Emuna: Working Thoroughly – and Naturally – Like an Ox

by Rav Haggai Londin, Rosh Yeshivat Holon, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The special traits of the month of Iyar, which began today.

As is known, the Jewish months of the year are not just a technical means for determining the passage of time. A month – ḥodesh, from the same root as ḥadash, "new" – has its own unique spiritual essence; every month has its own method of Divine service that suits it. 

In Sefer Yetzirah, o-ne of our ancient texts, attributed to Avraham Avinu, each month of the calendar is assigned, inter alia, a letter of the alphabet, a body part, and a soul attribute, i.e., a trait that one should work on and improve. The letter assigned to the month of Iyar is vuv; the body part is the kidneys; and the attribute is hirhur, which can be translated as "thoughts," often sinful ones, but which can also often be used for positive action.

The month of Iyar comes between Nisan and Sivan, and between Pesach and Shavuot. After the Jews became the Nation of Israel upon leaving Egypt, they began a long trek of 49 days between the Exodus and their receipt of the Torah at Sinai. However, before they received the Torah and its teachings that connect Israel with G-d, they were required to undergo a period of preparation for mundane and secular matters – i.e., simple and straight nature, that which is built up in Iyar.

Let us begin with the kidneys. There is a Hebrew phrase that speaks of the "morals of the kidneys" – mussar klayot – and represents simple morality and pangs of conscience. One who requires an external punishment in order not to murder or steal, definitely has a problem. A normal person can be expected to have natural human morality; the "derekh eretz [that] preceded Torah," as the Medrash teaches. The Sages also said about Avraham Avinu that he learned the Torah from "his two kidneys [that] were like two jugs of water spouting forth Torah" to him - a continuous and abundant outpouring of Torah knowledge from his innermost being. Avraham developed a consciousness of his natural "kidney" ethics to the extent that he succeeded in fulfilling some of the Torah's mitzvot even before they were commanded. 

This is why we must be careful during the days of Iyar, more than during the rest of the year, not to lose our natural, inborn morality. During the days of Iyar, 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died, for "not behaving with respect towards each other" (Yevamot 62b). During the days between Pesach and Shavuot – most of which are in the month of Iyar – the custom developed to study Pirkei Avot, i.e., the Mishnayot known as the Ethics of the Fathers. These chapters come to build up our heart, our natural traits, and the proper approach to receiving the Torah.

Hirhur precedes action. Action is basically that which comes at the end of the process, while hirhur accompanies a person all the time, even when he is not conscious of it. Hirhur is the natural state of thought. The Sage R. Amram is cited in the Talmud (Bava Batra 164b) as saying that there are three sins from which, every single day, no one is free of – and one of them is hirhur of sin. In Iyar, we work on being aware of our thoughts. We count the 49 days of the Omer, which prepare our thoughts little by little so that we can receive the Torah on Shavuot.

The letter vuv, as its name implies (comprising two letters vuv, meaning "and"), connects things. The letter vuv starts from the top and descends straight down, connecting between heaven and earth, and between worlds. Iyar is the month that connects so naturally between the Exodus from Egypt and the Stand at Mt. Sinai seven weeks later; between the appearance in the world of Israelite nationhood and the giving of the Torah; between Yom HaAtzma'ut (Israel Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Reunification Day). The month of Iyar is the natural link between the mundane and that of sanctity. 

The astrological sign of Iyar is the ox, the classic work animal. The ox plows the hard soil, breaking the clods of earth with slow, difficult, unyielding efforts. The Hebrew word for "ox" is shor, which stems from the same root as shurah, meaning line or row. The ox's job is to plow straight rows in the field – thorough and long-term work, step by step, row by row. In these days of the month of Iyar, one should adopt qualities of a Taurus: stubbornness, sticking with unpleasant work, being a work horse. We must plow our heart towards the Giving of the Torah; and we must build a country using physical tools, trusting that the holy seeds will grow between the furrows.

The simple nature of Iyar is manifest in yet another plane. It was in Iyar that the modern Nation of Israel merited two new holidays: Yom HaAtzma'ut and Yom Yerushalayim. These are festive days that commemorate our return to our natural state, that of a nation in its land. We have become a normal country with a capital city. Yet, these two events – the formation of Israel and the full liberation of Jerusalem – are not yet the end of the story. We must yet build the Beit HaMikdash! But still, "the State of Israel is the foundation of G-d's throne in the world" (Rav Kook, in Orot). This is the natural base and infrastructure on which the holiness will then reside.

The month of Iyar is the month in which we work on the simple and natural things, in which we work stubbornly like an ox, in which we develop our ability to work hard. During these days, we must be more careful with our interpersonal relationships. We must plow thoroughly the land of the State of Israel, open our hearts, listen to others, listen to ourselves. We must build the natural, physical world – individually and nationally – in purity. Upon that, we will then be able to receive the Torah. Amen!