Dear Friend,

This Sunday Night, the 15th day of the Jewish Month of Av, is a significant day on the Jewish Calendar. Six notable events in Jewish History happened on this day, (learn about them here), the majority of them relating to the theme of Jewish Unity and reversing the tragedy that took place on the 9th of Av.

I want to share with you some thoughts my Uncle, Rabbi Mendy Herson recorded about this day:

Look outside tonight and you’ll see a full moon. It’s a pretty sight, yet common folklore has associated lunacy - even vampires - with lunar fullness.

Well, Judaism sees spiritual beauty and meaning in the full moon.

The sun is the universe’s luminary, and the moon its reflector, and (as we observe it on earth) every month they go through a cosmic dance. The New Moon cycle begins with darkness, a moonless night. The moon then begins to wax, showing us more and more of the sun’s brilliance.

Ultimately, we get to see the moon in total symmetry with the sun’s rays: The full moon.

This dynamic represents our own dance with the Divine. G-d is the source of all light, the true ‘Sun’ of our universe. Our job is to reflect Divine meaning; we need to be a ‘moon’ to G-d’s ‘Sun’.

When we’re off our game, we go dark. Our world is a moonless night, lonely and vulnerable.

When we’re aligned, the world is bright. Life makes sense. We can see where we’re coming from and where we need to go. Life still has pitfalls, but we’re safe and secure. We’re connected.

We ARE the full moon.

On the [lunar-based] Jewish calendar, the 15th day of the month is always the full moon.

In the Spring, Passover is on the 15th. So is Sukkot in the Fall. Yet, the Talmud tells us that the 15th of the month of Av – tonight - is greater than them both.

Why?

There’s no deeper security than the safety which comes after vulnerability and instability.

Think of a couple experiencing their honeymoon, an unchallenged oneness. Then real life hits, so the union faces instability and challenge. The couple’s in a vulnerable place, [partially] because they haven’t each yet evolved into a healthy, interdependent unit.

By using their imbalance as an opportunity to strengthen personal weakness, the couple comes out stronger on the other side. They’re more secure because they have faced instability and grown from it.

Tisha B’av (last weekend) was a time for mourning the havoc that results from being disconnected, detached from self, each other and the Divine.

Having resolved to regain balance and reconnect, our new alignment has the safety – that special glow – that comes with personal transformation.

So our moon is especially bright.

This Sunday Night.

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This week Chana and I are are away visiting family but there will still be a group meeting at Chabad of Cary to daven together and discuss the Parsha together in an informal setting. (there will not be a minyan/reading of the Torah).

We miss everyone and very much look forward to seeing you when we return early next week!

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Yisroel and Rebbetzin Chana