Hesvan Newsletter 5786

This newsletter is dedicated to the souls of the fallen and the murdered Israelis, along with the safe return of all the Israeli citizens held in captivity.

How can one place in Jerusalem change the face of all humanity?

What brings true joy, tranquility and harmony to the world?

The surprising answers can be seen in the video:

Activities

The Water Libation Practice

The practice of the Water Libation ceremony by the Temple Mount and Temple organizations took place during Hol HaMoed in Sukkot for the first time, held by the Jerusalem Municipality with the participation of thousands of people.

The Head of the Temple Mount Administration, Rabbi Shimshon Elboim, spoke at the event saying that "the massive participation in the event proves the anticipation for the Redemption and the Holy Temple, for the performance of the commandments dependent on the Temple, and for the Simchat Bet HaShoeva ceremony, as it was customary during the time of the Temple."

Photo Credit: "Temple Mount Administration"

The Jerusalem March

The traditional Jerusalem March constitutes one of the central and most colorful events in Israel, taking place during Hol HaMoed in Sukkot. This year, too, thousands of participants came from all over Israel and the world to honor Jerusalem and the Jewish People.

Meteoric Increase on the Temple Mount during the Tishrei Holidays • 10,767 ascended for prayers - an amazing jump of 29%.

In 2025, 53,912 Israeli Jews and 37,245 tourists ascended the Temple Mount.
What about you?

(Credit: Journal Makor Rishon)

The Meaning of the Name "MarHeshvan"

In the Bible, the month is called "Yeraḥ Bul," while the name "MarHeshvan" originates in Babylon.

The Sages interpreted the word "Mar" in two ways:
• On the one hand – "Mar" as bitterness, due to the difficult events that occurred during it: the Great Flood (Mabul), the passing of Sarah and Rachel, and the division of the kingdom between Judah and Israel.
• On the other hand – some interpreted "Mar" as signifying importance, or from the Gemara's phrase "Marḥishin Sifvateihen" (their lips murmur), namely – even after the end of the days of Tishrei, a person's lips continue to "murmur" prayer and Torah, drawing strength from the spiritual elevation of the High Holy Days.

According to this, Heshvan is a month in which the continued spiritual work of Tishrei is expressed – but this time in a quiet and internal manner.

Inner Joy versus Outer Exuberance

The blessing "Asher Bara" is one of the seven blessings recited during the wedding ceremony (Chuppah). It contains twelve "expressions of joy," corresponding to the 12 months of the year.

The first expression of joy – "Sasson" (Exuberance) – corresponds to the month of Tishrei, and the second month, Heshvan, corresponds to "Simcha" (Joy), which is the second of the twelve expressions of joy.

We must explain why the concept of joy is specifically emphasized in the month of Heshvan.

There are levels of joy:
• Sasson – an external revelation, visible emotions and poetry.
• Simcha – an inner movement of the soul, tranquility and completeness of the heart.

In the month of Tishrei, which is filled with practical commandments – shofar, Sukkah, Lulav, fasting, and prayer – a person engages in the service of God through external actions. This is the aspect of Sasson.

However, the month of Heshvan is intended for the internalizing of those experiences and deeds.

This is a time when joy is interwoven deep within the heart – and becomes a lasting possession of the soul.

Thus, Heshvan becomes a direct continuation of Tishrei – a process of deepening and inner quiet after the storm of holiness of the holidays.

Completion of the Temple's Construction

Our Sages teach that the construction of the First Temple was completed in the month of Heshvan, but its dedication was postponed until the following year, to the month of Tishrei – "in which Avraham was born."

Why was its dedication postponed to the month of Tishrei, despite the completion of the Temple's construction in Heshvan?

The completion of the building of the Holy Temple in the Land of Israel and the resting of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) within it is the point of the perfection of creation – through the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, His Presence, and His chosen people, in the most select place on earth – the Holy Temple.

Therefore, it is understood that the time of the Temple's dedication must also be during the most perfect time – when joy is revealed in its peak completeness.

Avraham our father, who was born in Tishrei, embodies this completeness – a combination of inner faith and external deeds.

He recognized the Creator from within his inwardness and acted to spread faith in the world through action.

The joy that existed in Heshvan was an internal joy, and therefore was not complete until it joined the external exuberance (Sasson) of Tishrei.

Only by combining both aspects – the internal and the external – was a complete joy created, worthy of the dedication of the House of God.

The delay teaches a spiritual principle: true completeness is created when the internal unites with the revealed deed.

The Work of the Month – Continuing the Inner Light

After the great elevation of Tishrei, a person must learn to transform the spiritual light into a continuous way of life.

There are no holidays in the month of Heshvan – precisely so that a person will serve God within the routine.

This is the quiet work of joy – to internalize, absorb, and continue the sanctity into the daily routine.

Thus, the bitterness of "MarHeshvan" turns into the sweetness of deep joy in the heart.

The Joy of Rosh Chodesh (New Month)

Although there is no festival or holiday in Heshvan, it does have Rosh Chodesh, which is called "The Good Day of King David."

David embodies the yearning and longing for God – "Tzam'ah Lecha Nafshi" (My soul thirsts for You).

Rosh Hodesh carries a character of inner longing, and it continues the idea of the quiet and deep joy of the month of Heshvan.

This is a time when a person receives an "extra soul" (Nefesh Yetirah) that helps him serve God out of yearning and love – a joy of the inner heart, not of dancing and sounds.

Summary

The month of Heshvan, which seems simple and routine, holds a special depth within it.

If Tishrei is a month of action, commandments, and external exuberance (Sasson) – then Heshvan is the internal continuation of Tishrei, a time to transform the practical experience into an inner, stable, and deep consciousness.

This is a quiet joy, but a more genuine one – the joy of the heart, the joy of the soul, a joy that does not depend on an event but stems from the inner completeness of man.

(From Rabbi Zvi Ryzman)

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."
(Psalms 97:11)