Kislev: The Month of Hopes, Dreams and Divine Support

By  Mary Cornelius

Last month I wrote about Cheshvan, the bitter month. As we leave Cheshvan behind and usher in Kislev. I will not offer any platitudes or predictions in these difficult times. I’ve been consuming every shred of news I can get about Israel since October 7th. Recently, I’ve found myself intentionally guarding my emotional health by pulling away from the computer and being careful to avoid the most graphic pictures. Rather than producing a long essay about Kislev, one that I myself am not sure I have the bandwidth to write or adding to the writings, far more important than I could produce, I will offer some short points about Rosh Chodesh in general and Kislev in particular. Short and easy to digest. 

Chodesh Tov, dear sisters!

What is Rosh Chodesh all about?

Jews are moon gazers. We look to the heavens to know if it is a new month and even a new year. We start many of our holidays when the moon is full and bursting with light. The moon is the master of renewal and provides a new chance to gain strength and energy by syncing to ancient rhythms.

What sources are used to understand Rosh Chodesh and the significance of each month?

There are many sources, modern and ancient. The Sefer Yetzirah or The Book of Formation, is one of the earliest books of Jewish mysticism. Estimates by scholars date the book between 300 and 500 CE. Authorship is unknown but many attribute much of the writing to Rabbi Akiva. The objective of the book is to give humanity some means to understand the unity and omnipotence of the Creator.

In the Sefer Yetzirah each month is given a letter of the Hebrew Alef Bet as well as a human emotion or activity, a constellation and lastly, a body part.

What is special about Kislev?

For Kislev the letter is the Samech, the human activity is sleep, the constellation is Sagittarius, and the body part is the stomach or soul. The name "Kislev" connects to the Hebrew word for trust, kesel  סלֶכֶּ. During Kislev we trust that while darkness is intense, we will see light increasing as the seasons progress.

The holiday of Hannukah starts at the end of Kislev. Hannukah, the festival of lights, reminds us that the Jewish people have persevered through tremendous loss. We’ve always returned to our core values and as such, we are meant to be a light to the world. 

Why is Kislev known as the month of dreams?

We, here in the northern hemisphere, are very aware that the days are getting shorter. As a literal darkness descends, we are enticed to sleep. When we lose sleep, it doesn’t take long before we realize how detrimental a lack of sleep is to our health. During Kislev we are invited to pay attention to our sleep and embrace healthy ways to promote better sleep. That might include less screen time or checking your environment to promote sleep.

Regardless of how life might affect our sleep, we can tune into our dreams.  Dreams may come to us as aspirations. During Kislev we are encouraged to consider the work of the previous months since Rosh Hashanah and check in with our spiritual dreams and our higher purpose.

What significance does the letter Samech have this month?

As you can see the samech is a closed circle, representing G-d’s omnipresence. Some liken the shape to a shield, as in the shield of Divine protection, supported by the Ashrei when we say “G-d supports the fallen”. The first (firsts are always important, by the way) Samech to appear in the Torah is for the word Sovev or “surrounding” (Gen 2:11) referring to G-d surrounding us with transcendent light. 

The Archers Bow, Sagittarius and guarding our souls with the hope of rainbows:

The archer’s bow of Sagittarius relates to the Maccabees and their fight against the Hellenistic culture that ruled the world at the time.  The rainbow has also been linked through midrashim as a sign of covenantal peace.