Rosh Hashana- Charging Our Batteries
The month of Tishri, the first month of the year, is followed by the month of Heshvan, to which we customarily refer as "Marheshvan." The most common explanation for the prefix "Mar," which means "bitter," is that it alludes to the "ordinariness" of this month. Heshvan is one of the only months of the Jewish calendar without any holidays or special occasions, and it is therefore "bitter," or bland. We add the prefix "Mar" as a description of the "blandness" of this month.
Others claim that the word "Mar" in this context means droplets of water. The prophet Yeshayahu, for example, declares that all nations on earth are in God’s eyes like "Mar Mi’dli" – "a drop in the bucket" (Yeshayahu 40:15). We add the word "Mar" to the name of this month because it ushers in the rainy season, when drops of water begin falling from the sky.
There is, however, yet another possible explanation of the word "Marheshvan," one which is worth contemplating already now, a full month before the onset of Marheshvan. We find in several contexts in the Gemara the Aramaic expression, "Merahashin Sefateh," which means, "his lips are moving." The word "Marheshvan," then, might allude to the fact that during this month our "lips are moving," almost automatically reciting and singing the chants from the High Holiday prayers. We recite prayers such as "Va’ya’abor," "Anenu," "Hashem Hu Ha’Elokim" and "Hashem Melech" countless times during the period of Elul and Tishri. It is only natural for our lips to continue whispering these prayers in the weeks after the Yamim Nora’im (Days of Awe), in the month of Marheshvan, and we therefore refer to this month with a term that alludes to the whispering of our mouths.
This demonstrates that the Yamim Nora’im period is intended to leave an enduring impact upon the subsequent weeks and months. This is the time to charge our batteries, to keep us going spiritually throughout the coming year. The inspiration that can be gained during these weeks of Elul and the holidays of Tishri have the capacity to affect us and bring about a change that will stay with us throughout the year.
Every business has its "busy season," a period of intensive commercial activity and sales. These seasons are critical for the business, and often bring in the bulk of its profits. With regard to our religious observance, this is our "busy season." These are the critical weeks for the "business" of spiritual growth. The "profits" gained from the Yamim Nora’im will give our "business" a significant boost that could last us throughout the coming year. Just as a business owner makes every effort to capitalize on his "busy season" to make as large a profit as he can, similarly, we must ensure not to squander the opportunities afforded by the High Holiday season, and take full advantage of this opportunity to draw closer to God and "charge our batteries" for the coming year.
