Women of Holy Blossom: Rosh Chodesh AV

Rosh Chodesh AV

by Teresa Quiroz, on behalf of Women of Holy Blossom

Preface

As previously communicated, this will be the last submission on the series of” About the month of …” This initiative was originated by Jill Kamin and passed to me. I learned a lot through my research for these articles, and I very much appreciated hearing from congregants who also did.

The Rosh Chodesh celebration is evolving to recognize Holy Blossom Temple women, from our past and present. As always, Women of Holy Blossom is indebted to those upon whose shoulders we stand, in sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice.

Av is the 5th month of the year counting from the month of Nissan. It means ‘Father’. During this month we the Jewish people, G/d and Torah become one. It is during this month that the destruction of the two temples happened. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain also happened during the month of AV. The month conjures up a mixture of conflicting moods. The Mishna says: “As AV enters, we diminish joy”. During this month one sees the true love of a Father (G/d) and his unconditional love for his children in spite of his children not following his commandments.

Rosh Chodesh AV is the beginning of the stricter mourning period for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash – First and Second.  The final Nine Days of Tisha B’AV and the Three Weeks are a time of intensified mourning.  There are times when we’re told to be sad and this period is one of several during the year. And it is because without these times of sorrow and consolation, our joy would flow false and from sorrow joy will permeate. It is an opportunity to seek the 5^th level of spirituality and to become one with G/d and this only happens through humility where we can understand the greatness of G/d.

The Tribe of the month is Shimon, from the word Shema, which attribute is to hear/listen and by Listening it will bring you closer to G/d hoping his commandments would be followed. In the previous month of Tammuz Reuben’s attribute was “to see”.

The permutation of the month of Av: (ה.ו.י.ה) is derived from Exodus Ch-9 V3

And bespeaks of plague, the letters begin reversed (ה.ו) but end in the correct order (י.ה). This indicates that while the judgment over the first half of the month is harsh and strict, the month concludes with Divine Mercy. In fact, the letters ‘yud’ and ‘heh’ are not only “in order” and connote Mercy; their numerical equivalent is 15. This reveals that the second half of G-d’s name for this month literally correlates to the last 15 days of Av, and corresponds to the teaching of the Talmud which states (Ta’anit 26b), “There are no greater days for the People of Israel like the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur”.

The letter of the month: is Tet, the letter for Tov (Good), which together TVB which adds to 15 day of AV. The word Tov is mentioned in the 5^th chapter, 55A of the Gemara.

Chassidic teaching frowns upon sadness, an old Chassidic proverb goes, “Sadness is not a sin, but its effect on the person is worse than any sins.” The soul was sent to this world not to be, but to do; not to merely exist, but to achieve. To retreat into the self is to reverse the flow of life. Joy is revelation.

Ken Yehi Ratzon,

Shacharit Service: Monday, August 5, 2024, 7:30 am ET, in-person or via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/93902401402?pwd=dGlOR2dEcGs1RVc0OVFwdkFtOVo5UT09
password: 667580

For upcoming dates and why Rosh Chodesh is special for women, see https://holyblossom.org/rosh-chodesh/