Cheshvan

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Cheshvan (Hebrew: חֶשְׁוָן, Standard Ḥešvan Tiberian Ḥešwān), short for Marcheshvan (Hebrew: מַרְחֶשְׁוָן, Standard Marḥešvan Tiberian Marḥešwān; from Akkadian waraḫsamnu, literally "eighth month") is the second month of the civil year year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical on the Hebrew calendar. In the Bible it is called Bul. It is an autumn month of 29 days, except in "complete" years, in which it has 30 days (see Hebrew calendar: Modern calendar). Cheshvan usually occurs in October–November on the Gregorian calendar.

Given the Akkadian etymology, it seems likely the מ and the ו were switched at some point in time, since w-r-ḥ is the Semitic root for "moon" (and thus also "month"), and s-m-n is the Semitic root for "eight". Since then, the first two letters מַר (mar) have been reinterpreted as the Hebrew word for bitter, alluding to the fact that the month has no holidays or fasts. However, the Ethiopian Jewish community celebrate Sigd on the 29th day of Cheshvan.

Events in Cheshvan

• On the 7th day of Cheshvan, the prayer, V'tein tal u-matar ("deliver dew and rain") is added to the Shemoneh Esrei prayers in Israel. If no rain has fallen by the 17th of the month, special prayers are added for rain [1]
• On the 17th of Cheshvan, the Biblical Flood began
• On the 17th of Cheshvan, King Solomon completed the building of the First Temple (it was not inaugurated until the following Tishrei)

This Month in Jewish History

3 Cheshvan - (1850) - Passing of R. Israel of Ruzhin

• The 3rd of Cheshvan is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of the famed Chassidic master Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin (1797-1850), known as "The Holy Ruzhiner." (See: Israel_Friedman)
  

7 Cheshvan - (1933) - Passing of R. Meir Shapiro

• Passing of Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin, founder of the daily "page a day" regimen of Talmudic study known as Daf Yomi.
  

9 Cheshvan - (1327) - Passing of the Rosh, Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel

• Rabbi Asher passed away in Toledo on Cheshvan 9 of the year 5088 from creation (1327 of the Common Era).
  

11 Cheshvan - (1797) - Passing of R. Nachum of Chernobyl

• Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl was a disciple of the second leader odf the Chassidic movement, Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch, and the founder of the Chernobyl dynasty of Chassidic Rebbes.
  

12 Cheshvan - (1995) - Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin

• Yitzhak Rabin is the only Prime Minister of Israel to date to have been assassinated. The 12th of Cheshvan is now marked annually in Israel as a national memorial day.
  

17 Cheshvan - (2105 BCE) - Great Flood Begins

• The rains began to fall on the 17th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 from creation (2105), flooding the earth and rising above the highest mountains. Only Noah and his family survived, in the ark built to that end by Divine command, and a pair of each animal species, who entered with him into the ark.
  

23 Cheshvan - (137 BCE) - Hasmonean holiday

• In Talmudic times, Cheshvan 23 was commemorated as the day on which the stones of the altar which were defiled by the Greeks were removed from the Holy Temple.
  

27 Cheshvan - (2104 BCE) - Flood ends

• On the 27th of Cheshvan of the year 1657 from creation (2104 BCE) "the earth dried" (Genesis 8:14) completing the 365-day duration of the great flood that wiped out all life on earth save for the eight human beings and and the animals (two of each species) in Noah's ark; on this day, God commanded Noah to "Come out of the ark" and repopulate, settle and civilize the earth.
  

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