Seasons, The

The calendar is more than a measure of time; it is a cycle that charts our inner life and our relationship with our Creator.

When it's dark, light a candle...

The bare trees become full of life, lustre and hope, only to fade and fall away, returning back to the earth, gone. Is there a purpose to these revolving seasons, or are we in a cycle of endless and meaningless repetition?

It is the aging leaves in the fall, clinging to life with their last breathe, that truly mesmerize me. These leaves remind me of a mature individual, made wise by his life experiences...

As I enjoyed the beauty of G‑d’s creation, a strange thought struck me—after the leaves change, they will fall off the trees. This vibrant display of nature only occurs when the leaves are dying!

Just when we got to the least amount of light of the entire year, it all turned around and started moving upwards. And all those small changes soon enough add up to significant changes...

If a cold and dark world mutes the light of G‑d and dulls our minds and hearts, it only accentuates the most basic and essential element of our relationship: the bond between the physical self of man and the quintessential being of G‑d.

Occasionally, we open the unused drawers in the back of my youngest son's closet to look at these relics from a distant past...

As per the Talmud, the month of Kislev marks the onset of the winter season in the Holy Land and is the third month of the "Season of the Rains." Link: Winter

According to Rabbi Judah (cited in the Talmud, Bava Metzia 106b), Tevet 29 marks the end of winter. (As per Genesis 8:22, the year consists of six 2-month "seasons": seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, summer and winter.)