The Month of Nissan

In the Torah, Nissan is considered the first of the months of the year. It is also called "Chodesh Ha'aviv" — the month of spring.

King in the Spring

One of the most prominent aspects of this month is the energy of kingship and leadership. According to the book of Yetzirah, the letter associated with the month of Nissan is the letter "Hei," with which G-d created this world. The letter Hei represents the Sefirah of Malchut — the sphere of royalty and kingship. The first day of this month is considered the New Year of the kings. The way a king reigns over his kingdom is through the power of speech: "Bidvar Melech Shilton" — by the word of the king he rules. There is a direct correlation between kingship and speech, and the book of Yetzirah states that the faculty of speech is connected with Nissan.

On Pesach We Are Free

All of us have within us the core quality of royalty, and the most auspicious time to express it is during the month of Nissan, especially on Pesach. On the night of the seder we perform the mitzvot while leaning — as was the way of kings. Nissan is referred to as the month of Redemption. According to the Talmud, "In Nissan our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt and in Nissan we will be redeemed" with the coming of Moshiach.

Freedom is expressed through the image of the "open mouth." The central mitzvah of this month, done on the seder night, is the telling of the story of the Exodus — "The more one tells of the Exodus from Egypt, the more is he praiseworthy." This is the foremost mitzvah of speech of the entire year. In fact, one meaning of the word Pesach is "Peh-Sach" — a talking mouth. On Pesach night we read the haggadah, the book of talking and telling.

Leaping Towards Freedom

The part of the body connected with Nissan according to Kabbalah is the right foot — the foot of trust and confidence, the foot with which we jump and leap. This is the main meaning of the word Pesach: to skip and pass over. One of the main themes of Pesach is the ability to break through conditions of confinement and limitation, with the "Koach Hadilug" — the soul power to leap over boundaries. The exile in Mitzrayim is the source of all future exiles, and the exodus from Mitzrayim gave us the strength to transcend all of them. The word Nissan contains the letter "Nun" twice; the letter Nun represents Nissim — miracles and direct Divine assistance.

We prepare for Pesach by cleaning and eliminating all chometz (leavened bread) from our domains — subduing the ego and the coarseness of self-centeredness, becoming proper receptacles for the matzah. The matzah of the first seder night is the "Bread of Faith," strengthening our ability to trust and connect with the Divine, which transcends intellect and logic. The matzah of the second night is the "Bread of Healing." The week of Pesach culminates with the "Meal of Moshiach," initiated by the holy Baal Shem Tov, representing the final Redemption and the ultimate transformation of the world into a dwelling place for G-d.

Exercise

Define your personal Mitzrayim — the limitation that prevents you from expressing your higher self. Tap into the energy of Malchut available during this month to release yourself from that constriction and be like royalty, truly free.