Extending the website – from mitzvos to torah
Although the website is Living with Mitzvos where the main focus is on mitzvos, emphasising the practical applications of the Torah through the 613 mitzvos, nevertheless i would like to extend this by adding Torah thoughts on the areas of the Jewish months to help us think into the unbelievable infinite Torah. To follow the theme of the website, i am giving it the title of “Living with Torah – Jewish Months”. The Jewish Year is one of ups and downs for the Jewish People. Some months are seen as naturally good with others not so. This is mainly based on past events throughout Jewish History.
What does this involve?
“Living with Torah – Jewish Months” is where we take each Jewish month and analyse the historical events that reveal to us the nature of that month. We start with an overview of the Jewish month and then go ahead and create separate pages focusing on the interesting events that take place within that month.
Jewish Months Overview:
The Zohar tells us that the twelve months of the year where to be split between Yakov (representing the Jews) and Esav (representing the other nations of the world). They were to each have three months in the summer and three months in the winter. The summer months of Nissan–Iyar–Sivan to Yakov while the months of Tammuz–Av–Elul to Esav. In the winter months, Tishrei–Cheshvan–Kislev to Yakov while Teves–Shevat–Adar went to Esav. However, Yakov won over the month of Elul and this is why the nature of this month is dedicated to teshuva, symbolised by the switch from Esav and sinning to Yakov and doing good. In a similar way the month of Adar also has this switch over seen in Purim, the reversal from bad to good.
Months with extremes or equal times
The Maharal (Netzach) tells us that we can see the year based on the movement of the sun. Any times of extremes is not good for the Jews while when in time things are balanced and equal they are good for the Jews, namely the months of Nissan and Tishrei when the day and night are more or less equal. Extreme temperatures, either too hot or too cold and when the day is much longer than the night or the reverse is good for the goyim, examples being the months of Teves, Tammuz and Av.
Each month has a mazal and parallels a sheivet as well as a gemstone from the Choishen
There are twelve months and each has a mazal, astrological sign, associated with it. There are twelve tribes and each one parallels a different month. With regards as to how to pair up which month with which tribe there is an argument. According to the Zohar it goes according to the order of the birth of the shevotim while according to the Arizal it goes according to the seder of the Degolim. Each month is associated with a particular gemstone from among the 12 precious stones embedded in the Kohen Godol’s Choishen, breastplate.
According to Sefer Yetzirah, each month of the Jewish year has a corresponding color, a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a zodiac sign, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, a sense, and a controlling organ/limb of the body that correspond to it.
The names of the months
The names of how the Jewish months are called nowadays are not actually hebrew but are from a foreign language, Kasdim. Originally the months were nameless and were referred to as the first month, second month etc. This stayed until the time when the Jews were in Golus Bovel then they called the months by Babylonian names. The Ramban (Bo) explains this…
The months finding parallels in the tefilla
In the Mussaf of Rosh Chodesh we end off saying how the year should be blessed with a description of many things (after each group the tzibbur answers Omen). There are twelve expressions each one paralleling a different Jewish month and therefore there is a thirteenth expression added in a leap year, Ukaporras Posha, that parallels the last month of Adar Sheini. Another allusion to the twelve Jewish months is seen in the Yihei Rotzoin said on Shabbos Mevorchim. It has eleven expressions of goodness, the twelfth missing one being the month of Tishrei when we do not say this blessing and the whole month is dealing with the general matter of life and death, not the details of what quality of life.
Saying Hallel each month
The Tanya Rabbosi brings that an allusion to say Hallel every Rosh Chodesh is that in Tehillim 150 where Dovid HaMelech uses the word Hallel twelve times alluding to the twelve months and then we double over the last possuk that makes another Hallel alluding to the thirteenth month is in a leap year.
Is the extra expression kneged an extra shevet, i.e. The two sons of Yosef?
Yes, thanks for this comment. The seforim tell us that the twelfth month of Adar that has the mazal of Dogim, fish, parallel Yosef. It therefore follows that in a leap year that has two Adar’s, these parallel the two son’s of Yosef, Efrayim and Menashe. I hope to in due course to elaborate on this very good point. The website is in it’s initial stages and is slowly progressing. I am hoping to update and expand current articles as well as new ones as we progress through the Jewish Year. Many thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated!