humility, gratitude and awareness of G-d in every aspect of life.

Jewish Mother's Day

On the 11th of Cheshvan we commemorate the passing of Rachel Imeinu. Rachel represents the inner power of the soul to awaken G-d's mercy upon His people and to redeem them from exile; she constantly awaits the gathering of the Jewish people back to their homeland. Her passing falls 41 days from the beginning of the year, and 41 is the numerical value of "em" — mother; the 11th of Cheshvan is therefore the Jewish mother's day of the year. Rachel also represents the sphere of Malchut, which through its humility uncovers its source in the Divine crown — just as the Jewish people will generate the Divine majestic light to all nations from the house of G-d in Jerusalem with the coming of Moshiach.