In the Hebrew calendar, Cheshvan (חֶשְׁוָן ) is the second month of the civil year (which started on Rosh HaShanah) and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year (which began on the first of Nisan). The month falls in October and November in the secular calendar.
The full name of the month is Mar-cheshvan, but is generally shortened to Cheshvan. The full name of the month means “bitter Cheshvan” and is called that because there are no holidays or fast days during this month. Two modern tragedies, however, occurred during Cheshvan, adding to the bitterness of the month. Kristalnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, which was the pogrom which is generally considered mark the beginning of the Holocaust, occurred on 15 Cheshvan 5699 (1938). Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s Prime Minister was assassinated on 12 Cheshvan 5756 (1995).
11 Cheshvan marks the Yartzeit of Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl (1797). Rabbi Nachum was the founder of the Chassidic Rebbes.
In Israel, Cheshvan marks the beginning of the rainy season. A prayer called V’tein Tal u-Matar (Deliver Dew and Rain) is added to the Shemoneh Esrei. If no rain has fallen by the 17th of the month, special prayers are added. Interestingly, the great flood of Genesis, is traditionally considered to have begun on the 17th day of Cheshvan. Only Noah and his family is said to have survived this flood, along with the animals who accompanied them on the Ark.
Generally the month of Cheshvan has 29 days, but in some years there is an additional day added. The additional day depends upon when Rosh Hashanah falls.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Noach / Genesis 6:9 ~ 11:32
Noach: Noah
The world is getting out of control, so G~d turns to Noah, the one righteous person in his generation earth and instructs him to build an ark. Noah is given very precise instructions on how the ark should be build. He is also instructed to bring food and animals on the ark. As with the creation stories, there are two accountings of Noah's Ark. In the first rendition, Noah is instructed to bring 2 of every animal on the ark. In the second story, Noah is instructed to bring seven of each tahor, or ritually permissive, species and only two of each tamei, or ritually impermissive species on the ark.
After Noah has completed his task, and all the animals and Noah's immediate family are on the ark, it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. Humanity is virtually destroyed. After the rain ceases, it takes several weeks before the water has subsided enough for all aboard to return to dry land.
Noah's first act after the flood it to build an altar and sacrifices one of the tahor species. G~d is pleased with the offering and makes a promise never to destroy the earth again. As a sign of His promise, G~d creates a rainbow in the sky. In addition, G~d now permits humans to eat meat (before t his humans were vegetarians), provided the blood is completely drained from the meat, thereby making the meat Kosher.
The parsha ends with the Tower of Babel story in which mankind attempted to build a tower up to G~D, in an effort to become G~d. G~d responds by destroying the tower and scattering the people across the earth, so that each community now speaks in different languages.
In the year 2011, Noach falls on October 29.
The world is getting out of control, so G~d turns to Noah, the one righteous person in his generation earth and instructs him to build an ark. Noah is given very precise instructions on how the ark should be build. He is also instructed to bring food and animals on the ark. As with the creation stories, there are two accountings of Noah's Ark. In the first rendition, Noah is instructed to bring 2 of every animal on the ark. In the second story, Noah is instructed to bring seven of each tahor, or ritually permissive, species and only two of each tamei, or ritually impermissive species on the ark.
After Noah has completed his task, and all the animals and Noah's immediate family are on the ark, it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. Humanity is virtually destroyed. After the rain ceases, it takes several weeks before the water has subsided enough for all aboard to return to dry land.
Noah's first act after the flood it to build an altar and sacrifices one of the tahor species. G~d is pleased with the offering and makes a promise never to destroy the earth again. As a sign of His promise, G~d creates a rainbow in the sky. In addition, G~d now permits humans to eat meat (before t his humans were vegetarians), provided the blood is completely drained from the meat, thereby making the meat Kosher.
The parsha ends with the Tower of Babel story in which mankind attempted to build a tower up to G~D, in an effort to become G~d. G~d responds by destroying the tower and scattering the people across the earth, so that each community now speaks in different languages.
In the year 2011, Noach falls on October 29.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Bereshit / Genesis 1:1 ~ 6:8
Bereshit: In the Beginning
Bereshit means "beginnings." The first Torah scroll is known as Bereshit. In English, this is referred to as Genesis. Bereshit begins with the creation of the world. There are two creation stories in this reading ` one in which man and woman are created at the same time, and the other in which Eve is made from Adam.
The creation of the world does not end following the creation of man and woman, but rather, with the creation of the Shabbat, or Day of Rest.
Adam and Eve were given only one rule ~ not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed, they were not only expelled from the Garden of Eden, but given moral responsibility for their actions. Additionally, they were faced with their own mortality. Soon the meaning of mortality became apparent wen Cain killed his brother, Abel. The first murder. As a result, Cain was doomed to wander the earth.
The parsha ends with a recording of the genealogy of Adam to Noah.
In the year 2011, Bereshit falls on October 22.
Bereshit means "beginnings." The first Torah scroll is known as Bereshit. In English, this is referred to as Genesis. Bereshit begins with the creation of the world. There are two creation stories in this reading ` one in which man and woman are created at the same time, and the other in which Eve is made from Adam.
The creation of the world does not end following the creation of man and woman, but rather, with the creation of the Shabbat, or Day of Rest.
Adam and Eve were given only one rule ~ not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed, they were not only expelled from the Garden of Eden, but given moral responsibility for their actions. Additionally, they were faced with their own mortality. Soon the meaning of mortality became apparent wen Cain killed his brother, Abel. The first murder. As a result, Cain was doomed to wander the earth.
The parsha ends with a recording of the genealogy of Adam to Noah.
In the year 2011, Bereshit falls on October 22.
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