Q:
Why is it that the month of Cheshvan doesn’t have any holidays in it or even any fast days?
A:
And the answer is that Cheshvan comes right after the month of Tishrei. And since we lost so much time on the holidays, so much time from learning, so we need time to make it up. You know, if you learn every day with groups of bochurim in the yeshiva, your heart hurts because of all the learning that goes lost. Now it’s Rosh Hashana, now it’s Yom Kippur, now it’s Sukkos. Your heart hurts you – you’re missing so much.
And if you’re a business man you lose out a lot. If you work for a company your boss is getting sourer and sourer with you every day. He sees you’re taking off for this yomtiv and this holiday. You need a lot of alibis to explain that!
So finally Cheshvan comes along and it’s a solid month of achievement. You can work every day; you can learn every day. And that’s a great blessing, a great opportunity for making progress. No yomim tovim, no fast days, there’s a lot of time to achieve.
Now, if you have a better explanation, go ahead, why not?
TAPE # 144 (October 1976)
