How do you make sure that Matan Torah and Shavuos doesn’t just pass you by?
Month: Sivan
Mazel: Te’umim (twins)
We already know that each Hebrew month has its unique mazel and that there is deep meaning in each pair, but in addition to that, each month also correlates to one of the twelve Shevatim, a human faculty, and a particular limb in the human body. The human faculty that the month of Sivan signifies is walking. While Nissan corresponds to the right foot, Sivan corresponds to the left. If there’s one action that requires the simultaneous cooperation of two limbs, it is walking. Without moving both the right and the left, it’s impossible to move forward.
In Kabbalah, the right side is generally associated with chessed, while the left represents gevurah. And here lies the message that we want to extrapolate from this special month, the month during which we once again merit to receive the most valuable gift ever presented to humankind, the Torah hakedoshah. To move along with gevurah is to move along with persistence, with discipline, with steadiness.
That initial moment when we undertake change often happens when we’re experiencing a burst of inspiration, or a desperate need for a particular yeshuah—there’s the deeply passionate and emotional element of chessed there.
Shavuos is a time when our desire for growth is reawakened. We’re deeply moved by the lightning and thunder, the “wow” experience of a most momentous event in our history. We’re jolted toward the truth: that we don’t want to remain stagnant, to stay stuck feeling distant from Hashem, disconnected from His Torah, removed from His mitzvos. We want to keep moving forward—and upward, to maximize our potential in this world, to heed the whisper of our neshamah.
But to keep at it is where gevurah comes into the picture: I’ll continue doing this just as devotedly as I’ve done it yesterday and the day before because I’m committed. I’m a woman of gevurah, a woman who utilizes both her right foot and her left to forge ahead.
By sticking to our commitment with steadfast devotion even when we’re not feeling the “sparks,” we experience true, consistent growth.
Here’s how to maximize the potential of this month:
1.
As we prepare to receive the Torah on Shavuos, reflect upon a particular mitzvah that you feel could use an “upgrade.” Whether in regard to your relationship with others and/or your relationship with Hashem, commit to one small and sustainable undertaking in this area. Some ideas: An upgrade in how (and when!) you prepare for Shabbos, speak about others, avail yourself to those who need you most, or treat those who “press all your buttons.”
2.
Every morning of this month, take a moment to re-commit to your undertaking. Exercise complete and total discipline regarding this kabalah, which means that even after the initial inspiration has waned or you’re not feeling that connected, you’re not throwing in the towel. When the going gets tough, tap into the koach of this month by visualizing yourself moving one foot in front of the other as you keep climbing higher. You are that hiker who won’t give up for anything in the world. Yes, you have it in you to hang in there, and never as intensely as during the month of Sivan.
3.
Every evening of this month, or after you’ve taken a few more steps forward in regard to your kabalah, pat yourself on the back and celebrate your greatness. Celebrate how far you’ve come in walking the walk, in truly putting both feet forward in your desire to come closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and His Torah. The more you’ll acknowledge your successes, the more of them you’ll find yourself celebrating.
By engaging in this daily “walk,” you will find that this Shavuos won’t just be a day that passed by you. Instead, you’ll see how the koach of the day—and the month—left an indelible impact on who you are as a Yid. When you look at yourself, you’ll be seeing a Yid who’s constantly climbing higher, one steady step at a time, scaling mountains and reaching peaks you’d never thought were attainable. Keep at it, dear sister. Enjoy the view from the top!
A radiant month to you and yours!
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