CHESHVAN:
Month 8 | Cheshvan: Releasing past hurts–allowing God to transform pain into purpose
- Prayer Request
- Praise Report
Focus: Reflection
Letter: Nun (נ)
Tribe: Manasseh
Sense: Smell
Cheshvan is a month of no holidays and arrives on the heels of the month with the most holidays. In Jewish tradition, this is a solemn time of reflection in case one was excessively frivolous during the holiday season. Therefore, the first Monday, Thursday, and the second Monday after the Sabbath are commonly days of fasting from sunrise to sunset.
Jewish tradition teaches that Noah’s flood started during this Cheshvan. Ironically it is also when Jewish people begin to pray for the yearly rains. This practice is especially relevant in Israel, where winter is the rainy season, and the rain is crucial for agriculture.
Cheshvan is “reserved” for the time of the Messiah, who will inaugurate the Third Temple in the month of Cheshvan. Similarly, as the prophet Zechariah stated that fasts would become holidays, Cheshvan’s three fast days will be celebrations in the Messianic era.
Major Jewish and Biblical Events in History in Cheshvan:
01 Cheshvan: construction of Solomon’s Temple completed (dedicated following year)
10 Cheshvan: birth of Gad, Jacob’s 7th son
11 Cheshvan: deaths of Methuselah (969 yrs old) and Rachel (childbirth to Benjamin)
15 Cheshvan: Kristallnacht (1938) anti-Semitic riots in Germany
17 Cheshvan: Noah enters ark; rains begin
27 Cheshvan: God commanded Noah to leave the ark and repopulate the earth
DON'T MISS THE CALENDAR
Adar: The Month of Joy in the Hebrew Calendar
There are many joyous dates on the Jewish calendar, but besides Purim, none affect an entire month, causing it to be auspicious and joyous. Purim is the celebration of Israel’s rescue from the Persian leader Haman’s genocidal plot (as recorded in the Book of Esther). The Rabbis teach that Purim is like Yom Kippur (the “Day of Atonement”). While on Yom Kippur we achieve holiness through the mortification of the flesh and long hours of prayer, we realize that same level of holiness on Purim through feasting, celebration, and joy.
Shevat: The Month of Blessings and Fruitfulness in the Hebrew Calendar
According to Tradition, the first of Shevat is when Moses began giving his final address to Israel. “Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this Torah saying, ‘Adonai our God spoke to us at Horeb saying: ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain’” (Deuteronomy 1:5-6). For the entire month of Shevat, he would sit in the meeting tent and elucidate the Torah.
Tevet: The Month of Divine Grace in the Hebrew Calendar
2 Kings 25 tells us Nebuchadnezzar began Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem on the 10th day of Tevet (a fast day known as Asarah B’Tevet). Ironically, the Jewish people adopted the name “Tevet” during the Babylonian exile. It is believed to connote “sinking” or “immersing.”