DIARY13-20 Iyar 5772 / 4-12 May '12
Attributes of the month of Iyar: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: YOD KEH KEH VAV, contained in the initial Hebrew letters ofYithalel Hamithalel Haskeil Veyado'a -- "Let him that glories [glory in this, that] he knows and understands [Me]" (Jeremiah 9:23).
The month's corresponding Letter is: VAV; Human attribute:THOUGHT; Body Part: RIGHT KIDNEY; Tribe: ISSACHAR; Constellation: SHOR (Taurus, the Ox).
The month of Iyar is particularly conducive to deep contemplation and understanding. It is also conducive to healing since all the sick among the Children of Israel who left Egypt were completely healed in this period in preparation for the Giving of the Torah. Thus the Hebrew name of the month of Iyar is made up of the letters Aleph-Yud-Reish, the initial letters of the Hebrew words Ani YKVK Rophecha, "I HaShem am your Healer" (Exodus 15:26).
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Shabbat Friday night-Saturday 4-5 May / 13 IyarTorah reading: Israel: Emor; Diaspora: Acharey-Kedoshim.After the Shabbat afternoon service we read the third chapter of Pirkey Avot.
Saturday night-Sunday 5-6 May / 14 Iyar
PESACH SHENIIn Temple times those who had been ritually impure or far from Jerusalem at the time of the Pesach sacrifice on 14 Nissan had a second opportunity to bring their paschal sacrifice on Pesach Sheni, "the second Pesach" (see Numbers 9:1-22).Today is a semi-festival and the usual Tachanun supplications are not recited in the Synagogue services. Some celebrate Pesach Sheni by eating Matzot. The most appropriate time to eat the Matzot would be on Sunday evening, since the Pesach Sheni sacrifice was offered on the afternoon of 14 Iyar and eaten that night at a "Seder" together with Matzot.
| The lesson of Pesach Sheni is that even if we are unable to put things right the first time, G-d gives us a second chance!!! |
Today is the Yahrzeit of the great Tanna, Rabbi Meir "Baal HaNess"("Master of the miracle"), familiar from his teachings throughout the Talmud. He is buried in Tiberias, Israel. It is also the Yahrzeit of his equally outstanding contemporary, Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai, who is buried aside the Safed-Meiron road.
Sunday night 6 May / 15 Iyar
Tonight is the appropriate time to eat Matzot and recall the Exodus from Egypt in commemoration of Pesach Sheni, since in Temple times the paschal lamb was offered on the afternoon of 14 Iyar and was eaten at a Seder Night with matzot and maror (bitter herbs) this evening.
Monday 7 May / 15 Iyar
On this day the 30-day supply of Matzot which the Children of Israel took with them out of Egypt came to an end, and when they cried out for food, HaShem sent them the Manna. This is a day to focus on the miracles with which the Almighty provides us with our livelihood, physical and spiritual, and to develop our trust that He will always supply us with everything we need. The practical expression of this trust is when we pray to Him for what we need.
Wednesday night-Thursday 9-10 May / 18 Iyar
LAG BA-OMER
Today is the 33rd day of the Omer count (Lamed=30; Gimmel=3), exactly two thirds of the way from Pesach to Shavuot, famous as the day when the plague that had struck Rabbi Akiva's students ceased in the merit of his foremost disciple, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, known as RaShBI, who revealed the kabbalistic teachings of the Zohar. While the other students failed to show each other due respect, R. Shimon said, "For me, everything depends on loving fellowship" (Zohar).
Lag BaOmer is the Yahrzeit of R. Shimon, and hundreds of thousands flock to the site of his burial cave on Mt Meiron in the northern Galilee. All over the world Jews light bonfires and rejoice in honor of RaShBI. This is a propitious day for binding ourselves to all the true Tzaddikim and for the study of the secrets of the Torah.
Parents: Please ensure that your children are under proper supervision if they light Lag BaOmer bonfires!
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Lag BaOmer is also the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Isserles (1520-72) author of the Mappah, glosses on the normative Torah law codeShulchan Aruch which give the Ashknezi legal rulings where they differ from those of the main work. His grave is in the old Jewish cemetery in Cracow, Poland.
Thursday night-Friday 10-11 May / 19 IyarToday is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Riminov, (d. 1815), an important Hassidic leader who emphasized the benefit of daily recital of Parshat HaMann (Exodus 16:4-36 about the Manna) accompanied by prayers for livelihood.
Shabbat Friday night-Saturday 11-12 May / 20 IyarTorah reading: Israel: Behar; Diaspora: Emor.After the Shabbat afternoon service we read the fourth chapter ofPirkey Avot.
The first ten days of Nissan correspond to the letter Yod of the holy name A-D-N-Y "our Lord"; the four days of checking the Paschal lamb from 11-14 Nissan correspond to theDalet The fifty days from the first day of Pesach to the eve of Shavuot correspond to the Nun and Shavuot itself corresponds to theAleph, signifying our complete acceptance of the kingship of G-d through our service in this period.
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