Sivan is the third month of the Hebrew calendar counting from Nissan. The number three in Judaism has a mystical connotation. Moses was the third child in his family, the Israelites began the three-day process of preparing themselves to receive the Torah on the third of Sivan and God divided the Jews into three groups with different roles: the Kohanim, the Levites and the rest of the Jews Yisrael. There are three Patriarchs, Abraham, represents Kindness, Isaac represents Prayer, Jacob represents the study of Torah. Jacob’s name equals 182 as Jacob (in Hebrew, “Yaakov”): yud-ayin-kuf-beit = 10 + 70 + 100 + 2 = 182. Also in Gematria is equal to seven times the name of G/d or 182, as it is 7×26=182.
The letter ז tzain, is the 7th letter in the alphabet and its significance alludes to Teferet which means beauty. Moses was the seventh generation from Abraham, the world was created in 7 days, Torah was given on the 7th day of the week etc.
The Tribe of the Month: Zebulum, he was the supporter of his brother Issachar (Nisan), both were partners Zebulum worked while his brother studied Torah.
The Limb of the Month: the left foot. How the Israelites came to Sinai? By foot, in Nissan, the limb of the month was the right foot. Now they used both feet, making it easier to travel. Therefore, the attribute of this month is Motion, meaning walk, move. Through the study of Torah, you move and travel from one level to another higher level which leads you through pleasant and peaceful pathways wide and narrow ultimately bringing you harmony to the soul, your home, your work or the world.
In Sivan, we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, when the Torah was revealed and given from G/d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. The Torah is considered the world print of the world. Our sages have compared it to a wedding between G/d and the Jewish people, each one being a ½ to make a Whole, as in the written and oral Torah each aspect can’t be one without the other.
The permutation of the month is יוהה ( yud-vav-hei-hei) from the Book of Exodus, chapter 26, v19-20.
On Shavuot, we read the story of Ruth, the Moabite princess who abandoned everything safe and familiar to follow her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel, to a life of physical rigour and spiritual truth. Her story is the story of all of us this month, as we try to move beyond our limited grasp of truth and move closer to the whole picture we saw at Sinai.
The month of Sivan gives us the unique opportunity to go beyond the surface of the physical world and reveal the deeper spiritual meaning hidden within us.
Ken Yehi Ratzon!
Tere Quiroz, on behalf of Women of Holy Blossom
Sunday May 21, 2023, 9am ET
Please visit this page for the Zoom link and details https://holyblossom.org/rosh-chodesh/
Recently I was sitting with a couple that is getting married, and I asked them – “How did you know that you were right for each other?” And they looked back at me and said, “You know, there wasn’t one moment. It just felt like home.”
Finding our place, whether that be in our career, our relationships or our synagogue is a challenging thing to describe, which is ironic because it’s not a challenging thing to feel! In an ideal world, you know when you know. Something extraordinary feels like it has just snapped into place. There is an immediate sense of comfort, of belonging, and an exhale of the soul. A breath you didn’t know you were holding is let go and suddenly you realize ‘Yes! This is where I should be.”
But that sense of immediate belonging is not always part of our everyday world. The rest of the time, we must build relationships and establish our places over months, days and years. Most of our relationships deepen over time and first impressions are not always lasting. It requires maintenance too. Like friendships, feeling like you belong is built up action by action- moment by moment.
In the Jewish world today, we are talking more and more about engagement. A model of intentionally creating that feeling of belonging. Cultivating practices so that the sensation of homecoming is a part of the culture of our space, rather than a happy accident for those lucky enough to experience it.
Holy Blossom has been working on being ‘engaging’ for a long time. It’s why a synagogue as large as ours often feels small and intimate. It’s why the clergy are always happy to make the time for you, to have coffee or share a meal, to hear about what’s going on in your life. It’s why our staff is so present with you, both at simchas and sorrows. It’s why our leadership is so passionate about this sacred community.
But there’s always more we can do, and more people we can reach out to. We believe there’s an entire generation out there that is waiting for someone to open the door and invite them in. This is why our leadership has bravely created a new position, a Director of Outreach and Next Gen Engagement, to help the next generation of Jewish families find their homes, to exhale, here at Holy Blossom. That connection might happen in a moment or over the course of many conversations, and now it has one more steward to help it grow.
You can read all about our new director of Next Generation Engagement here!
I may be biased, but I know that Rabbi Baruchel is dedicated to making sure that our synagogue is a beautiful home for generations to come. I have no doubt that in the coming years, we will look around our community and see many new faces who love Holy Blossom the same way that we do- and in entirely new ways as well.
I hope that you will join me in welcoming her. Please don’t hesitate to help her in her sacred work by connecting Rabbi Baruchel with young people you know who need a sacred space to call their home.
Mazel Tov to us all!
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Friday, April 28, 2023
1950 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5P 3K9
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Founded in 1856, Holy Blossom Temple is Toronto’s first synagogue with a rich history of tradition and modernity in our religious and spiritual expression.