Page 87 - 24107

Chayei Sarah # 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 3 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Black 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL |

#
Indeed, when God first told Abraham to leave his home, his life
Va’eira א ָרֵּיַו style, and his entire belief system and go “to the land that I will show
you” (Genesis 12:1), it is clear that God was not just commanding
Abraham to wander until he found a suitable place which God would
then give him. Clearly God planned to lead Abraham to a certain
preordained spot. This spot was the Land of Canaan, later known
£The Prayers of Heshvan The Prayers of Heshvan The Prayers of Heshvan as the Land of Israel. The fact that God brought Abraham to that
££
specific land suggests that it possessed certain qualities and energies
and Abraham’s P which God wanted Abraham and his progeny to benefit from.
and Abraham’s Prayer for Sodom
and Abraham’s Prayer for Sodom rayer for Sodom
The Midrash actually teaches that the Land of Israel played a
central role in the lives of all the generations predating Abraham.
Heshvan is the only Hebrew month containing no holiday, Adam and Eve lived on what would be the Temple Mount after they
commemorative event, or fast day. Following the month of Tishrei, were banished from the Garden of Eden (Bereishit Rabbah 21:11).
which has the major holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, When Noah sent the dove from the ark in search of dry land, it
Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret, this lack is particularly noticeable. brought back an olive twig from the Land of Israel (Bereishit Rabbah
For this reason some call it ‘Mar Heshvan’ (Bitter Heshvan). Yet, 33:9). Both Adam and Noah built altars on the very spot where the
tradition teaches that in Messianic times, Heshvan will be “rewarded,” Temple would be built (Bereishit Rabbah 38:9). Noah’s descendants,
for the Third Temple will be inaugurated during it. For this reason Shem and Ever, founded and led a school in Israel dedicated to
some people already refer to this month as ‘Ram Heshvan’ (Exalted teaching all the existing spiritual traditions (Bereishit Rabbah 68:5).
Heshvan). Alluding to this, the word ‘ram’ is actually the inverted Malchizedek, who according to tradition was Shem, was a High
form of the word ‘mar.’ Priest in Shalem (Jerusalem), and it was he who greeted and blessed

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach teaches that this month’s enormous Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20). From time immemorial Israel was a
spiritual potential is created by the nature of our Heshvan prayers: spiritual magnet, drawing people knowledgeable in spiritual matters
prayers that reflect how we pray when it seems as if our task has been to it.
completed, the verdict for the year finalized. During Tishrei, when Taking this discussion to an even deeper level, the Hebrew words
we are surrounded by the holiness of all the holidays, it is easy to for “human being” (Adam) and “earth” (adamah) stem from the 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 3 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Magenta #24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 3 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Yellow 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 3 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Black 24107-EYAL - 2
find the incentive and inspiration to pray. But what happens when same root. The simple reading of the verse, “dust you are and to dust
the holidays are over and we return to our ordinary routines? If we you will return” (Genesis 3:19), means that when we die we return to
fall back into our old ways as well, then the prayers and spiritual the earth – but what is the significance of the first half of the phrase,
service of Tishrei failed to touch us deeply enough. If we can actually “dust you are?” The Torah states that man was formed from the dust
bring to fruition those changes we strived for and keep praying with of the ground and that G-d “breathed into his nostrils the breath of
the same commitment and intensity, then we have the ability to life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). One version of the
transform a potentially bitter month into an exalted one.
Midrash recounts that dust was gathered from all over the world and
The importance of not letting go of the achievements we have brought to the Temple Mount where God formed Adam (Sanhedrin
attained in Tishrei is also reflected in the portion of Va’eira, which 38). The connection between the earth and the human being made
always occurs in the middle of Heshvan. In this portion, the first up of a body and a soul teaches us that humanity’s relationship with

74 87