Word Prompt – MAR CHESHVAN – Ita Yankovich

I could never relate to the term “Mar Cheshvan” when referring to this month. I know it’s called that due to the absence of any chagim, but I think many of us look forward to and love this month for precisely that very reason. After last month’s Marathon of shopping, cooking, planning, shlepping, and stressing, it feels soooo nice to be able to take it slow and just enjoy the simplicity of being a Jew. There are no countless meals to prepare, no wooden sukkah boards to load and unload from the garage, no waiting in long congested lines at the grocery store, and no hours upon hours of sitting in shul.

Don’t get me wrong, I love davening in shul and I attend loyally every Shabbos, rain or shine, but I enjoy it so much more in Cheshvan. In Cheshvan, due to the lack of holidays, Shabbos just feels more special. It’s a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the workweek. We get to sit in fancy clothes and enjoy gourmet meals. On Shabbos we get to shmooze with people we haven’t seen in a week, or even longer. I’m not sure the same feelings exist in Elul and Tishrei due to the proximity of all the Yamom Tovim being squashed together.

There is nothing bitter about Cheshvan. This is the month when King Shlomo finished building the first Beis Hamikdash. It’s the month when mystical Jewish traditions say there is a close tie with Moshiach, noting that the ultimate spiritual light will be revealed in this quiet time. So, I reject the term “Mar Cheshvan,” as there is no way a month can be referred to as unsweet when it bestows upon us four majestic Shabbosim.