Nisan (ניסן) Basics
Introduction to the Jewish month of Nisan, including correspondences
Moon of Speaking (March/April)
New Year of Kings
In Nisan we are challenged to speak the truth so we may find freedom and take responsibility for our lives.
Basics:
Linear Month: 7
Torah Month: 1
Season: Spring
Holidays: Pesach, Counting the Omer
Offerings1: Bread Crumbs, Grain, Parsley, Matzah, Blood/Bone, Barley, Shofar Blasts
Element2: Aphar (עָפָר) Earth within Ruach (רוּחַ) Air
Symbol: Haggadah
Spiritual Focus3:
Netivah: Na’arah (נערה) Maiden
Constellation: Taleh (טלה) Aries
Letter: Hei (ה)
Tribe: Judah
Sense: Sight | Speech
Tarot Card4: Emperor
Soul Trait5: Simcha (סמחה) Joy
Note: Letter, Tribe, and Sense are derived from the Sefer Yetzirah. Sense is first from “Return to the Place” by RK’Jill Hammer and tribe from charts in the Aryeh Kaplan edition.
See NOTES below for additional information for sources all other correspondences.
Emperors and Maidens Make Miracles
The first of Nisan is one of the four Jewish New Years. It is really "the" new year, although we generally consider Rosh Hashanah the Jewish new year. Rosh Chodesh Nisan is the new year of Kings because it was when the reign of a king was counted, and it seems appropriate considering that kings play a big part in the story of Passover. Jewish kings descend from the tribe of Judah, which is the tribe associated with the month of Nisan.
Nisan is also the month of the Maiden, but how does that correspond to the kings? Maidens, historically, have been the most powerless against the king, and we have plenty of stories of the abuse of power. More importantly, though, there are stories that tell us that the Maiden (or a Fool) is one of the few that can melt the heart of a King. We tell stories about the power of a Maiden over a King less frequently. It is the story of both Purim and Pesach. The child-like, powerless tribe of Yisrael, trapped in perpetual adolescence, must overcome the king of Mitzrayim to be free and claim its self-sovereignty. The threads of the story are there if you look. If you prefer a more direct Maiden's power story, explore the stories of the Purim, Daughters of Tzelafchad, Abishag, and young Miriam -- to name a few.
It is also important to note the letter of the month, hei (ה). The letter hei is associated with the power of speech, which is the primary tool of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. It is also the primary power of the Daughters of Tzefalchad. They spoke out together, and the world changed. Speech is the power of a prophet. You are not a prophet if you only receive messages from the Divine. You are only a prophet if you speak. Through speech, prophets can change the world. At Pesach, we retell and thus relive our story.
Most importantly, remember that Nisan is the month of miracles. As inner.org points out, the word Nisan is similar to the Hebrew word nissim (ניסים), which means miracles. Miracles are inherent to Nisan, but I believe the message is a reminder of the need for human/Divine partnership for miracles to occur. Very few miracles exist in the Torah or Talmud, where a human partner is not required. Couldn't G!d/dess have freed the Israelites from Mitzrayim without Moses, Aaron, and Miriam? I suppose so -- but it didn't happen that way. G!d/dess works through human hands more frequently than any other way. We must commit to being the hands of Shekhinah, the manifest presence of G!d/dess, in the world.
We, humanity, must work to create the miracles waiting to happen.
This Nisan, this month of miracles, what miracle, large or small, will you help bring into the world?
Key Dates in Nisan
1st: Rosh Chodesh Nisan
The New Year of Kings.
The reign of a king began to be counted starting from the first of Nisan.
10th: Miriam haNeviah Yartzheit (traditional)
War of Egyptian First Born (1313 BCE) Victory commemorated on Shabbat haGadol
Shabbat HaGadol (Shabbat preceding Pesach)
14th: Ta'anit Bechorot - fast of the firstborns
15th: Full Moon
Pesach Begins (First Seder)
16th: Begin prayer for dew in morning prayers (Sephardic/Mizrachi)
Second seder
Counting of Omer begins
22nd: Pesach Ends
27th: Yom HaShoah
30th: Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Find Gregorian Calendar Dates: https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal/
Netivah Readings
These readings were selected by Kohenet Ketzirah HaMa’agelet to pair with the weekly Torah portions.
Nisan is the month of the maiden and so we honor the brave, bold and beautiful young women by reading passages of Miriam as a maiden. The maiden is bold because she has not yet learned to fear or at least is still willing to take the risk. You will find in Miriam as dares to speak to Pharoah's sister. Her youthful exuberance is the perfect combination of innocence, right intentions, and action.
Nisan Resources
» » » Explore all Nisan Resources « « «
Notes
1: Offerings & symbols were developed by Kohenet Ketzirah haMa’agelet for use as physical offering practices or in artwork.
2: Elements follow R’Jill Hammer’s elemental system as explained on her website www.telshemesh.org and her book The Jewish Book of Days. See pages 16-19 for explanation of elemental system.
The interpretations of the Sephirot are also from Rabbi Jill’s teachings. Specifically, they are from her Omer Calendar of Bibilical Women.
3: The spiritual focus is my own concept of sustainable spiritual practice. It is based on my interpretation of the wheel of the year and the Jewish holidays, as taught by many. The specific focus is for a season, as based on the element have/need system taught by R’Jill Hammer in the The Jewish Book of Days, as referenced above. For example Autumn is the time of Air within Earth, we have Earth we need Air and is the spiritual focus of Community (Air) within Resources (Earth) or more simply: communal resources.
4: While tarot is not intrinsically Jewish, it is a derivative of Kabbalah and a can be a useful tool for self discovery and exploration. Tarot correspondences here follow Kabbalistic tree of life by Issac ben Luria, the Ari, as opposed to some of the more common Christian systems.
5: The soul-traits for each month are based on Kesharim K’doshim Mussar, developed by Kohenet Ketzirah HaMa’agelet.