Менахем-Ав: Місяць утіхи та пам'яті

20 Av: Yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak (5704/1944)

20 Av is the day of remembrance for Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Seventh Rebbe. He passed away in exile in Alma-Ata, exhausted by years of suffering for his faith. The Soviet authorities had arrested him for teaching Jewish children Torah and building mikvaot (ritual baths) — offenses that carried the harshest punishments in those times. The Rebbe established this day as a special date for strengthening Jewish education and increasing tzedakah, for it was precisely for this that his father gave his life. The example of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak teaches us: devotion to G-d and His commandments stands above all earthly circumstances.

40 Days Before Rosh Hashanah

20 Av falls exactly forty days before Rosh Hashanah. Just as forty days before the formation of an embryo its fate is determined, this day marks the beginning of serious preparation for the New Year. Forty is a number of profound spiritual significance: Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah; the Flood lasted forty days, purifying the world; the Jewish people journeyed forty years through the desert, preparing to enter the Holy Land. Each of these forty days before Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity to rectify the corresponding day of the departing year and to lay a spiritual foundation for the year to come. This is a time of special closeness to G-d, when "the King is in the field" and accessible to everyone.