Tuesday, April 13. The month of Iyyar marks the middle of spring in the Jewish calendar. In the Great Lakes, we have moved from Nisan’s barely showing buds to the daffodils and cherry blossoms of true spring. In the Biblical middle east, early harvests of barley and lentils were beginning.
The 49 days between Passover (14 Nisan) and Shavuot (6 Sivan) commemorate both historical and natural journeys. In nature, this “Omer” period, counted day by day, spans the days between the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. In history, we count the days from crossing the Red Sea in the Exodus, to arriving at Sinai and the receiving of the Torah. The month of Nissan falls in the third through sixth week of that seven-week period – truly the slogging stage of any journey, after the excitement of the beginning is past, and before the thrill of arrival. We put one foot in front of the other and persevere. We could draw parallels to this stage of our pandemic journey.
And yet: Iyyar is also a month of spiritual fire. The Omer was claimed for its spiritual significance by the kabbalists, who assigned the seven virtues of the Sefirot in combination to each of the 49 days. At the 33rd day, they honored the yahrzeit of the sage and mystic Shimon Bar Yochai. Known as the “Holy Candle” for his spiritual radiance, his passing is celebrated with bonfires and music. This theme of spiritual fire is reminiscent of our weekly celebration of Havdallah, with its flaring candle and invigorating spices, music and fellowship. We call our spiritual guides, the prophets Elijah and Miriam, and hope to carry the fire of Shabbat with us through the week.
May the fires of Iyyar and Shabbat, and the spiritual presence of our guides, remind us of the holy candle that burns in each one of us – even as we walk step by step through the challenges we face. – Kirby
We will honor the Full Moon of Iyyar with a walking meditation on Tuesday, April 27. The walking meditation for Rosh Chodesh Sivan will be Wednesday, May 12. Both meetups will be at 7:30 am; contact us for location. Rain or shine! Social distancing will be observed; please wear a mask.
Rosh Chodesh Cleveland 