Hodesh Tov.
We are now starting Rosh Hodesh Kislev. Mar Heshvan, the month without holidays, is over and we are getting ready for Chanukah, which comes out on כ"ה כסלו (the 25th of Kislev).
Since today is Rosh Hodesh Kislev, and Rosh Hodesh is the source for the entire month, let’s examine the significance of the month of Kislev.
At the end of the entire Shaar Bitachon, the Hovot Halevavot lists 10 levels of bitachon. Each level has a name.
מבטח, ומשען, ותקוה, ומחסה, ותוחלת, וחכוי, וסמיכה, ושבר, ומסעד, וכסל.
Mivtach (trust), Mishan (leaning like a staff), Tikva (hope), Machse (refuge), Tohelet (waiting), Chikui (expecting), Semicha (leaning on), Shever (resting), Misad (helper), and the final, highest level of bitachon is כסל, Chesel, which contains the same letters as the month כסלו Kislev.
This word כסל -chesel is a rare word. We don’t see it often regarding bitachon. It shows up in Iyov and Tehilim .In Iyov, it says, (איוב לא) אם שמתי זהב כסלי.
I make my gold into what I rely on... from this context we can see that
the word כסלי, chisli means reliance.
In Tehilim, it says, וְיָשִׂימוּ בֵאלֹקִים כִּסְלָם -They put their reliance in G-d.
What exactly is this tenth and highest level? Those knowledgeable in Hebrew know that כסיל - actually means fool.
As it says in Kohelet, -והכסיל בחושך הולך the “fool” walks in darkness.
This is strange. Why does the highest level of bitachon, and the month of כסלו- Kislev, have the same root as a word that means “fool”?
In the Yerushalmi on Masechet Peah, it says to have Bitachon in Hashem,
אפילוי דברים שאתה כסיל בהן.
even in areas in which you’re a chesel/a fool”
This means that the highest level of bitachon is achieved when a person says to himself,” I’m a fool. I don’t know anything.” The sefarim explain that it can also mean, “I feel foolish because I’ve sinned, I feel stuck.” I sinned and got into trouble.”
So, we say to Hashem, “Even though I got into this situation, and I’m a sinner, I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m relying on you.”
Like the pasuk says,
“The chesil/fool walks in darkness”
This pasuk can be applied to the month of Kislev, referring to the time when the decrees of Greeks caused us to “go in darkness.” But the miracle of Chanukah brought us out of the darkness. This whole miracle came from a small group of kohanim, who were foolish in that they had no plans, or tactics, didn’t know what they were doing, and yet they took on the Greek army. Then Hashem came and lit up the night. That’s the Power of the level of chesil: Realizing you don’t know anything, but Hashem will bring you out of it, even though you’ve sinned and made a lot of mistakes.
There is a Pasuk in Kohelet that says, לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ
The wise man’s heart is on the right, and the heart of the fool is on the left.
What does this mean? Aren’t all hearts on the left? Simply speaking, Rashi explains that the wise man goes to the right, which always indicates good, and the fool’s heart goes toward the bad, which is represented by the left.
But the Sefer Pri Sadik says that this relates to manner of lighting a menorah in a doorway, with the mezuzah on the right and the Menorah on the left. In doing so, we are saying that we don’t know what we’re doing, our hearts are leaning to the left. But Hashem will come to the left and light it up.
That’s the power of Chanukah, and it all starts with Rosh Hodesh Kislev, which has the root of כסל-chesel.
Have a wonderful day.