CHESHVAN:
Month 8 | Cheshvan: Releasing past hurts–allowing God to transform pain into purpose
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
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.