'The Bitter Month', Rabbi Ari Goldwag for aish.com
The current Hebrew month, Cheshvan, is classically referred to as Marcheshvan. The first two words spell the word mar. In Hebrew, this word means “bitter,” which some homiletically connect to the fact that there are no special occasions that occur in this month. Even Av, the month when we mourn the destruction of the two Holy Temples, is not referred to as “bitter,” because the sad days of the year offer us an opportunity for introspection, to contemplate where we have gone wrong. Thus, both the festive days and the negative days can be used to connect to spirituality. A month that is bereft of any significant days, even sad days, is more bitter than anything, because there are no moments that arise to give us pause.
הקדמת הרב יעקב בן חביב לספרו עין יעקב על אגדות הש"ס
בן זומא אומר: מצינו פסוק כולל יותר והוא (דברים ו ד): "שמע ישראל ה' אלוקינו ה' אחד".
בן ננס אומר: מצינו פסוק כולל יותר והוא: (ויקרא יט יח): "ואהבת לרעך כמוך".
שמעון בן פזי אומר: מצינו פסוק כולל יותר, והוא (שמות כט לט): "את הכבש האחד תעשה בבקר ואת הכבש השני תעשה בין הערבים". עמד ר' פלוני על רגליו ואמר: "הלכה כבן פזי!"
Introduction to Ein Yaakov (compilation of Aggadic material from the Talmud, collated by Yaakov ibn Habib in Greece around 1500 CE)
Ben Zoma said: ‘I have found a verse that contains the whole [of the Torah]: “Listen O Israel, HaShem is our God, HaShem is One (Deut. 6:4)”.’
Ben Nanas said: ‘I have found a verse that contains the whole [of the Torah]: “You will love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).’
Ben Pazzi said: ‘I have found a verse that contains the whole [of the Torah]: “You will sacrifice a lamb in the morning and another at dusk (Ex. 29:39)”.’ And Rav Ploni stood up and decided: ‘The law is according to Ben Pazzi.’
(ב) צַ֚ו אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֶת־קׇרְבָּנִ֨י לַחְמִ֜י לְאִשַּׁ֗י רֵ֚יחַ נִֽיחֹחִ֔י תִּשְׁמְר֕וּ לְהַקְרִ֥יב לִ֖י בְּמוֹעֲדֽוֹ׃ (ג) וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם זֶ֚ה הָֽאִשֶּׁ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּקְרִ֖יבוּ לַה' כְּבָשִׂ֨ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֧ה תְמִימִ֛ם שְׁנַ֥יִם לַיּ֖וֹם עֹלָ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃
(2) Command the Israelite people and say to them: Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times the offerings of food due Me, as offerings by fire of pleasing odor to Me. (3) Say to them: These are the offerings by fire that you are to present to ה': As a regular burnt offering every day, two yearling lambs without blemish.
במועדו. בְּכָל יוֹם הוּא מוֹעֵד הַתְּמִידִים:
במועדו [YE SHALL OFFER TO ME] IN ITS APPOINTED SEASON — Every day is the “appointed season” for the continual offerings.
'Pinchas: The Appointed Time', Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVIII, pp. 182-190, chabad.org
Rashi’s comment is perplexing. Is he adding anything to what the verse itself goes on to say — that the korban tamid was a regular daily offering?
Rashi is seeking to address the following question: When an offering is brought infrequently, the statement that it be brought at its “appointed time” is understandable; it should be brought at the proper time, neither a day earlier nor a day later. But how does this term apply to an offering brought on a daily basis?
It would seem that the korban tamid differed from all other offerings, in that bringing it on a daily basis caused it to have no “appointed time”; after all, it was brought constantly.
Rashi therefore advises us that this is not so; every day is the exclusively appointed time for offering the korban tamid designated for that day. This makes the korban tamid similar to other offerings, so that if the day passes without the offering of that day being brought, it cannot be brought on another day.
וּמָה רָאִיתָ לְרַבּוֹת לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָאַחֲרוֹן וּלְהוֹצִיא לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן? מְרַבֶּה אֲנִי לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָאַחֲרוֹן — שֶׁיֵּשׁ שִׂמְחָה לְפָנָיו, וּמוֹצִיא אֲנִי לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן — שֶׁאֵין שִׂמְחָה לְפָנָיו.
The Gemara asks: What did you see that led you to include the evenings of the last day of the Festival in the mitzva of rejoicing and to exclude the evenings of the first day of the Festival? The Gemara answers: I include the evenings of the last day of the Festival, before which there is a day of rejoicing, as it is reasonable that the rejoicing should continue, and I exclude the evenings of the first day of the Festival, before which there is not a day of rejoicing.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: בֹּא וּרְאֵה שֶׁלֹּא כְּמִדַּת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִדַּת בָּשָׂר וְדָם. מִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם — כְּלִי רֵיקָן מַחֲזִיק, מָלֵא — אֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק. אֲבָל מִדַּת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מָלֵא — מַחֲזִיק, רֵיקָן — אֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע וְגוֹ׳״. ״אִם שָׁמוֹעַ״ — ״תִּשְׁמַע״. וְאִם לָאו — לֹא תִּשְׁמַע. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״אִם שָׁמוֹעַ״ — בְּיָשָׁן, ״תִּשְׁמַע״ — בְּחָדָשׁ. ״וְאִם יִפְנֶה לְבָבְךָ״ — שׁוּב לֹא תִשְׁמָע.
Rabbi Zeira said, and some say that it was Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa who said: Come and see that the attribute of flesh and blood is unlike the attribute of the Holy One, Blessed be He. The attribute of flesh and blood is that an empty vessel holds that which is placed within it, while a full vessel does not hold it. However, the attribute of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is: If God adds to someone who is a full vessel in terms of knowledge or good attributes, he holds it; a person who is an empty vessel will not hold it. This is alluded to by the verse where it is stated: “And it shall come to pass, if you will hearken diligently [shamoa tishma] unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe to do all his commandments” (Deuteronomy 28:1). If you hearken [shamoa] in the present, you will hearken [tishma] in the future as well; and if not, you will not hearken. Alternatively: If you hearkened to the old, i.e., if you review what you already learned, you will hearken to the new as well. “But if your heart turns away” (Deuteronomy 30:17), you will no longer be able to hearken.
(ז) וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת יָמִ֑ים וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־ה' אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָֽהוּ׃ (ח) וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶל־יֽוֹחָנָן֙ בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְאֶ֛ל כׇּל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ וּ֨לְכׇל־הָעָ֔ם לְמִקָּטֹ֖ן וְעַד־גָּדֽוֹל׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּה־אָמַ֥ר ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤ם אֹתִי֙ אֵלָ֔יו לְהַפִּ֥יל תְּחִנַּתְכֶ֖ם לְפָנָֽיו׃ (י) אִם־שׁ֤וֹב תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וּבָנִ֤יתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א אֶהֱרֹ֔ס וְנָטַעְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א אֶתּ֑וֹשׁ כִּ֤י נִחַ֙מְתִּי֙ אֶל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לָכֶֽם׃ (יא) אַל־תִּֽירְא֗וּ מִפְּנֵי֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם יְרֵאִ֖ים מִפָּנָ֑יו אַל־תִּֽירְא֤וּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ נְאֻם־ה' כִּֽי־אִתְּכֶ֣ם אָ֔נִי לְהוֹשִׁ֧יעַ אֶתְכֶ֛ם וּלְהַצִּ֥יל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיָּדֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְאֶתֵּ֥ן לָכֶ֛ם רַחֲמִ֖ים וְרִחַ֣ם אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְהֵשִׁ֥יב אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֶל־אַדְמַתְכֶֽם׃ (יג) וְאִם־אֹמְרִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לֹ֥א נֵשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את לְבִלְתִּ֣י שְׁמֹ֔עַ בְּק֖וֹל ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (יד) לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹ֚א כִּ֣י אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָב֔וֹא אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־נִרְאֶה֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וְק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָ֖ר לֹ֣א נִשְׁמָ֑ע וְלַלֶּ֥חֶם לֹֽא־נִרְעָ֖ב וְשָׁ֥ם נֵשֵֽׁב׃ (טו) וְעַתָּ֕ה לָכֵ֛ן שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־ה' שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ ה' צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹקֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־אַ֠תֶּ֠ם שׂ֣וֹם תְּשִׂמ֤וּן פְּנֵיכֶם֙ לָבֹ֣א מִצְרַ֔יִם וּבָאתֶ֖ם לָג֥וּר שָֽׁם׃ (טז) וְהָיְתָ֣ה הַחֶ֗רֶב אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתֶּם֙ יְרֵאִ֣ים מִמֶּ֔נָּה שָׁ֛ם תַּשִּׂ֥יג אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָרָעָ֞ב אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם ׀ דֹּאֲגִ֣ים מִמֶּ֗נּוּ שָׁ֣ם יִדְבַּ֧ק אַחֲרֵיכֶ֛ם מִצְרַ֖יִם וְשָׁ֥ם תָּמֻֽתוּ׃
[...] (א) וַיְהִי֩ כְּכַלּ֨וֹת יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָ֗ם אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר שְׁלָח֛וֹ ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ {ס} (ב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֲזַרְיָ֤ה בֶן־הוֹשַֽׁעְיָה֙ וְיוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְכׇל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים הַזֵּדִ֑ים אֹמְרִ֣ים אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ שֶׁ֚קֶר אַתָּ֣ה מְדַבֵּ֔ר לֹ֣א שְׁלָחֲךָ֞ ה' אֱלֹקֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹא־תָבֹ֥אוּ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָג֥וּר שָֽׁם׃ (ג) כִּ֗י בָּרוּךְ֙ בֶּן־נֵ֣רִיָּ֔ה מַסִּ֥ית אֹתְךָ֖ בָּ֑נוּ לְמַ֩עַן֩ תֵּ֨ת אֹתָ֤נוּ בְיַֽד־הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙ לְהָמִ֣ית אֹתָ֔נוּ וּלְהַגְל֥וֹת אֹתָ֖נוּ בָּבֶֽל׃ (ד) וְלֹא־שָׁמַע֩ יוֹחָנָ֨ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֜חַ וְכׇל־שָׂרֵ֧י הַחֲיָלִ֛ים וְכׇל־הָעָ֖ם בְּק֣וֹל ה' לָשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּאֶ֥רֶץ יְהוּדָֽה׃
(7) After ten days, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. (8) He called Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers, and the rest of the people, great and small, (9) and said to them, “Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before Him: (10) If you remain in this land, I will build you and not overthrow, I will plant you and not uproot; for I regret the punishment I have brought upon you. (11) Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you fear; do not be afraid of him—declares the LORD—for I am with you to save you and to rescue you from his hands. (12) I will dispose him to be merciful to you: he shall show you mercy and bring you back to-a your own land. (13) “But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land’—thus disobeying the LORD your God— (14) if you say, ‘No! We will go to the land of Egypt, so that we may not see war or hear the sound of the horn, and so that we may not hunger for bread; there we will stay,’ (15) then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! Thus said the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: If you turn your faces toward Egypt, and you go and sojourn there, (16) the sword that you fear shall overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and the famine you worry over shall follow at your heels in Egypt too; and there you shall die.
[...] (1) When Jeremiah had finished speaking all these words to all the people—all the words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them— (2) Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, ‘Don’t go to Egypt and sojourn there’! (3) It is Baruch son of Neriah who is inciting you against us, so that we will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans to be killed or to be exiled to Babylon!” (4) So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and the rest of the people did not obey the LORD’s command to remain in the land of Judah.
בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בָּהּ יִשׂרָאֵל, וּמַה טַּעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֵאשִׁית? מִשׁוּם כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תהילים קי"א), שֶׁאִם יֹאמְרוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְיִשְׁרָאֵל לִסְטִים אַתֶּם, שֶׁכְּבַשְׁתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָיו, בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ:
בראשית IN THE BEGINNING — Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).
'What’s the Truth about… “Mar Cheshvan” ?', Rabbi Dr Ari Z. Zivotofsky for jewishaction.com
Misconception: The complete and correct name for the month following Tishrei is Cheshvan, and it is a quaint tradition to call it Mar Cheshvan because it is bitter (Hebrew: mar) due to its lack of holidays.
Fact: The correct name for this fall month is the one word Marcheshvan / M’rachsh’van (Aruch Hashulchan, Even Ha’ezer 126:17).
Background: The Bible usually refers to the months by their ordinal numbers, although occasional ancient Israelite names are also used. The currently used Jewish names for the months were imported from Bavel (Babylonia), and many of them appear in post-exilic books of the Bible. Some of these are derived from the names of ancient gods, such as Tammuz which is thought to come from the Assyrian Du-mu-zu, an Egyptian god, and is mentioned as the name of an idol in Ezekiel (8:14).
Marcheshvan is probably derived from its location in the calendar. In Akkadian (Babylonian/Assyrian), “w” (vav) and “m” (mem) sounds can interchange. As a result, Marcheshvan which is from the two words “m’rach” and “shvan,” would have been “warh” and “shman,” in Akkadian, corresponding to the Hebrew “yerech shmini,” thus “eighth month.” In the Yemenite tradition, the name of the month is pronounced Marach-sha’wan, not Mar-cheshvan as in the Ashkenazic tradition, and this would seem to preserve a greater fidelity to the original.
Older sources attest to the name as being the longer name Marcheshvan / M’rachshwan (as opposed to just Cheshvan). When the eighth month is mentioned in the Mishnah and Talmud, it is referred to as Marcheshvan. A few examples include: Taanit 1:3,4; Pesachim 94b; and Rosh Hashanah 7a; 11b. Throughout all of Rashi’s Biblical and Talmudic commentary, he also refers to the month as Marcheshvan. A few examples are: Rosh Hashanah 11b, s.v. v’azda l’tamahu; 16a s.v. D’miz’daran; Beitzah 40a, s.v. bir’vi’ah. The Rambam and Ibn Ezra (commentary to Leviticus 25:9) also use the complete name.
This misconception has halachic implications. Since the mistaken practice of simply calling the month Cheshvan is so widespread, either Cheshvan or the two word Mar Cheshvan is now acceptable, post-facto, if erroneously used in a legal document such as a get (Aruch Hashulchan, Even Ha’ezer 127:17) ...