The months and their meaning

Nissan
This is the first month of the Jewish calendar. It corresponds to the letter "hei," the breath of speech, from which all other sounds evolve. Human beings are distinguished from other creatures by the power of speech, their ability to communicate their thoughts to others. In the same way, "speaking correctly" is the beginning of spiritual growth. The celebration of this month is Passover. During the Passover Seder, we use our power of speech for its highest purpose: to communicate to our children (and the child within each of us) the miraculous presence of God in our lives and history. The tribe of this month is Judah, the royal leader, from whom the Jewish monarchs descend.

Iar
Iyar is the month between our spiritual rebirth in Nisan and the new maturity we attain upon receiving the Torah in Sivan. The letter for this month is "vav," which represents the straight line of truth. Therefore, Iyar is the month of "right thinking," the attribute we focus on in preparation for receiving the Torah. The tribe associated with this month is Issachar, which was known for its loving devotion to Torah study.

Sivan
This is the month of "right movement," of learning to walk the path of Torah that we received anew on Shavuot. The Torah is our weapon against evil. This month is governed by the letter "zayin," which means "weapon." Walking the paths of Torah is symbolized by the tribe of this month, Zvulun, a tribe of seafarers who supported Issachar in his Torah study. These two brothers had different careers, yet they worked together.

Tammuz
This month corresponds to the letter "Chet," which signifies fear. The challenge this month is to use our faculties of thought, speech, and action in a God-fearing manner and to avoid situations that obstruct our Divine consciousness. The consequence of denying our Divine consciousness is the destruction of the Temple this month and next. The tribe of this month is Reuben, whose name originates from the word "vision," the faculty we perfect this month. "Seeing wrongly" leads to destruction and mourning. Through "right vision," we increase holiness in the world by focusing on what is positive.

Av
This month we cultivate "correct hearing," mentioned in the name of the corresponding tribe, Shimon, which comes from the word "hearing." The letter that governs this month is "tet," which, despite being the first letter of the word "quicksand," is also the first letter of the word "good," for we can reach the highest levels by transforming the lowest levels into good.

Elul
Correcting the attributes of the previous months leads us to the month of return, Elul, when we focus on "righteous action." We take stock and prepare spiritually for the holidays. The letter that governs this month is the "yud," meaning "hand," reminding us that our sincere repentance for past failings and our resolutions for the future must be reflected in our actions. The tribe of this month, Gad, was comprised of archers who perfected the art of action, defying the forces of evil and thus conquering the Land of Israel.

Tishrei
This is the month of "right feeling," when God evaluates our past actions, determining how He will distribute life's blessings in the coming year. This month is governed by the letter "lamed," the first letter of the word "heart." The name of the tribe associated with this month is Ephraim, meaning "fruitful," expressing that our connection with God has positive repercussions throughout the year ahead.

Jeshvan
In Cheshvan, we integrate the inspiration of Tishrei into real life. There are no holidays this month, only daily life. The numerical value of this month's letter, "nun," is 50, indicating the 50 levels of Divine consciousness we can reach when we are spiritually active, and the 50 levels of impurity into which we can sink if we let life "just pass us by." The name of this month's tribe is Manasseh, meaning "breath," connecting us to the sense we refine this month: smell. This is considered the most spiritual of the senses, thus indicating the high potential this month holds for spiritual awareness.

Kislev
During this month, we work with "right relaxation"—sleep—which results from our dedication to "right action" during our waking hours. The name of the letter of the month is "samekh," which means "trust." Our true trust in God gives us the confidence to affirm our holiness and resist those who challenge it. This is reflected in the festival of Hanukkah. Using rest as a means to right action helps us channel our efforts in the right direction. The tribe of this month, Benjamin, possessed valiant warriors.

Tevet
This month we cultivate "right anger." The Talmud tells us that we should always regard others favorably, and that anger is a feeling that should almost always be avoided. However, there is also positive anger, the sense of what should be rejected. The name of the tribe for this month is Dan, which means "to judge." The letter of the month is "ayin," which means "eye." We have two eyes to constantly discern what we should accept in life, and what we should reject.

Shvat
The festival of this month, the 15th of Shvat, is celebrated by eating the fruit of the tree, thus reflecting this month's attribute, "righteous food." The letter for this month is "tzadik," meaning "righteous," reminding us of the verse, "The righteous eat to nourish their souls." The true test of our spirituality is whether we transform eating (and all our other worldly activities) into a spiritual experience, or whether we succumb to sensory gratification. By purifying our attitudes toward materialism, we become better conduits for distributing God's benevolence in the world. The territory of Asher, the tribe of this month, produced food in abundance.

Adar
The main festival of the month is Purim, which celebrates God's hidden hand in history. The letter of the month, "kuf," means "monkey." We acknowledge God's hidden nature by wearing masks on Purim, imitating anyone we wish to be. The celebration of Purim breaks down all inhibitions that conceal our inner essence. Normally, transforming evil into good is a methodical process. However, our sages teach that "joy breaks down all barriers." Through "right laughter," the attribute of this month, we transform obstacles into opportunities, a decree of destruction into a day of celebration. We effect this transformation with the speed of this month's tribe, Naphatli, the swiftest of Jacob's sons.