The month of Kislev כסלו according to Kabbalah

5778

The first suggestion we make is to read what we said last year about the month of Kislev. What will be said this year will build on what we said last year.

Below is the link to last year's Blog about Kislev. Please press your back button to return to this location after you read the last two year's Blog.

New Sections on the Yeshshem Website in Honor of the New Year 5777 - "The Year of the Goat"

  • This link will lead to a discussion about Hebrew Astrology
  • It is highly recommended to read this each month of the year as there will be additional information added each new Hebrew Month starting with the 8th month of the year which is Cheshvan.

    New Sections on the Yeshshem Website in Honor of the New Year 5776

    There is a relationship between the Parasha of a week and the Hebrew month and Astrological Sign that the Parasha is read within. The first link will explore these relationships.

    Each of the 7 days of the week that a Parasha is read also has a relationship to the 72 Names. The second link will connect you to information about the 72 Names associated with this Month and Parasha.

    Ancient Wisdom about Kislev

    Ancient Hebrew Astrology Connections

    Name: Kislev כסלו Throne for Him. Its sound cognate is a seat for a heart. Kislev is also the month that the Mishkan was completed and also set up for the first time according to the Midrash Bamidbar.

    Attribute: Sleep שינה Shinah Shinah is the Hebrew word for sleep but also means to transform. While we sleep we often transform our consciousness. In Ancient times sleep also meant "dream journeys". Most of the dreams of the Torah appear in Parashiot that are read during Kislev. These are the dreams of Joseph and the dreams of Pharaoh. Sometimes - in some years this also applies to Jacob's Ladder Dream

    Ancient Tribal Connection: Gad גד The meaning of Gad is fortunate as in lucky or miraculous. This is why the Holiday of Chanukah appears in Kislev; yet is only hinted to in the Torah but not explicitly mentioned in the Torah.

    Modern Tribal Connection: Naftali נפתלי See below for more information about the Tribe of Naftali.

    Tribal Totem: Lioness Lavee לביא The meaning of this totem - the female lion is "power in action". This animal relates to being the provider for her family as well as demonstrating her desire to care for her family called a pride in many ways. These letters can also be translated as "My Heart needs to be unified". Also Heart is an Island.



    Tribal Stone: Amethyst אחלמה Achlamah The Amethyst was situated in the third row of the stones on the Breastplate of the High Priest. It is also known to provide protection during battle. This protection was used in physical battle but also in internal battles. The Hebrew letters can be translated as Lamah - Ach or "What - Brother?" Also concealed in this word is the Hebrew word for dream Chalom.

    Tribal Herb: Costus קושט Koshet The translation of this Hebrew word is "correct". The teaching of the Torah - before you correct someone correct yourself. This herb is the component of the incense that drives the smoke straight up. This is the nature of the Kislev soul to be searching for truth and correctness. Permutate Koshet and you will come to realize that the attribute is silence Sheket - שקט that needs to be exercised prior to speaking.

    House: Pathways בית הדרכים Bait Haradchim This is a moon of many pathways. Many paths to follow all leading to the correct state of truth. These connections grow to the Light of the Sun becoming many different aspects of the shades and colors.

    Zodiac Sign: Keshet קשת Bow or Rainbow See below for information about the Zodiac sign of Keshet.

    Tribal Flag: Grey with an image of a Fortress אפור Ehfor The grey comes from the concept of the mixing of the colors of the rainbow. It is important the Keshet be kept discrete in the colors rather than mixed. This is the struggle associated with the Fortress.

    Tribal Direction: South נגב Cleansing This also connects to the word Darom which means south and rising. The result of cleansing is to rise spiritually.

    Essence of Kislev כסלו

    The Name of this 9th month of the Hebrew Calendar is Kislev. While Kislev like all of the Hebrew Month Names come from Ur Kasdim (Persia and Mesopotamia) they each have Shoreshim (Roots) when in Hebrew. Kislev can be translated as "like His basket," since the letters Samech Lamed spell the word in Hebrew for basket. The Vav at the end of a word translates as the possessive pronoun "His." The Caf at the beginning of a word translates as "like." Another root for this word Kislev is Samech Lamed Lamed which has the meanings of "to pave the way for," to compress and to exalt."

    Another potential translation for Kislev is "Kiseh 36" which alludes to the "Throne of the Tzadikim." It also relates to the "Cup of 36." This hints to the Vessel that becomes a channel for miracles.

    The essence of Kislev is miracles. As we learn from the above meanings of the Name Kislev it is not just the manifestation of miracles, although that is possible; it is storing (as in a basket) the energy to accomplish miracles throughout the year. We learn how to store this energy when we learn to "exalt" the Creator. The energy this month will also help us "pave the way" to the merit for receiving the miracles waiting for us to manifest in our lives.

    In order to assist us during the month of Kislev we need to learn about miracles. The Hebrew word Nes (נס) translates as miracles. It also has the meaning of "running away." We learn from this that in order to bring a miracle into manifestation in our lives we need to "run away" from our "desire to receive for oneself alone."

    One thing that we learn from studying the spiritual system is that it follows natural order or "laws." This is true of the idea of miracles as well as what we refer to as Nature. Nature has natural laws. Miracles also follow the natural laws of miracles. When someone goes outside of his/her comfort zone a little way then there is a little miracle manifested into his/her life. When one goes a large way outside of one's comfort zone a larger miracle will manifest in his/her life. When one drastically changes what is his/her comfort zone their whole world changes in a miracle. This is how large forces are defeated by smaller forces in this physical world. When the smaller force is unified, which is normally against man's nature, they will easily defeat the larger force which is following the natural order of most men - that of being separated. This is a message that is repeated throughout the Torah. This is a message of history although most historians do not "see" this pattern.

    The number 9 is the letter Tet in the Hebrew Calendar. Kislev as the 9th month has a relationship to the Tet. It is not created by the Tet; yet it has the dual nature of the Tet. When we count down from the Top then Kislev is the month of Yesod or Creativity. Yesod is connected to sexuality; yet sex is part of creativity. When counting up from the bottom Kislev is connected to Chochma which is Wisdom. There is much to learn from this duality and much to contemplate within your meditations during this month. How do you unify Wisdom and Creativity? A Miracle is the unity of these two concepts.

    The months of the Hebrew year are connected to the Tetragrammaton. The Kabbalists teach that Tishrai along with Cheshvan and Kislev are connected to the Vav. In Kabbalah the Vav represents Zeir Anpin which is also called "Son." The "Son" is both the brother and the husband of the lower Hey. Zeir Anpin consists of what is called "six ends." The Kabbalists teach that these attributes - six ends are the emotive passions or emotions.

    The emotion and passion of the month of Kislev is running away from our fears. Kislev is a month where the days of the year are short. There is less daylight. The world appears dark and cold due to it being winter. When we see past the cold and dark of these short days of winter, we find the Light of HaShem and the miracles He has planned for us.

    Here are the letters of the month, and the Tetragrammaton Permutation for the month of Kislev

    ס ג ויהה

    The letter Samech which created the sign of Sagittarius has the essence of encouragement, sustenance and assistance. The Letter Gimmel in addition to meaning "camel" also carries the essence of goodness and sharing. Together they share assistance, encouragement, and sustenance.

    Now, let's look at the permutation of the Tetragrammaton for the month of Tishrai and what we can learn.

    The Tetragrammaton is normally spelled יהוה. When the Yood is in the first position. The first position is normally considered the World of Atzilut (Emanation). The second position normally has a Hey and is considered the world of Brea (Creation). The third position normally has a Vav and is considered the World of Yetzirah (Formation). The fourth position normally has a Hey and is considered the world of Assiya (Action or Manifestation).

    All of these worlds in the paragraph above relate to descriptions and teachings in Kabbalah. They are metaphors to help us understand and relate to these worlds that we do not see with our physical senses.

    The word that is the Tetragrammaton is actually the Hebrew verb "to be" in a conjugated form. The Yood at the beginning of a Hebrew verb indicates action. Therefore, the Name of God translates into English as "Active Being." The ultimate essence of "Active Being" is transcendent power of love and compassion without regard to people's merit.

    This normal permutation which is used in the month of Nissan puts the Name of God in its normal, proper, and optimal placement to provide for the maximum flow of the Beneficence of HaShem. In essence, the Yood in the World of Atzilut allows for a concentrated point of connection to the World of Ain Sof or Endless World. The upper Hey in Beria expands to support actual birthing and Creation. The Vav then channels this energy of Creation into the final Hey in the World of Malchut which is Manifestation.

    When we look at the permutation for Kislev, we see the Vav in the first position which manifests an abundance of energy. This is followed by the Yood representing the Sefirah of Chochma as discussed above. The two Heys serve in a position to expand this energy of wisdom through the Creative essence of Yetzirah and manifest it in our physical world. This is how the energy of miracles come about.

    The letters of the Month

    As said above the word Samech means encouragement, sustenance, and / or assistance. Someck (same letters different vowels) means support. The Somech created the sign of Sagittarius which in Hebrew is Keshet. Keshet has different perceptions by different astrologers. Some translate it as a bow which is part of a circle. Some translate it as bow and arrow which is more than a tool of war or hunting. It is a means of transferring the circle energy into a straight line energy. This is how cupid provides Love. Some astrologers translate Keshet as the rainbow. The rainbow is probably the best way to translate Keshet. The rainbow is actually the manifestation of an aspect of Chesed in the world. In the story of the flood, the rainbow announced the promise of no more earth destruction by flood. When properly understood on a deeper level than the child's story of Noach, we see that the rainbow is the force that counterbalances judgment. On a very deep level a miracle is overpowering the Judgment / Limitation of a natural law.

    The Gimmel created the planet Jupiter. Jupiter is the largest planet int the solar system and is also the only planet that constantly keeps growing. This is an indication of going against nature because there is a law in nature that says that all entropy will eventually become null and therefore, there would be no further movement in the universe. As long as Jupiter grows it is going against nature, and as far as man knows Jupiter always grows.

    The two letters Samech and Gimmel together spell the word Sog which translates in Hebrew as "to retreat" or "to fence in." The energy of miracle allows us to overcome this normal cautious nature of Man. Therefore, the two letters represent a vaccine that allows us to constantly grow against our nature. This is seen by the numerical value of 63 which is a number connected to the Sefirah of Binah. Binah represents the energy store. Binah is the Mother. Binah is another connection to the Keshet and Kislev that brings the energy of Miracles into our lives.

    According to the Kabbalah all miracles are created by our actions during the month of Kislev. When we go against our nature during this month we create (draw) the energy of miracles. Actually, Kabbalah tells us that Kislev is the only time we are able to create miracles, although they will manifest throughout the year.

    Holidays in Kislev

    Chanukah is the Holiday in the month of Kislev. On its surface Chanukah is a Holiday about a miracle and many people celebrate it as a connection to a war over two thousand year ago. Some people explain it as the battle between Light and Darkness that occurs every day between the sun and the moon. Some people explain it as a battle between the Light of HaShem and the darkness of the secular world represented by Greek Culture. It is none of these things and all of these things.

    On its deepest level Chanukah is an indication that the energy of miracles is available to us on these 8 days. Chanukah is the only Holiday that crosses over into another month. An indication of going against nature.

    Chanukah is the only Holiday in the Hebrew Calendar that is manifested at the end of the month. All other months occur during the waxing phase of the moon. Only Chanukah occurs during the waning moon cycle. This is teaching us that only Kislev is the only Month that is "right side up." This term is a euphemism for the spiritual worlds being out of sync with the physical world which is upside down. This comes from an ancient Kabbalistic story told in the Talmud about a man who dreamed a dream. He asked his father what was the meaning of the dream. His father asked him to tell him the dream. He said, paraphrasing, i saw all of the important people of our town in the dream and they were the unimportant people in my dream. i saw all of the poor and insignificant people in our town and they were the people who shined with the most intensity. They were the people who others listened to. They were the people who were the most important. IT LOOKED LIKE THE WORLD WAS UPSIDE DOWN. His father explained that our physical world is upside down. Those insignificant people in our world are the true higher souls worthy of the natural order of miracles and the important people in our world are insignificant in the spiritual world and will receive the least amount of miracles in both worlds. During Kislev we have the opportunity to become humble and significant and leave our ego behind since this is what blocks us from receiving miracles in our lives in the physical world.

    The Kabbalists explain that by lighting the candles in the open doorway of our homes we create affinity between this energy of miracles and the candle we light which actually draws this energy into our homes. The Kabbalists also explain that the light of Chanukah is the Light of Creation that was hidden away (called the Ohr Ganuz) for the righteous. There is a very deep lesson in this teaching. That lesson is MIRACLE IS THE NATURAL ORDER OF LIFE.

    The last day of Chanukah has its own name. It is called Zot Chanukah. Zot Chanukah means, "This is Chanukah." The Kabbalists teach that this day is the last opportunity to change any negative decrees that came out of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. We will discuss the 40 days leading up to this day and how it can be used to assist you in changing these decrees.

    Any questions about the above write to yeshshem@hotmail.com

    Tzadikim who left in Kislev

    Our Tzadikim have given us a great tool. Themselves! Their Hilulah is the opportunity to utilize their connection to the Creator to make our connection easier. The method we use is to light a Yahrzeit candle (25 hour candle) and learn about the Sage. This strengthens our connection to the Tzadik and through that connection allows us to reach the Creator more easily.

    It is recommended that one mentions the Names of the Tzadikim every evening at the start of your evening prayer connection or just prior to going to sleep each evening.

    Tribe and Tribal Leader connected to Kislev

    Here are the connections to the Tribe for the month and the Leader of that Tribe from our website, with information about the Nasi and the attributes dealing with this month.

    The Tribe for the month of Kislev is the

  • Tribe of Benjamin.
  • I suggest you spend some time during this month checking out the attributes of the name Benjamin and the Name of the Nasi who gave the dedication and his consciousness of why he gave what he gave. Remember not all of these attributes are positive and with the tool of Binding by Striking we can correct them and transform them into positive aspects.

    Practical Tools to adopt in Kislev

    Here are strategies to adopt for this month of Kislev.

    1. Dreams During Kislev our dreams are important to us. We see from the Torah portions during Kislev especially Vayetze and Mikketz the importance of dreams. Make it your business to remember your dreams by recording them upon awakening (even in the middle of your sleep). If you do not remember your dreams ask to have the merit to remember your dreams prior to going to sleep. You do this by sitting on your bed prior to saying the Shema, and asking out loud to the universe, "May i have the merit to remember my dreams tonight in order to better serve the Creator and other people." Do this often until you do start to remember your dreams.

    2. Interpret Your Dreams The Zohar says that a dream that is not interpreted is like a letter you received from your higher self that you did not open. Who interprets your dream is VERY IMPORTANT. It should always be interpreted positively. It will manifest the way it is interpreted. The truth is not important in this case. Only a positive interpretation. So only ask people who know this spiritual truth and who also LOVE YOU. The people who love you will tend to interpret your dreams positively. Also, the best person to interpret your dreams is you, but your dream buddy interpreter can assist you in understanding your dreams better.

    3. Pray for the Healing of the Sick The energy of miracles apply to the sick. This energy is available this month; yet someone who is ill is in the prison (limitation) of their illness. It is difficult to break out of prison without help. It is difficult to go against your nature while in prison. Help the people you know and the people you do not know by asking for the miracle of the end of illness for the whole world as well as a specific illness that is impacting a few individuals.

    4. Praise God and ask HaShem for assistance to GO OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Please recognize the natural order of things. We all need HaShem to assist us in our goals. HaShem wants us to have these miracles and is more than willing to assist us, but we have to ask. Otherwise there is coercion and it is not free will.

    The Tikune in Kislev

    If your lunar north node is in the Zodiac sign of Kislev, your Tikune is in Kislev.

    If you do not know where your north node is within your astrological chart send me your birth date birth location and birth time to yeshshem@hotmail.com. I will send you information on how to find your north node and your personal Tikune.

    In your previous incarnation as a Gemini you bring this duality of living with two opposing viewpoints and the uncertainty it creates into this lifetime. In your last life time decision making was your major stumbling block. In this lifetime your tikune is to define your aims and then to accomplish them. Your responsibilities and obligations are opportunities to solidify and reveal your own opinions. You will find it necessary to pursue justice in such a way that you integrity, sincerity, and a refusal to compromise will become central issues in your soul's progression and growth.

    Once you find your own identity you will be able to find your true mission on earth which will involve sharing your wisdom and revealing truth.

    During Kislev every person will be influenced by

    During Kislev you will have the opportunity to "see" outside of your comfort zone and more importantly you will be able to CHOOSE to go outside of your comfort zone. You will actually be given the opportunity to transform your comfort zone so that your life movie will become less chaotic. Hopefully you will make that choice.

    72 Names

    Here is a link to all of the 72 Names that connect to them the month of Kislev

  • 72 Names for Chodesh Kislev.
  • In conclusion

    Just like most people like the Holiday of Chanukah most people like the month of Kislev. Kislev serves as a happy time that separates the difficult months of Cheshvan and Tevet.

    There is one additional secret about Kislev i want to share with you. Kislev can be seen as two words. Kisay which means Throne and the number 36. As the throne of 36 Kislev allows us to recognize the Tzadikim in our world. What is not recognized by most people is there are two sets of Tzadikim. The 36 revealed Tzadikim and the 36 concealed Tzadikim for a total of 72 Tzadikim. As a student of Kabbalah you should realize what these 72 Tzadikim provide for the world's CONTINUED EXISTENCE.

    A final secret that is related to the above discussion

    The last letter of Kislev is a Vav that can be substituted by a Bet. Then the word can become "Throne of the Heart." During Kislev there is an opportunity to transform our world that is based on judgment into a world that is based on Mercy. Let's all do our spiritual work this month and make that happen.

    Kol Tuuv

    chanoch