Table II (From the Book): Cycles of 50 Years (Jubilees), with Historical Events Taking Place Mostly in Years 31-34 and 51-52; Leadership of Chassidic Movement and Chabad

1. Chassidic Movement	1	1666	Shabtai Tzvi disgrace, not long after Chimelnicky massacres.	Fellowship of Hidden Tzadikim
Turning Point	33	1698	Birth of the Ba'al Shem Tov	Fellowship of Hidden Tzadikim
2. Chassidic and Lithuanian Systems	52/ 2	1717 (1720)	Birth of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk, brother of Reb Zushya of Anipoli (Birth of the Vilna Gaon)	Ba’al Shem Tov (1716-1760)
Turning Point	31-34	1746- 1749	Birth of the Alter Rebbe (Elul 1745) and Rav Chayim of Volozhin	Ba’al Shem Tov (1716-1760)
3. Second Generation Chassidic Movement	51/1	1766	Birth of Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz, the “Yid haKodesh”	Magid of Mezeritch (1761 – 1772), Leadership Divided
Turning Point	31-33	1796-1798	Birth of the Ruzhiner Rebbe; Publication of the Tanya; Yud Tet Kislev	Alter Rebbe (1798-1812)
4. Jewish Emancipation	52/2	1815	Pope forbids giving more rights to the Jews, and they lose the few rights they had received.	Mitteler Rebbe (1813-1827)
Turning Point	33-34	1848-1849	Revolutions in Europe give Jews complete civil rights in many countries.	Tzemach Tzedek (1827 – 1866)
5. Zionism	51/1	1866	Birth of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook (Elul 1865)	Rebbe Maharash (1866 – 1882[1])
Turning Point	31-34	1896-1899	Publication of "The Jewish State." WZO and Jewish Colonial Trust established	Rebbe Rashab (1893 - 1920)
6. Israel’s Independence	52/2	1917	World War I; Balfour Declaration. Beginning of British Mandate	Rebbe Rayatz (1920 – 1950)
Turning Point	32-34	1947- 1949	War of Independence, Declaration of State, shortly after the Holocaust	The Rebbe (1950 – 1994)
7. Modern Israel	52/2	1967	Six Day War, Yom Yerushalayim	The Rebbe (1950 – 1994)
Turning Point	31-34	1996- 1999	Benjamin Netanyahu is prime minister after surprise victory. Three years later, he is defeated by a wide margin.	Brotherhood of Chassidim

8. World Recognition	52/2	2017	United States recognizes   Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.	Brotherhood of Chassidim
Turning Point	31-34	2046-2049	????	????

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[1] The Rebbe Maharash passed away at the young age of 48, when the Rebbe Rashab was only 21 years old. The Rebbe Rashab officially became Rebbe at the age of 32.

Perek Shirah and the Day/Year Connection

"Time must be guarded. It is urgent to 'accept the yoke of Torah.' Every bit of time, every day that passes, is not just a day but a life's concern. Days go by; as the Talmud says (Yerushalmi Berachot 1:1), 'A day enters and a day departs, a week enters etc.,... a month etc.,... a year etc.,...' My father quoted the Alter Rebbe: A summer day and a winter night are a year." (Hayom Yom, 17th of Cheshvan)

The following is from the Book's Appendices:

Perek Shirah also has a connection to the day itself. If we divide the day into 52 parts, in a typical winter day, each animal listed in Perek Shirah sings for approximately 20 minutes, from sunrise until midnight. Thus, the day begins with the rooster's crow at sunrise; the donkey’s (33^rd animal) song is during sunset; and the dogs ends their song at midnight.

Interestingly, the donkey and the dog are specifically mentioned in the Talmud, in the tractate of Brachot, as determinants of time (the braying of the donkey takes place during the first watch of the night while the dogs bark at midnight). The rooster is also mentioned in several places in the Torah as a marker of time, announcing the beginning of the day, as we say every day in the morning blessings: "Blessed are you G-d our Lord King of the Universe who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night."

Each kind of animal is also connected with a different time for the daily prayers. The birds sing from sunrise (first allowable time for Shacharit, the morning prayer) until noon (the last permissible time). The insects and the water animals sing from Minchah Gedolah (first time for Minchah, the afternoon prayer) to before Minchah Ketanah (the second time for this prayer). The farm animals sing from Minchah Ketanah until sunset (the latest time for the afternoon prayer). The wild animals, and all those remaining sing from nightfall (the first allowable time for Ma’ariv, the prayer of the night) until midnight (the last allowable time). (See Table I below for details on the schedules attached to each type of animal)

It is also incredible to think that the day itself reflects the year. We rise in the morning with the crow of the rooster, just as we spiritually arise with the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, acknowledging G-d as our King, from the very moment we awake, reciting Modeh Ani Lefanechah Melech…, “I acknowledge/give thanks before you Living and Eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul, great is Your faithfulness.”  Soon after, in the morning prayers, we recognize all the material and spiritual blessings that G-d has given us, from the very crow of the rooster, to the clothes we wear, and the opportunities given to perform mitzvot.

Soon after, comes the morning prayers (Shacharit), which are normally done while one is still fasting, like on Yom Kippur. Some have the custom to eat a bit in order to better focus on prayer, just as it is a mitzvah to eat on the eve of this sacred day. As on Yom Kippur, in the morning prayers we focus purely on our spiritual side.

Afterwards, we study Torah and eat breakfast in a state of joy, just as on Sukkot. Soon we go out and start our day by bringing the joy of being Jewish and being connected to the Torah to all, just as on Hoshanah Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

After completing our morning spiritual activities, we start our physical labor of elevating the world around us, just such as Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan and the rest of that month. Once we distance ourselves a bit from the beginning of our day and start becoming fully immersed in our worldly affairs, we might begin to forget some of the sanctity with which we started the day. At this point, it is important to have gevurah and also make sure to include some moments of light, such as in Chanukah.

The parallels between the day and the year continue until bedtime, when we make a spiritual inventory of our entire day, returning to G-d and preparing for the next day, just as in the month of Elul.

Finally, we lie down to go to sleep, bowing like on Rosh Hashanah, accepting G-d as our King, understanding that against our will we were born and against our will we will die. In the morning, we are like new creations.

Parallels Between the Five Books of the Torah and the Sefirot, As Well As Between the Torah Stages of Development and the Months of the Year

It appears that the Five Books of the Torah generally follow the pattern of the 7 emotional sefirot during the year, with the Book of Bereshit falling in the weeks of Chesed and Gevurah; Shemot including the weeks of Tiferet and Netzach; Vayikra, Hod; Bamidbar, Yesod; and finally Devarim, Malchut.

The twelve stages of Torah development set forth by Pinchas ben Yair, elucidated in the Ramchal's (Rabbi Moshe Luzzato) Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just), also appear to parallel the twelve months of the year:

Torah – Tishrei  - month filled with holidays and Torah related activity;

Zehirut, watchfulness  – Cheshvan - month of the flood, care not to sin so close after Tishrei;

Zrizut, alacrity – Kislev - is the quality that defines the Kohanim, the heroes of Chanukah and this month as a whole);

Nekiut, cleanliness – Teveth (Ramchal explains that Nekiut means cleanliness from all sin, including those that we rationalize; Teveth is known for sins related to the tribe of Dan; Shimshon, from Dan, is an example of rationalization gone awry.

Prishut, "separateness" – Shvat - Ramchal explains Prishut means abstinence from pleasure, even those permitted, if they could eventually lead to sin; Shvat is related to pleasure of fruits, etc.;

Taharah, purity – Adar - Ramchal explains Taharah means purity in our desires and emotions; in Purim we get drunk and let our emotions and desire come out - hopefully they will be pure;

Chassidut, piety – Nissan - Ramchal explains Chassidut, piety, means going above and beyond to serve Hashem in every way possible to the best of our ability; the best example of this would be cleaning on Pessach, where every effort is praiseworthy;

Anavah, humility – Iyar - Ramchal explains that anavah means humility before G-d and others; the problem of Iyar, month of counting of the omer, is that the students of Rabbi Akivah did not respect one another - they each thought too highly of themselves in comparison to their fellow students - this showed a lack of humility; on Lag Ba'Omer we celebrate Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who had this quality;

Yirat Chet, fear of sin – Sivan - Ramchal explains that Yirat Chet, fear of sin, in this context, means fear connected to the realization of Hashem's greatness and magnitude; as we realize this greatness we are literally ashamed of in any way going against G-d's desires; this was exemplified at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai;

Kedushah, holiness – Tammuz - Ramchal explains that Kedushah means clinging to G-d at all times, and completely disconnecting from physicality; this is represented by Reuven, who was in a constant state of Teshuvah after the sin that took place regarding his father's bed;

Ruach haKodesh, the holy spirit – Av - Ruach haKodesh, is most associated with Mashiach, who is called Ruach Apeinu, the spirit of our nostrils, and who will be endowed with the spirit of G-d;

Tchiat haMetim, resurrection of the dead – Elul - in Elul we repent for our sins and prepare ourselves to be given new life for the coming year. A sinful person is called "dead" even while alive, while a righteous person even after death is called "alive."

Week 1 (From the Book): To Raise our Heads, Choose a Master, and Recognize G-d’s Oneness

Each week will begin by quoting the week’s animal in Perek Shirah, rabbi in Pirkei Avot, and sefirah combination. The program begins on the week of Rosh Hashanah, coinciding with all or part of selichot, the days of repentance leading up to the holiday. The exact day of the week in which counting starts is the same as the day the Counting of the Omer starts, the second day of the Passover holiday.

The rooster is saying, "When the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to the righteous in the Garden of Eden, all the trees in the Garden of  Eden scatter their spices, and they rejoice and praise, and then He, too, is aroused and praises." (Zohar, Vayakhel 195b)

In its first call it says, "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in! Who is this King of glory? G-d strong and mighty, G-d mighty in battle!" (Psalms 24:7-8)

In its second call it says, "Lift up your heads, O gates! Lift them up, O everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in! Who is this King of glory? G-d of hosts, He is the King of glory, Selah!" (Psalms 24:9-10)

In its third call it says, "Stand, O righteous ones, and busy yourselves with Torah, so that your reward will be double in the World-to-Come."

In its fourth call it says, "I have hoped for Your salvation, O G-d." (Genesis 49:18)

In its fifth call, it is saying, "How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?" (Proverbs 6:9)

In its sixth call, it is saying, "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you shall be satisfied with bread." (Proverbs 20:13)

In its seventh call, it is saying: "It is time to act for G-d; for they have made void Your Torah." (Psalms 119:126)

Moses received the Torah from Sinai and gave it over to Joshua. Joshua gave it over to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets gave it over to the Men of the Great Assembly.

They [the Men of the Great Assembly] would always say these three things: Be cautious in judgment. Establish many pupils. And make a safety fence around the Torah.

Shimon the Righteous was among the last surviving members of the Great assembly. He would say: The world stands on three things: Torah, the service of G-d, and deeds of kindness.

Antignos of Socho received the tradition from Shimon the Righteous. He would say: Do not be as slaves, who serve their master for the sake of reward. Rather, be as slaves who serve their master not for the sake of reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.

Yossi the son of Yoezer of Tzreidah, and Yossi the son of Yochanan of Jerusalem, received the tradition from them. Yossi the son of Yoezer of Tzreidah would say: Let your home be a meeting place for the wise; dust yourself in the soil of their feet, and drink thirstily of their words.

Yossi the son of Yochanan of Jerusalem would say: Let your home be wide open, and let the poor be members of your household. And do not engage in excessive conversation with a woman. This is said even regarding one's own wife--how much more so regarding the wife of another. Hence, the sages said: One who excessively converses with a woman causes evil to himself, neglects the study of Torah, and, in the end, inherits purgatory.

Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Assume for yourself a master, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every man to the side of merit.

Nitai the Arbelite would say: Distance yourself from a bad neighbor, do not cleave to a wicked person, and do not abandon belief in retribution.

Judah the son of Tabbai and Shimon the son of Shotach received from them. Judah the son of Tabbai would say: When sitting in judgment, do not act as a counselor-at-law. When the litigants stand before you, consider them both guilty; and when they leave your courtroom, having accepted the judgment, regard them as equally righteous.

Shimon the son of Shotach would say: Increasingly cross-examine the witnesses. Be careful with your words, lest they learn from them how to lie.

Shmaayah and Avtalyon received from them. Shmaayah would say: Love work, loath mastery over others, and avoid intimacy with the government.

Avtalyon would say: Scholars, be careful with your words. For you may be exiled to a place inhabited by evil elements [who will distort your words to suit their negative purposes]. The disciples who come after you will then drink of these evil waters and be destroyed, and the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.

Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron--a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.

He would also say: One who advances his name, destroys his name. One who does not increase, diminishes. One who does not learn is deserving of death. And one who make personal use of the crown of Torah shall perish.

He would also say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

Shammai would say: Make your Torah study a permanent fixture of your life. Say little and do much. And receive every man with a pleasant countenance.

Rabban Gamliel would say: Make for yourself a master; stay away from doubt; and do not accustom yourself to tithe by estimation.

Chesed shebeChesed (kindness within the context of kindness)

The month of Tishrei is represented by the tribe of Ephraim, and is almost entirely devoted to spiritual pursuits. It is replete with Jewish holidays, full of joy from beginning to end. Ephraim, the son of Joseph, studied Torah under his grandfather Jacob and led a life that was almost completely devoted to spiritual concerns.

The first week of the Jewish calendar is the week of Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “the head of the year.” The first animal in Perek Shirah is the rooster, who awakens us by singing an introductory verse followed by seven songs, one for each day of the week. Similarly, on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish people experience a spiritual awakening through the blowing of the shofar. Each of the songs of the rooster parallel the meaning behind the shofar blows that take place on Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is blown 100 times, and the rooster’s verses contain 100 words.

The first week also contains the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, which are called selichot. On these days, like the rooster, we arise early in the morning in order to ask forgiveness for our sins and begin the year with a clean slate.The rooster, the majestic animal that heads the list of animals in Perek Shirah, represents the concept of G-d's kingship. It is exactly on Rosh Hashanah that the Jewish people acknowledge G-d as King.

In Pirkei Avot, the first set of sayings found in Chapter I repeat the idea of receiving guidance from a single teacher/spiritual guide (rav). In order to grow as a person, it is important to have a life coach; someone that knows us well and can therefore guide, answer questions, and be objective about what aspects of our life need improvement.

These verses of Pirkei Avot include an introduction followed by seven pairs of rabbis, which is parallel to the introduction followed by the seven songs of the rooster. Upon careful review, one will find that each of these lessons is intimately connected to Rosh Hashanah, in which we acquire G-d as our ultimate Master.

The first week is associated with the sefirah combination of chesed shebechesed. Chesed means loving kindness, and on Rosh Hashanah we feel that G-d pours his kindness upon His children.[1] The Ba’al Shem Tov explains that the blowing of the shofar is like the cry of a prince who spent years away from home and forgot his mother tongue. Seeing his father, the King, from a distance, the son screams to Him in order to be recognized.

It was exactly on Rosh Hashanah that G-d showed enormous kindness to Sarah, the first of the four matriarchs of the Jewish people. During this festival, Sarah, an elderly woman who had been unable to become pregnant her entire life, received the news that she would give birth to a son, Isaac. It was also on Rosh Hashanah that Chanah was told of the extraordinary news that she would give birth to a son, the prophet Samuel. Chanah was also barren and advanced in years. It is worth noting that the rooster is mentioned in our prayer book as an animal that recognizes the kindness of its Creator. Every day, in our morning prayers, we thank G-d for giving the rooster the understanding to distinguish between day and night.

We can also learn a very important lesson in self-improvement from the rooster. It tells us to stop sleeping, to get up, and to move forward. Getting out of bed is an important first step in fighting sadness. The act of arising in the morning is a daily miracle, as well as an essential action in facing the joys and the challenges of every new day. By tapping into the song of the rooster and the call of the shofar, our physical and spiritual alarm clocks, we acknowledge G-d’s oneness, and take an important first step towards a harmonious, spiritually aware, and productive new year.

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[1] It is worth noting that Rosh Hashanah is also known as “Yom HaDin,” the “Day of Judgment,” which is more associated with gevurah than with chesed. That is because Rosh Hashanah is associated with the judgment of our actions during the previous year (See Week 52), although it is also the day in which all the blessings of the coming year are determined. Perhaps that is another reason why Rosh Hashanah is called “kesseh,” the hidden holiday, for G-d’s tremendous chesed on this day is somewhat hidden. 

[Gematria Thought: The number one represents G-d’s unity as the Master and Creator of the universe. This is the fundamental belief of the Jewish faith.]

Week 2 (From the Book): To Relate Well to Others and to Our Own Body

The hen is saying, "He gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness endures forever." (Psalms 136:25)

[Rabban Gamliel’s] son, Shimon, would say: All my life I have been raised among the wise, and I have found nothing better for the body than silence. The essential thing is not study, but deed. And one who speaks excessively brings on sin.

Gevurah shebeChesed (discipline and judgment within the context of kindness)

In the second week of the Jewish year, the week of Yom Kippur[1](the “Day of Atonement”), it is the turn of the hen in Perek Shirah to sing of G-d’s eternal kindness, for providing food for every living being. It is during this time of the year that G-d determines specifically how much sustenance each being will receive, but also who will live and who will not. Many people may not know this, but eating well on the eve of Yom Kippur is considered to be as meritorious as the fast itself.

There is also an important parallel here: It is exactly in this second week, on the eve of Yom Kippur, when we are busy asking each other for forgiveness, that the Jewish people make Kapparot, an ancient custom where each individual symbolically atones for one’s sins before G-d through the means of a hen! After the ritual is performed, each chicken is slaughtered and given to families in need. Nowadays, many have the custom to use charity money in order to fulfill this ritual. Before Yom Kippur, we also have the custom to ask each other for forgiveness.

The Pirkei Avot of this week contains the recommendation of Shimon ben Rabban Gamliel: "All my life I grew up among the Sages, and found nothing better for the person [literally, the body] than silence; it is not to study, but rather action which is of the essence… one who talks too much brings forth sin" (I:17). In order to properly receive and absorb the words of others, one must first be silent.

Furthermore, the "silencing" of the body, appears to be a clear reference to the fasting that takes place on Yom Kippur, as well as other actions such as not wearing leather shoes, anointing ourselves (using perfumes or lotions), having sexual relations – preventing all these things on Yom Kippur is a way to distance ourselves from physicality and be very close to G-d, like angels, even if only for a single day. Yom Kippur is also a day of reflection and introspection, for which silence is an important virtue.

We saw that the Pirkei Avot of week number one focuses on acquiring a single main teacher. In this week, we speak about learning from“sages,” in the plural. While the number one relates to unity, two represents the concept of multiplicity.

These two concepts are not contradictory – they complement each other. One can still have a single main teacher, while still learning from every person. In fact, as we will see in week 30 of Pirkei Avot, that Ben Zoma states that to do so is a sign of true wisdom.[2]

On Yom Kippur, we also focus on fact that the main thing that G-d values is our actions. One of the high points of this holy day is the reading of the Book of Jonah, which in turn has as its climax the following verse: "And G-d saw their actions ... and G-d reconsidered the evil which He had spoken to perform against them, and He did not perform it." [3]

In the second week, the sefirah combination is gevurah shebechesed, discipline and judgment within the context of kindness. During the fast of Yom Kippur, the Jewish people act with discipline, willpower, and self-control. We do so while begging our Creator for mercy and protection, knowing that G-d is just and kind.

This week, a lesson in self-improvement we draw from Perek Shirah is that even the hen recognizes that God nourishes all living beings. After getting out of bed, as we learned from the rooster, the next step in combating sadness is to take proper care of ourselves, eating properly and exercising.

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[1] Erev Yom Kippur always falls on the second week of the year, but in certain years, the day of Yom Kippur itself falls on the first day of Week Three. This is the only exception for all dates described in this book.

[2] Chapter IV:1

[3] Chapter 3:10. Jonah in Hebrew means “dove,” the animal in Perek Shirah for Week Three.

[Gematria Thought: The number one is somewhat lonely, but once another one is added they make a pair, just like the rooster and the hen. The number two also represents the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments (Luchot HaBrit). While one tablet contains laws regarding our relationship with G-d, the other tablet contains laws regarding relationships between human beings. It was precisely on Yom Kippur that the tablets were given for the second time for the Jewish People. The number two represents the concept of relationship, as well as the idea of giving and receiving.]