Rosh Chodesh Nissan - The Power of the Jewish Woman

“Blessed art thou and thank you, G-d, for making me a woman.”

Yes, I know that’s a slight deviation from the actual blessing, but that is truly representative of how I feel.

Nissan, the lunar month that started last night with Jconnect’s Rosh Chodesh Celebration, is known as the first month of the Jewish calendar.

It’s the month of the exodus and the redemption of the Jewish people from the slavery of Egypt.

This is a month that our inclinations towards “evil” are abated and therefore we can focus our energies on growth and defining true freedom.

The reason given for the particular celebration of the new month by Jewish women is that women refused to participate in the building of the golden calf.

The women would not hand over their jewelry for this project. Sounds pretty obvious enough to say… Sure, women would never hand over their jewelry… after all diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right?

Wrong. When it was time to build the Tabernacle, the women nearly fell over themselves rushing to give their gold and jewels and be able to take part in its construction. So, what was it about the Golden Calf that caused us to defy our community and take such a stand?

Being part of the monthly Women’s Gathering brings home this reason to me each month.

There are women of different ages and different backgrounds who regularly gather together to celebrate their Judaism. No matter who speaks and what is discussed I am always struck by the depth and the quality and the searching that these women express.

It’s a small wonder that we, the Jewish women, would never be satisfied with a golden substitute for the truth, but rather would rebel and risk everything- even rebelling against our husbands (a HUGE deal in Biblical times)- to wait for the return of Moses. Nowadays, that translates into waiting for the word of G-d, and not putting our energies into frivolous pursuits. We must use our intuitive sense of truth.

This particular gathering’s topic was “Mindful Awareness”. We got to meditate on our breathing and allow our thoughts float across our minds like clouds across the sky. We learned that just as the sky does not get attached or upset by the passing clouds or even a gorgeous rainbow so too can we allow these thoughts to move over us without allowing ourselves to be thrown into a state of anger or sadness. While it is important to recognize our emotions, once we do so, we move towards being free of their hold over us.

That concept brings us to the real topic for the month: FREEDOM. As a teenager that was my big goal in life: I just wanted to be free. I’ve surprised myself as well as others by the amount that my definition of the word ‘freedom’ has changed over the years.

Back in my teenage years it was: Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law. I ran amuck and caused as much trouble as possible; being proud of not being tied to a morality system that was restrictive and boring.

As I’ve matured as an individual I saw with some shame and humility that chasing my own pleasures was not true freedom.

A phrase that really got me and was the catalyst for some radical changes was: Only a slave to the truth can be truly free.

I did not want to see myself as a slave… that hurt. But recognizing that we ultimately serve one thing or another, serving truth seems to be in line with integrity and a journey of refinement of soul.

On this day, the first day of Nissan, the Jewish priests (Kohanim) were desginated to serve G-d. The way of service was described in depth in the Torah. Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aaron (the first High Priest and the brother of Moses) came to serve God. They did not follow instructions, instead serving in the way they chose. The result was spontaneous human combustion. Pretty harsh. But the point gets made. G-d wants us to serve Him; serving ourselves is the antithesis of serving G-d.

Our inner essence is the Divine Spark; that is our connection to the Almighty. That “pintele yid” knows G-d and wants to serve Him. The rest of our body, including the mind and heart, seeks to serve what it understands of the external world that seems so real. As Jews, we have to fight that urge and do instead of serving the external world, use it to serve Him.

The lesson of Pesach and the month of Nissan is to know ourselves at the deepest level of who we truly are: Children of G-d, choosing freely to serve Him, knowing we are loved and chosen for this service.

May we all seek and find our core, and through this awareness be able to heighten our service and know we serve truth!