חוֹדֶ ש וָ שְ חֶ ן
The Avoda of Chodesh Cheshvan
I’ve been asked by many people about how to hold onto Tishrei, and what is the main Avoda of Cheshvan? R’ Avigdor Miller Zatzal says that in Cheshvan you can catch up with lots of learning Torah which was missing during Tishrei. Another idea for Cheshvan: The Rema says that if you don’t believe that Yom Kippur is M'chaper, then you don’t receive a Kapara, Chas V'shalom.
The more you value Yom Kippur and Sukkos (which give you a Shemira for a whole year) and Hoshana Rabba, etc. the more you are actually Zoche. This requires work, to try to recall all those sweet memories of Tishrei. All the successes (like your davening with Kavana, etc.) and all those failures (like your davening without Kavana, etc.) which in fact may be even more Chashuv in Shamayim than your successes, since they give you a Lev Nishbar.
The Orchos Tzaddikim says that when a person has Simcha Shel Mitzva, he gets 1,000 times more Schar! Another Avoda for Cheshvan: The days of Chanukah are approaching, and it’s very K'dai to start getting into an extreme “thank-you” mode! The more you thank, the more Tovos and Yeshuos in your life.
TRUE STORY
A Yid from NY has been suffering for many, many years; he is always bedridden, despite his positive outlook. He is a Tzaddik Yesod Olam, much beloved and admired by all. I always suspected a “Midda” issue that’s causing all this, and I was finally told by his close friends that he thinks that he’s a zero in Ruchaniyus....
This is enough to cause a true physical condition, since the body doesn’t feel comfortable with a mind that’s always degrading himself, albeit subconsciously. People think that: וַיִ גְ בַ הּ לִ בוֹ בְ דַ רְ כֵי ה' “lifting your heart in order to serve Hashem” is just self-esteem, which every Goy gets involved with. They don’t realize what a Mitzva Rabba it is, and Hashem has Nachas from people who appreciate the Maalos He gave them.
