TISHREI:
Month 7 | Tishrei: “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5 (TLV)
Focus: Forgiveness & Redemption
Letter: Lamed (ל)
Tribe: Ephraim
Sense: Touch (Contact, Marriage)
“All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the Feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month” (1 Kings 8:2).
This month has three names:
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- the Seventh month, first mentioned in Leviticus 23:24,
- Ethanim (meaning “strong”), and
- Tishrei, which is the name we brought back from the Babylonian exile.
God renews His creation at Tishrei. The Jewish sages write, “All sevenths are beloved above… and among months, the seventh—>Tishrei—is most precious” (Yalkut Shimoni, Parashat Yitro 276). This month includes more commandments and holy days than any other month. It is the month that the Jewish Sages teach that God renews creation (Babylonian Talmud Rosh Hashannah 11a). This month’s festivals all focus on the person praying, waiting, and relying upon the Lord. Consequently, this month’s other name (Ethanim >meaning “strong”) makes perfect sense, as “they who wait for Adonai will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31.
Major Jewish and Biblical Events in History in Tishrei:
01 Tishrei:
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- Rosh Hashanah
- Adam and Eve created
- The Fall (humanity’s first sin)
- Isaac’s Binding (Mount Moriah) and Sarah’s Passing
08 Tishrei: Dedication of Solomon’s Temple
10 Tishrei:
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- Yom Kippur: the Day of Atonement
- Rebekah’s birthday
- Moses returned with 2nd Tablets
- Ezekiel’s Vision of the Third Temple (410 BCE)
- Start of the Yom Kippur War
14 Tishrei: Sukkot begins
21 Tishrei: Prophecy of Haggai Encouraging the Building of the Second Temple
22 Tishrei: Nation returns home after Temple Dedication (1 Kgs 8:66)
DON'T MISS THE CALENDAR
ELUL: The King is in the Field
The human mind will never be able to fully comprehend, at least not this side of the Resurrection, how great a sacrifice it was to lay down all the energies of divinity, to descend from the glorious fullness of eternal infinitude to humbling limitations of an impoverished baby (lacking bladder control!).
Av: The Month of Comfort in the Hebrew Calendar
The month of Av is also referred to as “Menachem Av.” “Menachem” means “consoler,” and “Av” means “father.” Due to the tragic events that occurred during this month, its name reminds us that God is there to comfort us in times of tragedy. Tu B’Av signifies rebirth after destruction and is a day for new beginnings.
Tammuz: The Month of Vision in the Hebrew Calendar
On the 3rd day of this month, the Lord miraculously stopped the sun in its tracks (allowing for sustained vision), allowing Joshua and his armies to deal a decisive blow to their enemies.