by Rav Eran Tamir, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel
In Nissan we were redeemed miraculously, but in Iyar, we are expected to recognize Him through natural events.
The 12 months of the year correspond, the Zohar tells us, to the 12 Tribes. As such, the month of Nissan – the first of the months, the month of our original Redemption from Egypt – corresponds to Reuven, the oldest of Yaakov's sons. Reuven's name comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to see," as his mother Leah said upon naming him: "G-d has seen my troubles" (B'reshit 29,32).
Continuing in this vein, the second month – Iyar, which begins this week – corresponds to Shim'on, whose name means "hearing," as his mother said when he was born: "G-d has heard that I am unloved" (verse 33). Iyar is the month in which we commemorate our present-day redemption, with Israel Independence Day and Jerusalem Reunification Day.
How is this difference – Nissan as the month of sight and Iyar as the month of hearing – manifest practically for us? The Shem MiShmuel explains:[1] "The Zohar says that seeing relates to that which is close, and hearing – that which is far… For in Nissan, Israel saw G-dliness with their own eyes… while in Iyar, what remained was only that which was far and could be heard [referring to that which must be studied carefully, and not remain superficial]. And so it is in the month of Iyar, one must strive to understand the depth."
The Shem MiShmuel continues to explain that to see Divinity with one's eyes is easy, so to speak, and for this alone "the soul did not have to descend to This World." Rather, the great miracles of Nissan were only a preparation for the coming days of Iyar in which G-d's hand was more concealed.
Let us elaborate and explain the essential difference between sight and hearing, both sensually and spiritually: Seeing on the one hand is certain, for what we see is truly there and cannot be denied. However, it is only external and even superficial, because we can only see what is on the outside but not what is truly transpiring on the inner levels, that which is the essential and genuine truth of the matter.
Hearing, on the other hand, is not something we can perfectly count on. Sometimes we are doubtful as to where a sound is coming from, or what it means, or whether we even heard it at all. However, it is deep and internal – because when we concentrate on focusing our hearing, we can identify the source and also understand the sound's hidden, inner meanings.
The Lamb and the Bull
This difference between seeing and hearing has further significance, not only in relation to the superficiality or depth of understanding, but also in relation to our practical efforts.
The property of sight does not require one to be proactive or to be an active partner in events, because everything appears from top to bottom, from the Creator to the created, while man himself remains passive. Hearing, however, requires one to be active not only in understanding the depth of a matter, but also in the actions that he takes – and thus to be an active partner with the Master of the Universe in redeeming and rectifying the world.
This dual difference between hearing and seeing, in terms of both understanding and practical actions, is the basis of the difference between the months of Nissan and Iyar. During Nissan, the month of seeing, we saw Hashem clearly and openly, with His providence before our very eyes in the miracles of the Ten Plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the sea. These sights left no doubts whatsoever as to G-d's existence, power, and guidance in history. No depth of faith or understanding was required, and there were almost no practical actions we had to take.
But the month of Iyar, the month of audio, is that in which G-d expects us to "hear" Him, girded with the strength of what we "saw" in Nissan. That is, we must discern via what appear to be natural events how G-d leads us through history. We must do this through the depth of our intellectual-spiritual understanding, and through our emuna-based outlook – and we must also take a proactive role, partnering with G-d in perpetuating the Creation, and then the Redemption, of the world.
The 'mazalot' (astrological signs) of the months also bear out this idea. The mazal of Nissan is the lamb, alluding to Israel's situation during the Exodus: weak, passive, and dependent on the shepherd. Iyar, however, is represented by the bull, that which threshes the earth and carries heavy burdens. This alludes to the Divine expectation that we take responsibility, both by seeking to understand Him in nature and by taking action to partner with Him. Like the bull, we must do this even without seeing immediately the results of our actions.
As the Shem MiShmuel continues: "The shepherds place no yoke upon the lambs, which simply follow their masters… This is how G-d led us during Nissan; we fulfilled the words of Shir HaShirim (1,4), 'pull me after you and I will go,' relying totally on the mercy of our master… But the bull of Iyar is a bull that takes a yoke – as is written, "He [who] walks along, crying, carrying the sack of seed…" (Tehillim 126,6) – and does not feel sweetness in its labor.
In our times, we truly experience the hearing based on emuna and action that expresses the properties of the month of Iyar and Israel's special qualities. For one thing, Rabi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the secrets of the Kabbalah on the 18th day of Iyar, Lag BaOmer. And on the practical side, in our generation, the State of Israel was established on the 5th day of Iyar, Independence Day; and then, 19 years later, Jerusalem was totally liberated and unified as we extended and strengthened our hold on our Promised Land, both spiritually and physically, during the Six Day War, on the 28th of Iyar – which we joyously celebrate today as Jerusalem Day.
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