Welcome to the Daily Dose of Bitachon. As we prepare for the
month of Av—Erev Rosh Chodesh Av (ערב ראש חודש אב)—we
carry with us the concept we introduced back at the beginning of Tammuz: that
each of the twelve months of the year corresponds to a unique spiritual force.
Today, we will explore this deeply through the lens of the Sefer Yetzirah,
an ancient Kabbalistic text attributed by many to Avraham Avinu, which outlines
how the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet serve as the spiritual
building blocks of reality.
The division of these twenty-two letters is beautifully
elegant. First, the Sefer Yetzirah points to the three "Mother"
letters (Imahot): Aleph (א), Mem (מ),
and Shin (ש). These represent the foundational elements of physical matter
itself. Aleph stands for Avir (air), Mem stands for Mayim
(water), and because the Aleph is already claimed, Shin stands for Esh
(fire).
Next are the seven "double" letters, known by the
acronym Beged Kaporet (בגד כפרת): Bet, Gimmel, Dalet, Chaf,
Peh, Reish, and Tav. In the Zohar, these are identified as the letters that can
receive a dagesh (the internal emphasis dot). While our grammatical
tradition generally does not place a dagesh in the letter Reish,
Kabbalistically it is included. These seven double letters correspond to
dimensions of time and space, such as the seven days of the week, the seven
classical planets, and the seven spiritual gateways of the soul.
Subtracting these ten letters—the three Mothers of matter and
the seven Doubles of time—leaves us with the twelve "Simple" letters.
These twelve remaining letters correspond directly to the twelve months of the
year, creating a cosmic map where each month is animated by its own letter.
Our Rabbis reveal an incredible connection here: these twelve
simple letters correspond sequentially to the verses of Ashrei (Psalm
145), aligning the spiritual theme of each month with the corresponding verse.
We begin with the letter Heh (ה),
which corresponds to Nissan. The verse for Heh is Hadar kevod
hodacha... ("the glory of your honor, and the words of your wonders, I
will speak about"). As Rabbeinu Bachya notes in the name of Rabbeinu
Chananel, this refers directly to the wonders of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the
Exodus), the central theme of Nissan. Following this is the letter Vav (ו)
for Iyar. The Vav represents Vav Hachibur—the connecting
"and"—which serves as the bridge linking the physical redemption of
Nissan to the spiritual giving of the Torah in Sivan.
Sivan is represented by the letter Zayin (ז),
corresponding to the verse Zecher rav tuvcha yabiu... ("they shall
utter the memory of Your great goodness"). In Jewish tradition,
"good" (Tov) refers directly to the Torah, as we say, "I
have given you a good acquisition, do not forsake My Torah."
Then we reach the chidush, the deep spiritual renewal
of our current season. The letter Chet (ח)
belongs to Tammuz, which matches the verse Chanun verachum Hashem...
("Gracious and merciful is Hashem, slow to anger and great in
kindness"). This is immediately followed by the letter Tet (ט)
for Av, matching the verse Tov Hashem lakol... ("Hashem is
good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works").
At first glance, one would think that Tov Hashem lakol—expressing
God's absolute goodness—is the very last verse you would associate with the
painful month of Av. Yet, this is a profound mystery. The letter Tet has a
numerical value of nine, rooting the solemn Nine Days of mourning right here in
its essence. This teaches us that everything happening in Galut (exile)
is ultimately for our own good, whether we can perceive it or not. This is why
Midrash Eicha (Lamentations) begins with a "good word" or a positive
note; because at the core of Av's darkness lies the ultimate truth of Tov
Hashem lakol.
There is an incredible warning and opportunity hidden in this
sequence. If you take the letter of Tammuz, Chet (ח),
and place it next to the letter of Av, Tet (ט),
they spell the word Chet (חטא
- sin). These two
months are historically prone to spiritual stumbling and tragedy. However, the
spiritual work of this time is to take that very vulnerability and turn it
around into a source of holiness.
Moving past the summer, the letter Yud (י)
corresponds to Elul. Our Sages teach that the letter Yud symbolizes pure
thought. While this world (Olam Hazeh) was created with the letter Heh,
the World to Come (Olam Haba) was created with a Yud. Elul is the month
of deep contemplation, planning, and mental preparation for the year to come.
Tishrei is represented by the letter Lamed (ל),
matching the verse Lehodia livnei ha'adam... ("To make known to the
sons of man His mighty acts, and the glory of the majesty of His
kingdom"). This theme of Malchut (Kingship) is the very spiritual
essence of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Next is Cheshvan, represented by the letter Nun (נ).
Remarkably, there is no verse starting with the letter Nun in Ashrei. King
David omitted the Nun from the psalm because Nun represents Nofel
(falling), and he did not want to evoke the painful verse from Amos,
"Fallen (Nafla), she shall not rise again, the virgin of
Israel." This directly mirrors Cheshvan, a month with no holidays where we
experience a spiritual "fall" or quiet period after the heights of
Tishrei.
But we are not left in the fall. Teves is represented
by the letter Samech (ס), matching the verse Somech
Hashem lechol hanoflim... ("Hashem supports all who fall"). The
Samech of Teves immediately follows and lifts up the fallen Nun of Cheshvan.
The letter Ayin (ע)
belongs to Kislev, the month of Chanukah, representing holy sight and
the miracles we hold on display ( See Imrei Noam on Chanuka). Shevat is
represented by the letter Tzadi (צ), corresponding to Tzaddik
Hashem bechol drachav... ("Righteous is Hashem in all His ways").
Because Shevat is the time of Tu B'Shevat when we eat of the new fruits of the
trees, it embodies the verse, "The righteous (Tzaddik) eats to
satisfy his soul."
Finally, the letter Kuf (ק)
corresponds to Adar, aligning with the verse Karov Hashem lechol
kor'av... ("Hashem is close to all who call upon Him in truth").
This is the ultimate message of Purim and Megillat Esther—that even when God
seems completely hidden, He is intimately close to those who call out to Him
with sincerity.
This brings us back to our focus today. As we enter the month
of Av, our main goal is to attune ourselves to this spiritual rhythm. By
recognizing the hidden goodness (Tov) buried within the heavy days
ahead, we can find the strength to transform these moments of vulnerability
into a deep, lasting closeness to Hashem. We will continue to build on this, B'ezrat
Hashem. Have a beautiful and meaningful day!
