10/14/2026 - Rabbi Shmuel Dunner / The Koach of the month of Cheshvon

Um, we just, as we all know, finished the Yomim Noraim high holidays.

We had Selichos, Rosh Hashanah, as it is known, Teshuva, Yom Kippur, then we have the preparation for Sukkos, which is we say there's no averus in those days because you're so busy preparing for mitzvos.

And then we have Sukkos, a Chol Hamoed, and all the farbrengen that brings with it.

Then Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, and all this tremendous simcha and high, and we're so close with Ribono Shel Olam we're like-- we are, we are one with Him.

You know, it says hamakom basadeh during, during these, these manim, and He's here with us, and we can feel Him amongst us.

We can feel His presence.

And then comes the winter, and it comes the month of, of Cheshvan.

And as we all know, Cheshvan is the only month in the year which doesn't have anything in it in the Jewish calendar.

It's called Mar Cheshvan, we call it that.

It's, it's, it's the dark month of the year we like to say.

There's nothing special.

There's no Chanukah, there's no Purim, there's no Tu B'Shvat, no Tu Bishvat.

There's no shabbos, nothing.

It's a boring month.

And if you think about it, it's a bit weird how-- why, why, why should it be like that? We just finished the highest of highs, and you'd think, you know, we're gonna get something after that, something to continue it, to, to keep us going, to keep us-- to keep the momentum, you know.

When you're on a roll, when you're even-- you just wanna keep the momentum going.

And then we come to Cheshvan, and it's just, it's the beginning of the winter, especially if you're in yeshiva this month, it's Eiar, a sixth month man.

It's just very-- it's very odd.

It b-- it, it, it seems oxymoronic even that we came off such a high, and then we come to Cheshvan, and there's nothing doing, and it's cold, and the clocks change, and it gets all dark.