The Magic of the Months

by Devorah Walder

The month that we are now in is the month of Av. Every month has an energy associated with it. In the month of Av we remember the destruction of the Holy Temple on Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av). Tisha B'Av is traditionally a full fast day, a time to read the book of Aicha (Laments), and conduct ourselves in the way of mourners — sitting on the floor, not directly greeting each other, refraining from music, etc. Some variations of this practice may be a partial fast or refraining from sweets or some other tangible practice to help us remember the implications of the loss of the Temple even now. It is commonly thought that the Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred and will only be rebuilt (literally or figuratively) in a time of total love. Especially now, with the tension and fighting in the Holy Land at such a boil, it seems very relevant to look at our past and commit ourselves to breaking down the walls of prejudice and emotion that keep us from remembering that all the people involved in this struggle are ultimately after the same goal. The goal is peace. The goal is remembering that we are relatives on the same family tree, we are cousins and siblings. The goal is having hope for the future generations.

There are many places in Jewish practice that intensely joyful and intensely sorrowful times are linked. The breaking of the glass at the end of a Jewish wedding, perhaps the best known ritual in Judaism, is a perfect example. Here, at an intensely joyful time in a new couple's life, we directly tie the energy of that moment with the rememberance of the destruction of the Temple. Why? So that in times of sorrow we are equally well anchored to a time of great joy. Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av) is a day for love (not that every day isn't). It is the day we finished our 40 years in the desert. It is the full moon that wanes into Elul.

The coming month is the month of Elul. Just as Av is the month of remembering things broken, Elul is the month of fixing before Rosh Hashana, the new year for humanity. In Hebrew, the four letters of the name Elul, אֱלוּל aleph lamed vav lamed, correspond to the words “Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li”, or “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine”. This energy of reciprocated love is the surrounding theme for this month when we focus on what we'd like to change in our lives, who we need to forgive, and from who we need to be forgiven. In this loving energy, it is a wonderful time to clear out our lives and set our intentions for the new year.

L'shana tova!

—from our August 2002 Newsletter

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