DIARY
29 October-6 December 2008
1 Marcheshvan-9 Kislev 5769
Wednesday night-Thursday 29-30 October / 1 Marcheshvan
Second day of Rosh Chodesh Marcheshvan
King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was completed on this day (I Kings 6:38), although it was not inaugurated until the following Tishri.
Attributes of the month of Marcheshvan: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: VAV KEH KEH YOD, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of the words of the verse OOd'vash Hayom Hazeh YKVK, "and honey. This day HaShem..." (Deut 26:15-16). The month's corresponding letter is: NUN; Human attribute: SMELL; Body Part: INTESTINE; Tribe: LEVY; Constellation: AKRAV (Scorpio, the Scorpion).
| The sum of the Hebrew letters of Marcheshvan (Mem 40 + Reish 200 + Chet 8 + Shin 300 + Vav 6 + Nun 50 + 1 for the kolel + 6 units for each of the Hebrew letters of the name) is 611, the same as that of the letters of Torah (Tav 400 + Vav 6 + Reish 200 + Heh 5). This is a sign that we should increase our Torah study during the long nights of the winter. |
Friday night-Saturday 31 Oct.-1 Nov / 3 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat NOACH
Torah Reading: Gen. 6.9-11.32. Haftara Isaiah 54:1-55:5 (Sephardi ritual: Isaiah 54:1-10). After the Torah reading in the synagogue it is customary to bless those who intend to observe the BeHaB fasts on the following Monday, Thurday and Monday.
Saturday night-Sunday 1-2 November / 4 Marcheshvan
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczno Rebbe (1889–1943), who was murdered in Treblinka, yet his writings continue today to shine inspiration to many who practice Torah meditation and self-reckoning.
Monday 3 November / 5 Marcheshvan
Today is the first of the three optional daytime fasts of BeHaB (signifying days 2, 5 & 2 of the coming 2 weeks, i.e. "Monday-Thursday-Monday") that follow the Succot festival after the end of Tishri. The practice is based on Job 1:5, where Job sacrificed to atone for possible inappropriate behavior on the part of his children during their feasting. Great spiritual gains are available for those who are able to observe these fasts.
Tuesday night-Wednesday 4-5 November / 7 Marcheshvan
Starting with the Tuesday night evening prayer, those who live in Israel begin inserting the request for rain (Ve-tein tal u-matar, "and give dew and rain") in the fifth intermedate blessing of the thrice-daily repeated Shmonah Esray prayer (Bareich aleynu... "Bless this year for us...").
Thursday 6 November / 8 Marcheshvan
Second of the BeHaB fasts.
Friday night-Saturday 7-8 November / 10 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat LECH LECHA
Torah Reading: Gen. 12.1-17.27. Haftara Isaiah 40.27-41.16.
Today is the Yahrzeit of Gad son of Jacob.
Saturday night-Sunday 8-9 November / 11 Marcheshvan
Yahrzeit of Rachel Immenu, Mother Rachel and her son Benjamin son of Jacob. In Israel enormous numbers of people visit Kever Rachel -- her gravesite -- on the road to Ephrat-Bethlehem.
Monday 10 November / 12 Marcheshvan
Third of the BeHaB fasts.
Thursday 13 November / 15 Marcheshvan
On this day in 782 B.C.E. the rebel king of the Ten Tribes, Yerav'am (Jeraboam) son of Nevat, instituted a new festival celebrating his inauguration of the idolatrous altar of Beth El, with the intention of deflecting the Israelites' attention from the Temple in Jerusalem and its kings, the House of David.
On the night following the same Hebrew date in 1938 (9-10 November), the Nazi oppressors perpetrated the Kristallnacht atrocities across the whole of Germany.
Friday night-Saturday 14-15 November / 17 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat VAYEIRA
Torah Reading: Gen. 18.1-22.24. Haftara II Kings 4.1-37 (Sephardi ritual: II Kings 4.1-23).
Saturday night-Sunday 16 November / 18 Marcheshvan
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir David Kahane (1932-90, HY"D).
Monday night-Tuesday 17-18 November / 20 Marcheshvan
Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avraham ben David of Provence, c.1125-1198, known as the Ra'avad, author of critical glosses on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, a major commentary on Sefer Yetzirah and other important writings, and a key link in the transmission of the Kabbalah to the later generations.
Friday night-Saturday 21-22 November / 24 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat CHAYEY SARAH; Shabbat Mevorachim
Torah Reading: Gen. 23:1-25:18. Haftara I Kings 1, 1-31. Since today's parshah records Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron from the Canaanites, many in Israel have the custom of spending this Shabbat in Hebron. Today is Shabbat Mevorachim, when we bless the coming month of Kislev following the Torah reading. The molad is on Friday 28 November at 03:26 a.m. and 15 chalakim.
Thursday 27 November / 29 Marcheshvan
Eve of New Moon -- Yom Kippur Katan ("Small Day of Atonement"): some have the custom of fasting from daybreak till nightfall and offering special penitential prayers.
Thursday night-Friday 27-28 November / 1 Kislev
Rosh Chodesh KISLEV
Attributes of the month of KISLEV: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: VAV YOD KEH KEH, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of the words of the verse Vayar Yoshev Ha'aretz Hakena'ani, "and the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw ..." (Genesis 50:11). The month's corresponding letter is: SAMECH; Human attribute: SLEEP; Body Part: KIVAH-Stomach ; Tribe: BENJAMIN; Constellation: KESHET (Sagittarius, the Archer).
Friday night-Saturday 28-29 November / 2 Kislev
Shabbat Parshat TOLDOT
Torah Reading: Gen. 25:19-28:9. Haftara: Malachi 1:1-2:7.
Sunday 30 November / 3 Kislev
In Second Temple times today was celebrated as a festival because the Hasmoneans cleared the Temple courtyard of Greek idols. In Israel, today sees the earliest sunset of the year.
Monday 1 December / 4 Kislev
On this day Zechariah received his prophecy that the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months mourning the destruction of the Temple will turn into festivals "...and have love for truth and peace" (Zechariah chapters 7-8).
It is propitious to give Tzedakah charity today just as on the eve of the festival of Succot, because today is the first of three days climaxing on 6 Kislev, which has the potential of a festival celebrating the giving of the Torah.
Tuesday 2 December / 5 Kislev
Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, the Maharsha (1555–1631), famous Talmudic commentator.
Wednesday 3 December / 6 Kislev
Just as the festival of Shavuot falls 50 days after Pesach, so it would have been fitting for Shemini Atzeret to be celebrated today, 50 days after Succot, except that this would have been burdensome to Israel, who needed to return home from the Succot pilgrim festival in Jerusalem before the onset of the rains. For this reason the Torah placed the actual celebration of Shemini Atzeret one day after Succot. Nevertheless, today has the potential of a festival akin to Shavuot, time of the Giving of the Torah, and is propitious for ascent in Torah and service of G-d.
Thursday 4 December / 7 Kislev
The sages of the Second Temple declared today a festival because of the death of King Herod, who notoriously hated the Torah sages.
Thursday night-Friday 4-5 December / 8 Kislev
Starting with the Thursday night evening prayer, those living in the Diaspora begin inserting the request for rain (Ve-tein tal u-matar, "and give dew and rain") in the fifth intermedate blessing of the thrice-daily repeated Shmonah Esray prayer (Bareich aleynu... "Bless this year for us...").
Friday night-Saturday 5-6 December / 9 Kislev
Shabbat Parshat VAYEITZEI
Torah reading: Gen. 28:10-32:3. Haftara: Hosea 12.13-14.10 (Optional addition: Micah 7.18) (Sephardi ritual: Hosea 11.7-12.12) |
