Sign up to TorahFax

Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 1, 5781 / October 19, 2020

 

Today is the second day of Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month Cheshvan.  The month is also called Mar-Cheshvan.

 

There are two reasons why “Mar” is added to the name Cheshvan.  “Mar” stands for a “drop.”   Because Cheshvan is the time when the rains begin to fall in Israel, the word, mar, refering to rain drops, is added to the name Cheshvan.

 

Another reason:  “Mar” means “bitter.” Coming from the month of Tishrei which has so many holidays (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hoshana Raba, Shmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah), the month of Cheshvan, which has no holidays, feels spiritually “bitter.”  Although there are other months which have no holidays, the contrast from the month of Tishrei to the month of Cheshvan, which has no holidays in it, is felt much more, thus, the name “Mar-Cheshvan.”.

 

Our sages say, that Cheshvan should have had a great holiday.  For the first Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was completed in this month and King Solomon should have celebrated its dedication in Cheshvan. However, by G-dly decree the dedication was postponed for almost a year and was celebrated in Tishrei.

 

When Moshiach will come (may it be speedily in our days), the month of Cheshvan will be compensated with great celebrations.

 

In the beginning of this week's Parsha, Noach, which is about the Great Flood, G-d commands Noach (Noah) to build an ark. Noach builds the ark for 120 years. The ark had three floors: a top floor for people; a middle floor for animals; and bottom floor for garbage. G-d then commands Noach to enter into the ark. On the 17th day of this month, Cheshvan, the Great Flood began. 

 

The Torah calls Noach a Tzaddik B'dorotav, "a righteous person in his generation." Based on this expression, the Rabbis debate whether Noah was only righteous compared to the other people in his generation or whether he would have been called righteous in the generation of Abraham, as well.

 

Some say that the Torah uses the term, “In his generation” as a praise to Noach. Even in his generation, where all the people were wicked, Noach was righteous. How much more so had he lived in the time of Abraham.

 

Another opinion is that only in his generation, compared to everyone else, he was considered righteous. But, had he lived in Abraham’s generation, compared to Abraham, he wouldn’t have been considered so righteous. More on Noach and the Great Flood in tomorrow’s Torah Fax.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL CHODESH-MONTH