Teves for me is the most emotional month. It is perhaps considered “undistinguished" in terms of holidays, but it is forever distinguished in the history of my life and it is a unique month in the Jewish calendar for many important reasons.
- There is actually a Jewish holiday during Teves: the last days of Chanukah. On these days, the moon appears again in the dark winter sky. We are compared to the moon. The monthly lunar cycle signifies the vicissitudes during our long history. When the moon reappears each month, it is a cause of profound joy, indicating our eternal capacity for rebirth. Thus, we dance during Kiddush Levana, and leap toward the sky, saying “just as we cannot touch the moon, neither can our enemies touch us!”
- Teves is the month of my personal spiritual birth, as I will explain later.
- Hallel on Rosh Chodesh Teves is the only Full Rosh Chodesh Hallel in the entire year, because it occurs during Chanukah. Please note this well.
- And then – Parshas Vayigash – the most emotionally charged in the entire Torah (in my humble opinion) never fails to move me to tears. When I imagine the look on the faces of the Shevatim, when the jaws drop and eyes pop when the towering figure before them -- the feared “Egyptian” potentate -- speaks the immortal words, “Ani Yosef, ha-od avi chai … I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” This is the prototype moment. Every yeshua, without exception, is an example of “yeshuas Hashem k’heref ayin … the salvation of G-d comes in the blink of an eye.” The mighty Shevatim stand, unable to speak, before these monumental words. This is the prototype for Moshiach ben Dovid, whose appearance will come suddenly, leaving both tzaddikim and reshaim open-mouthed in shock.
- And, something else: our son in law, Rabbi Osher Jungreis, our son, Rabbi Aharon Neuberger and my colleague, Rabbi Yair Hoffman, have all reminded me of the unique significance of the Fast of 10 Teves, which I will try to explain.
At 2 a.m. on January 10, 1966 (18 Teves, 5726 in the Jewish calendar) I awoke suddenly.
Yes, you have heard this story before. My wife and I have told it over and over, but one never tires of retelling miracles. On this day my world was exploding and our marriage – G-d forbid – unraveling. Another moment and I would have hit “mem tes Shaarei tumah,” the bottom. I always say, I believe without exaggeration, that – if something had not saved me – I would have spent the rest of my life in a padded cell.
But something did save me.
As I plummeted down the chute to eternal oblivion, a simple thought entered my head: “Could there be a G-d?”
What! G-d? Are you kidding? I don’t see G-d! Where is G-d?
And then I realized: if your life is falling apart, YOU NEED G-D!
That, my friends, is when it all began. Our life turned one hundred eighty degrees and we began our pilgrimage back Home, to Hashem Elokainu, to Torah Hakadosha (thank you, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis), to Am Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel. It all began with five words uttered amidst bitter tears in the middle of the night.
In the additional Tehillim which we say during Full Hallel are these earth-shaking words: “The pains of death encircled me; the confines of death have found me …. Then I would invoke the Name of Hashem: ‘Please Hashem, save my soul!’” (Tehillim 116)
My friends, these are exactly the words I said fifty-nine years ago on the 18th of Teves.
Ever since that day, miraculous events have occurred during the weeks surrounding the 18th of Teves. To give one example: years ago, my wife and I were returning Motzae Shabbos to Long Island from a vort in Monsey. At 12 midnight, on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx, a car passed at 100 miles per hour, veered out of control, struck a stone barrier, spun around and headed straight back at us. I slammed on the brakes, causing the car behind me to hit us from the rear as the other car hit us from the front at high speed. Our car was crushed like a pancake. The next thing we knew, we were standing on the side of the highway surrounded by tens of police cars, fire engines and ambulances. The police kept looking at us and shaking their heads. “How come you aren’t dead?!?” they kept asking. But neither of us had a scratch.
This took place on the 14th of Teves.
My friends, this is exactly what the world is asking Am Yisroel: “How come you aren’t dead!” They are shaking their heads and wondering: Why are you still here!?
The answer is that we will always be here, because our Father in Heaven is watching over us. They can send all their rockets, but we are not going away. Even if the entire world crashes, with Hashem’s help we can walk away without a scratch.
Yes, I know what has happened in our recent and distant past. I know about the dead and wounded over the millennia. I myself have come close. But we must know: there will be techias hamaisim and the day will come when Hashem will wipe away all the tears. Am Yisroel will live forever.
Rabbi Yair Hoffman sent a brilliant piece on Asara b’Teves. Basically, this taanis is like no other. Not only is it the day on which the siege of Yerushalayim began, but it commemorates the day on which the Heavenly Court decided whether the Churban would take place at all. (Rabbi Yerucham Olshin in the name of the Chassam Sofer). Our actions and tefillos on Asara b’Teves decide whether we will have another Tisha b’Av! If we do teshuva and storm the heavens on this day, we can bring the Geulah Shelemah this year!
Here is a story I heard from Rabbi Yair Hoffman: Rav Yosha Ber Soloveichik zt”l, in the year 1977, once went upstairs in his home. Then he remembered something he needed to do in the room where his wife was resting. But, when he entered her room, she was gone! He searched and found that all her belongings were missing! His mind reeling, he could not understand what had happened.
Then he remembered: she had passed away ten years earlier! He had forgotten! This story may sound unbelievable, but it has tremendous implications for all of us.
As Rabbi Soloveichik thought about this, he realized that this is the story of “Ani Yosef! Ha-od avi chai!” We are all sleeping!
There will come a day when Moshiach ben Dovid bursts upon the world. Suddenly, we will wake up! Our eyes will open wide! We will realize that we have been living in a world of fantasy! We had thought, “I am righteous! I am good! My actions are correct! I am worthy! My judgment will be good!” Suddenly, we will see the truth! Dumbfounded, we will be unable to speak! Our jaws will drop!
This is the month of Teves! A month of decision! A month of eye-opening reality! A month in which we can change the future. May we use this awesome power to bring the Final Redemption and the end to all our troubles, speedily in our days!
Car coming at us!
GLOSSARY
Churban: destruction of the First and Second Temples
Geula Shelemah: Final Redemption
Hallel: a prayer praising and thanking G-d said on holidays
Kiddush Levana: monthly prayer upon seeing the new moon
Levana: moon
Motzae Shabbos: Saturday night, after Shabbos has ended
Shevatim: the Tribes of Israel; also used for the patriarchs of those tribes
Rosh Chodesh: the first day of the month
Taanis: fast day
Techias hamaisim: resurrection of the dead
Tefilla: prayer
Tehillim: Psalms
Teshuva: repentance
Teves: the current Jewish month
Tisha b’Av: 9th day of the month of Av, the day both Temples were destroyed
Vort: engagement celebration
Yeshua: salvation
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