Interpretation of the month

Interpretation of the month Kislev

"Then Jacob was very afraid, and he was afraid": He was afraid of being killed, and he was desperate because he might have to kill someone

Interpretation of the month Cheshvan

And to Sarah he [Abimelech] said words of reassurance and comfort:

"Behold! When I took you at the beginning, I did not take you by force or violence, but according to the rules of marriage, for 'I gave your brother a thousand pieces of silver' as bride-price, thinking that he was your brother, as you had told me."

This bridewealth [mentioned here] was not the gift of sheep and cattle that Abimelech later gave to Abraham, but [it refers to the bridewealth] that [Abimelech gave him] before he brought them into his house.

"Behold, this is a covering for your eyes to all who are with you: The thousand pieces of silver that I gave your brother earlier are a great honor for you and serve as a covering for the eyes of all your relatives who are with you and for the whole world, so that they will not see you in a negative light and say, 'This woman - Abimelech treated her like fair game'"

All will know that he took her [as a gentleman] in an honorable way, and that he returned her against his will.

"And in everything, be you justified: It is common knowledge and well proven that I have behaved honorably towards you. Please keep [our encounter] only in good memory!"

This is the actual meaning according to the principle of "peshat", for Abimelech said all this only to honor Sarah, and not to rebuke or deceive her.

Interpretation of the month Tishri

And he said, "Take your son, your only one whom you love, Isaac...

Take [קח נא], ןis always an expression of supplication. He said to him: "I ask you to pass this test for me, so that it is not said that there was nothing real about the previous ones." Your son: Then [Avraham] replied: "I have two sons". He said, "Your only one". Then he said, "This one is the only one of his mother, and this one is the only one of his mother. He said, "The one you love," and he replied, "I love them both. Then he said: "The Yitzchaq". And why did [the Eternal] not reveal this to him from the beginning? So as not to confuse him suddenly; his mind could have left him and become confused, and to make the commandment dear to him and to give him [his] reward for every single word.

Interpretation of the month Elul

Remember what Amalek did to you... how he met you on the road and struck your stragglers, all the weak ones behind you... "You went on your way and had no reason to suspect an enemy attack. His attack was completely unprovoked, was driven by pure joy in man-slaughter, or by an inkling of the danger that began to threaten his principle of sword power from the principle of pure humanity and loyalty to duty that entered history with you ... So it was the weakest of the weak, who could not follow even a slow movement, whom he attacked. Thus, it was not weakness that invited him to pity and sparing, but to crude, mocking maltreatment"

Interpretation of the Month Av

You shall not quarrel with them, for I will not give you any of their land ...

"Moshe had to utter all these warnings 'now' [i.e., at the time in question] so that they would not become fainthearted and say, 'If it is truly the will of the Holy One to give us an inheritance, and if He has the power to do so, why did He not drive out the nations through [whose land] we passed?' - Therefore [Moshe] let them know 'now' that the Holy One did not want this to happen, for the Holy One had already allotted [these territories] to [these peoples], for it is written: ... because I gave the mountains of Seir to Esau for a possession (Deut 2:5), ... because I gave Ar to the descendants of Lot for a possession (Deut 2:9), and [the same applies] to the Ammonites, because I gave it to the descendants of Lot for a possession (Deut 2:19). [This was done] in honor of Abraham, to whom they were related, as he had done for Israel."

Interpretation of the month Tammuz:

This is what applies to the Levites: From 25 years old and upward he shall enter to do the work of the service of the Tent of Meeting "But in another place he says (Num 4:3) 'from 30 years old'. How is this to be understood? From the age of 25 he comes to learn the precepts of the ministry, and he learns 5 years. From (the age of) 30 he (then) performs the service. It is clear from this (verse) that a student who does not see a favorable omen [i.e. success] in his studies for five years will never see it"