The kabbalists explain that this month of Sagittarius, or Kislev, is the month of miracles, and in order to connect to miracles you have to connect to a realm that is beyond where most of us usually reside.
I want to talk about two ways to connect to that realm.
There is a letter Rav Berg wrote in 1968 to his teacher Rav Brandwein, where Rav Berg talks about his commitment to his path and his commitment to this work. In the letter, the Rav shares with his teacher the pain he was feeling and the difficulties he was going through. And then the Rav says something which for me has really become my mission statement – and I hope for all of you who take this work seriously it does for you as well. I hope all of us can concentrate on the message of these words and ask them to become true for us.
The Rav says, “As long as the Creator gives me strength, I’ll work with all of my strength and might, giving and sacrificing of myself completely.” This was the way the Rav lived his life, and I hope for all of us that this becomes the way we live our lives. “As long as the Creator gives me strength, I’ll work with all of my strength, giving up myself completely, sacrificing myself completely, so that the Light of the Creator can be revealed in this world so the wisdom of Kabbalah can be brought to this world.”
Rav Ashlag teaches the concept that if it’s not difficult for you when you are doing the work, if that time is not painful for you, if that time is not difficult for you, then you are not truly doing the work. So, one of the ways to know whether we are truly doing our spiritual work is to ask ourselves if there is some pain or difficulty in our doing it. Because only when the spiritual work is done with a little bit of pain, with a little bit of difficulty, can we be sure that we will eventually reap with joy the blessing manifested through our spiritual work; this is one way to connect to the realm of miracles during the month of Kislev.
Next, we often think about people being lucky versus unlucky. We think that some people have good fortune, while others don't. We wonder why this one is wealthy or why that one has children or why that one has found their soul mate, and we haven’t. However, we all know that we have our own tikun to overcome, as does everybody else; therefore, there´s not really such a thing as lucky versus unlucky. I think that those who are considered the “lucky” ones are really those who notice things, who notice opportunities, who are paying attention, and who believe a miracle can occur.
The ones who are considered lucky, therefore, are the ones who create an opening for miracles to come in. So, in this month where we can create our own miracles, it is not about praying to God, but it is really about creating that opening. In this month it is really important to not just see what we're lacking, but to see where there's an opening, to really pay attention to opportunities, to notice things. And through that, create the opening for the miracle that we desire to come into any area of our lives, whether it be love, money, children, or just a happier future.
These are two understandings which, if we truly live them, can connect us to the realm and energy of miracles during Kislev, filling our month with endless blessings and miracles.
