(ה) רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ פלוני יִהְיֶה בְּיוֹם פלוני (ולמחרתו ביום פלוני) הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוֹבָה:
(ו) יְחַדְּשֵׁהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהֵם. לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה. לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה. לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה. לְפַרְנָסָה טוֹבָה וּלְכַלְכָּלָה. לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם. לִשְׁמוּעוֹת טוֹבוֹת. וְלִבְשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת. (בחורף וְלִגְשָׁמִים בְּעִתָּם). וְלִרְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה. וְלִגְאוּלָה קְרוֹבָה וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:
(5) The new month of (name the month), which will be on (name the day or days) will come to us and all Israel for goodness.
(6) May He renew it, the Holy One, blessed is He, for us and for all His people, the House of Israel, for goodness and blessing for happiness and for rejoicing, for deliverance and for consolation, for plentiful sustenance, and support, for good life and for peace, for good tidings, and for good news, for rain at the proper time, for total recovery, and for early redemption, and let us say, Amein.
Kislev
Kislev comes on the heels of "bitter" Cheshvan, a month with no holidays. With Kislev we get to build up to Chanukah, the holiday of resistance and miracles, and hopefully by then we should have recovered from all of the ado in Tishrei.
Kislev likely comes from the Hebrew meaning "hidden" or "fool", but it can also be broken up to two Hebrew words: "kis" (pocket) and "lev" (heart).
Chanukah
The holiday of Chanukah chronicles the revolt of the Hasmoneans under Judah Maccabee against King Antiochus IV of the Seleucid Empire's forces who had taken over Judea. The Seleucid's had kicked the Jews out of the Temple and converted into a pagan shrine as a way to add insult to injury, but in late 164 BCE, Judah and his army recaptured the Temple through force.
The holiday is called Chanukah (however you prefer to spell it), which means "rededication" in Hebrew, because it's a celebration of how Judah and his followers cleaned the Temple and rededicated it to the Jewish g-d. It was initially celebrated for eight days as a mirroring of Sukkot, and rabbinic sages later fashioned the story of the oil that burned for eight nights.
(ח) ומאת ה' הייתה זאת לחטא את הבית בעצם היום ההוא אשר טימאו אתו הגויים, והוא יום העשרים וחמשה לירח כסלו.
(ט) ויחוגו חג לה' שמונת ימים כימי חג הסוכות, ויזכרו את הימים מקדם בחגגם את חג הסוכות בהרים ובמערות, ויתעו בישימון כבהמות שדה.
(8) And from the Lord it was this, to purge the House on the same day that the nations defiled it, and it was the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev.
(9) And they celebrated a festival to the Lord for eight days, like the days of the festival of Sukkot, and they remembered the previous days when they celebrated the festival of Sukkot in mountains and in caves, and they went out in the desolation/wilderness, like wild beasts.
Chanukat HaBayit Ritual inspired by CLAL's Guide to Ritual
This ritual walks you through how to rededicate your own home; you can complete it at Chanukah, spring cleaning, or anytime of year you need a new focus.
Steps
1. Complete any cleaning before you begin so that your space feels peaceful.
2. Open your ritual however you like - Ex. you may choose meditating, saying an intention, or clearing negative influences using sound or smell
3. Consider this meditative inspiration: "My home is the place where I celebrate life, mark the seasons, welcome guests, light candles, remember the past, dream about the future, and open my heart to the present. At Chanukah, may I rededicate my home to the values and relationships I hold sacred."
4. Invoke the rededication of the Temple by saying, “Mizmor shir chanukat ha’bayit” (Sing out the melody that rededicates the house). Imagine the rededication of a sacred building to the causes it was meant to elevate.
5. Sing your favorite song or niggun and let the melody fill your home. Bonus points for dancing around your space!
6. Now is a good time to include any protection rituals you like or say the Birkat Habayit - the blessing of the home.
7. Take a concrete step to rededicate your home, see below.
8. Close your ritual in your preferred way - Ex. through further meditation, grounding, a blessing, or more joyous song.
Ways to Rededicate Your Home
1. Rededicate a room to a specific task or intention and reorganize to fulfill that intention - Ex. rededicate your bedroom to peaceful sleep by removing any distractions and moving furniture out that doesn't invite relaxation
2. Invite guests over and have a festive meal - Ex. throw a housewarming (even if you've lived there a while!) and bring the warmth of friendship in
3. Create or enlarge your shelf of Jewish books
4. Choose a place in the home to devote to contemplation or prayer - Ex. make sure there is comfortable seating and few distractions
5. Make a mizrach (a marker for which way is East) and put it up on your Eastern wall - Ex. you can decorate a wooden sign or canvas
6. Gather old clothes or blankets to give to charity, it's time to rededicate those items to new owners
7. Place a new tzedakah box in your home or add a mezuzah on a new door
The Power of Sleep in Kislev
According to Sefer Yetzirah, the quality of the month of Kislev is sleep. Sleep is considered by this text one of the "senses", which also include speech, mind, movement, sight, hearing, labor, sexual desire, smell, anger, taste, mirth.
Sleep has an interesting and gory connection to the Chanukah story through the tale of Judith (Yehudit in the original Hebrew). Judith's book is apocryphal, meaning it's not part of the main canon of the Tanakh (neither is the book of Maccabees!) but her story is still studied as part of Chanukah's connection to women.
ונשים חייבות בנר חנוכה שאף הן היו באותו הנס. פי׳ שהאויבים באו לאבד הכל אנשים ונשים וטף. ויש מפרשים שעל ידי אשה אירע להם הנס הגדול ההוא ושמה יהודית כמו שמפורש בהגדה בת היתה ליוחנן כהן גדול והיתה יפת תואר מאד ואמר המלך יון שתשכב עמו והאכילתו תבשיל של גבינה כדי שיצמא וישתה לרוב וישתכר וישכב וירדם ויהי לה כן וישכב וירדם ותקח חרבו וחתכה ראשו ותביאהו לירושלם וכראות החיל כי מת גבורם וינוסו. ועל כן נהגו לעשות תבשיל של גבנה בחנוכה.
Women are obligated to light Hanukkah candles, for they too were included in the miracle. This means that the enemies came to destroy everyone, men, women, and children, and there are those who say that the great miracle occurred through a woman. Her name was Judith, as the story goes, and she was the daughter of Yochanan, the high priest. She was extremely beautiful, and the Greek king wanted her to lay with him. She fed him a dish of cheese to make him thirsty, so that he would drink a great deal and became drunk, and recline and fall asleep. And it happened just that way, and once he was asleep, she took his sword and cut off his head. She brought his head to Jerusalem, and when the armies saw that their leader had been killed, they fled. For this reason, we have the custom of eating a cheese dish on Hanukkah.
In sleep Holofernes, a great and powerful commander, was vulnerable enough to be killed. Because you have less control over your body when sleeping, it was considered a dangerous time for demons and spirits who may want to attack. It is traditional to say the "Bedtime Shema," a set of prayers as the last thing one does before falling asleep, since these prayers were said to have protective powers.
Invocation of the archangels
(ג"פ:) בְּשֵׁם יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל,
מִימִינִי מִיכָאֵל, וּמִשְּׂמֹאלִי גַּבְרִיאֵל, וּמִלְּפָנַי אוֹרִיאֵל, וּמֵאֲחוֹרַי רְפָאֵל, וְעַל רֹאשִׁי שְׁכִינַת אֵל:
Invocation of the archangels - three times:
In the name of the Lord, God of Israel: On my right hand is Michael, on my left is Gavriel, before me Uriel and behind me Rafael.
And upon my head is the Shechinah of El.
In fact, sleep is so powerful that it's believed that a small section of the soul leaves the body during sleep, rising to the Divine above. This is why we thank G-d for returning our soul to us when we wake up and say Modeh Ani.
חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁשָּׁה וַעֲשָׂרָה סִימָן: חֲמִשָּׁה אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים, אֵלּוּ הֵן: אֵשׁ, דְּבַשׁ, וְשַׁבָּת, וְשֵׁינָה, וַחֲלוֹם. אֵשׁ — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לְגֵיהִנָּם. דְּבַשׁ — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לַמָּן. שַׁבָּת — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. שֵׁינָה — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לַמִּיתָה. חֲלוֹם — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לַנְּבוּאָה
The numbers five, six, and ten are mnemonics for the categories to follow. The Gemara says: There are five matters in our world which are one-sixtieth of their most extreme manifestations. They are: Fire, honey, Shabbat, sleep, and a dream. The Gemara elaborates: Our fire is one-sixtieth of the fire of Gehenna; honey is one-sixtieth of manna; Shabbat is one-sixtieth of the World-to-Come; sleep is one-sixtieth of death; and a dream is one-sixtieth of prophecy.
Dreams and dream interpretation have a major part in the Tanakh - consider Jacob's dream of the angels on the ladder or Joseph's ability to interpret dreams that brings him fame and saves his life.
אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: כׇּל חֲלוֹם, וְלָא טְווֹת. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: חֶלְמָא דְּלָא מְפַשַּׁר כְּאִגַּרְתָּא דְּלָא מִקַּרְיָא. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: לָא חֶלְמָא טָבָא מִקַּיַּים כּוּלֵּיהּ וְלָא חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא מִקַּיַּים כּוּלֵּיהּ. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא עֲדִיף מֵחֶלְמָא טָבָא. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא — עֲצִיבוּתֵיהּ מִסְתְּיֵיהּ, חֶלְמָא טָבָא — חֶדְוֵיהּ מִסְתְּיֵיהּ. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: חֶלְמָא טָבָא, אֲפִילּוּ לְדִידִי, בְּדִיחוּתֵיהּ מְפַכְּחָא לֵיהּ. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא קָשֶׁה מִנְּגָדָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו״, וְאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: זֶה חֲלוֹם רַע. ״הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ חֲלוֹם יְסַפֵּר חֲלוֹם וַאֲשֶׁר דְּבָרִי אִתּוֹ יְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִי אֱמֶת מַה לַתֶּבֶן אֶת הַבָּר נְאֻם ה׳״. וְכִי מָה עִנְיַן בַּר וְתֶבֶן אֵצֶל חֲלוֹם? אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבַר בְּלֹא תֶּבֶן, כָּךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַחֲלוֹם בְּלֹא דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים.
Related to what was stated above, that one should pray for a good dream, the Gemara cites additional maxims concerning dreams and their interpretation. Rav Ḥisda said: One should see any dream, and not a fast. In other words, any dream is preferable to a dream during a fast. And Rav Ḥisda said: A dream not interpreted is like a letter not read. As long as it is not interpreted it cannot be fulfilled; the interpretation of a dream creates its meaning. And Rav Ḥisda said: A good dream is not entirely fulfilled and a bad dream is not entirely fulfilled. And Rav Ḥisda said: A bad dream is preferable to a good dream, as a bad dream causes one to feel remorse and to repent. And Rav Ḥisda said: A bad dream, his sadness is enough for him; a good dream, his joy is enough for him. This means that the sadness or joy engendered by the dream renders the actual fulfillment of the dream superfluous. Similarly, Rav Yosef said: Even for me, the joy of a good dream negates it. Even Rav Yosef, who was blind and ill, derived such pleasure from a good dream that it was never actually realized. And Rav Ḥisda said: A bad dream is worse than lashes, as it is stated: “God has so made it, that men should fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14), and Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: That is a bad dream that causes man to fear. With regard to the verse: “The prophet that has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has the straw to do with the grain? says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:28), the Gemara asks: What do straw and grain have to do with a dream? Rather, Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: Just as it is impossible for the grain to grow without straw, so too it is impossible to dream without idle matters. Even a dream that will be fulfilled in the future contains some element of nonsense.
אַמֵּימָר וּמָר זוּטְרָא וְרַב אָשֵׁי הֲווֹ יָתְבִי בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי. אָמְרִי: כֹּל חַד וְחַד מִינַּן לֵימָא מִלְּתָא דְּלָא שְׁמִיעַ לֵיהּ לְחַבְרֵיהּ. פְּתַח חַד מִינַּיְיהוּ וַאֲמַר: הַאי מַאן דַּחֲזָא חֶלְמָא וְלָא יָדַע מַאי חֲזָא, לִיקוּם קַמֵּי כָּהֲנֵי בְּעִידָּנָא דְּפָרְסִי יְדַיְיהוּ וְלֵימָא הָכִי: ״רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי שֶׁלָּךְ וַחֲלוֹמוֹתַי שֶׁלָּךְ, חֲלוֹם חָלַמְתִּי וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה הוּא. בֵּין שֶׁחָלַמְתִּי אֲנִי לְעַצְמִי וּבֵין שֶׁחָלְמוּ לִי חֲבֵירַי וּבֵין שֶׁחָלַמְתִּי עַל אֲחֵרִים, אִם טוֹבִים הֵם — חַזְּקֵם וְאַמְּצֵם כַּחֲלוֹמוֹתָיו שֶׁל יוֹסֵף. וְאִם צְרִיכִים רְפוּאָה — רְפָאֵם כְּמֵי מָרָה עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, וּכְמִרְיָם מִצָּרַעְתָּהּ, וּכְחִזְקִיָּה מֵחׇלְיוֹ, וּכְמֵי יְרִיחוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֱלִישָׁע. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהָפַכְתָּ קִלְלַת בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע לִבְרָכָה, כֵּן הֲפוֹךְ כׇּל חֲלוֹמוֹתַי עָלַי לְטוֹבָה״. וּמְסַיֵּים בַּהֲדֵי כָּהֲנֵי דְּעָנֵי צִבּוּרָא ״אָמֵן״. וְאִי לָא, לֵימָא הָכִי: ״אַדִּיר בַּמָּרוֹם, שׁוֹכֵן בִּגְבוּרָה, אַתָּה שָׁלוֹם וְשִׁמְךָ שָׁלוֹם. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁתָּשִׂים עָלֵינוּ שָׁלוֹם״.
The Gemara relates: Ameimar and Mar Zutra and Rav Ashi were sitting together. They said: Let each and every one of us say something that the other has not heard. One of them began and said: One who saw a dream and does not know what he saw should stand before the priests when they lift their hands during the Priestly Blessing and say the following:
Master of the Universe, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours,
I dreamed a dream and I do not know what it is.
Whether I have dreamed of myself, whether my friends have dreamed of me or whether I have dreamed of others,
if the dreams are good, strengthen them and reinforce them like the dreams of Joseph.
And if the dreams require healing,
heal them like the bitter waters of Mara by Moses our teacher, and like Miriam from her leprosy,
and like Hezekiah from his illness, and like the bitter waters of Jericho by Elisha.
And just as You transformed the curse of Balaam the wicked into a blessing,
so transform all of my dreams for me for the best.
And he should complete his prayer together with the priests so the congregation responds amen both to the blessing of the priests and to his individual request. And if he is not able to recite this entire formula, he should say:
Majestic One on high, Who dwells in power,
You are peace and Your name is peace.
May it be Your will that You bestow upon us peace.
Master of the Universe, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours,
I dreamed a dream and I do not know what it is.
Whether I have dreamed of myself, whether my friends have dreamed of me or whether I have dreamed of others,
if the dreams are good, strengthen them and reinforce them like the dreams of Joseph.
And if the dreams require healing,
heal them like the bitter waters of Mara by Moses our teacher, and like Miriam from her leprosy,
and like Hezekiah from his illness, and like the bitter waters of Jericho by Elisha.
And just as You transformed the curse of Balaam the wicked into a blessing,
so transform all of my dreams for me for the best.
And he should complete his prayer together with the priests so the congregation responds amen both to the blessing of the priests and to his individual request. And if he is not able to recite this entire formula, he should say:
Majestic One on high, Who dwells in power,
You are peace and Your name is peace.
May it be Your will that You bestow upon us peace.