A LOOK AT - IYAR

Today is the 2nd day of the 2nd month, Iyar. Beginning of Temple Construction: In some traditions, it is noted that King Solomon began building the First Temple (Beit HaMikdash) in the month of Iyar, with 2 Iyar often associated with the initiation of this process.

Mandate Recognition (1920): The Supreme Council of the Peace Conference officially recognized the Balfour Declaration and proclaimed Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) a mandated territory under British administration.

Belsen Liberation (1945): The British army liberated the Belsen concentration camp

The Ancient of Days created the heavens and established the earth. He is the creator of time.  He was the first to "count time." The sun is used to count the days and the moon is used to count the months. The laws of the Universe are true and they are mathematical. 

I decided to start a new blog series on the Months. 

God doesn't name the months in the Torah. The months are numbered, like the days are numbered. The Hebrew calendar months were adopted during the babylonian exile.  

Genesis 1:14-16 The Fourth Day—Sun, Moon, and Stars

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the sky. These lights will separate the days from the nights. They will be used for signs to show when special meetings begin and to show the days and years. 15 They will be in the sky to shine light on the earth.” And it happened. 

16 So God made the two large lights. He made the larger light to rule during the day and the smaller light to rule during the night. He also made the stars.

Genesis 1:19 There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fourth day.

The Hebrew calendar month of Iyar began at sundown on April 16, with Rosh Chodesh (the new month) observed on both April 17 and April 18. As the second month of the religious calendar, Iyar follows the month of Nisan and is historically known as a time of transitions and counting. 

Iyar (Hebrew: אִייָר) is the second month of the Hebrew religious calendar and the eighth of the civil year, usually falling in April–May. It is known as the "month of radiance" or "healing" (related to the acronym for Ani Adonai Rofecha—"I am G-d your Healer"). 

Iyar is called the "Month of Radiance" (Chodesh Ziv) because it is a spring month characterized by bright blossoms and increasing light. It is known as a month of "healing" because of the spiritual rectification (Tikkun) following Passover and the specific healing of the "bitter waters" at Marah, often seen as a time for both physical and spiritual restoration. I imagine many Christians can relate to these concepts. 

The Israelites departed Succoth in the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which is called Nisan (also known as Abib). The Shekinah Glory (pillar of cloud/fire) moved on from Mount Sinai on the 20th day of the 2nd month of the second year after the Exodus [Numbers 10:11].  (222) This marks a significant change in how the israelites will be relating to God. 

Key Hebrew associations:

Healing & Growth: Iyar is associated with physical and emotional healing, considered a spiritually opportune time to ask for healing.

Significant Days: Includes Pesach Sheni (14th), Lag BaOmer (18th), and modern Israeli holidays Yom HaZikaron (4th) and Yom HaAtzma'ut (5th).

Mystical Symbolism: In Chassidic thought, Iyar is associated with the constellation Taurus (the bull), symbolizing the taming and harnessing of the animal soul.