Receiving the Wisdom We Lack

We know there are specific gifts available to us with every new month. And as we enter into the month of Iyar, Taurus, there are a few hints as to what one of its main gifts is – the gift of wisdom.

"The month of Taurus is one in which we can gain wisdom."

The Tetragrammaton, the four letter name of God, is made up of the letters Yud Hei Vav Hei. Each letter, as we have learned, is a channel for Light, and each of the twelve months of the year has its own Tetragrammaton combination of letters that shine unique gifts down into this world; the combination for the month of Taurus is Yud Hei Hei Vav, a combination which the Ari, Rav Isaac Luria, says brings the gift of wisdom. Because of this unique combination for the month of Taurus, we have the opportunity to break through and understand things that were not possible for us to understand at other times of the year.  

Further, the kabbalists tell us that the Wellspring of Miriam, which followed the Israelites for the 40 years they were traveling in the desert, was created in the month of Taurus. This well from which they drank also had the ability to open up the gates of wisdom and understanding. Therefore, the Tetragrammaton for this month, and the creation of the Wellspring of Miriam in this month, are hints for us that the month of Taurus is one in which we can gain wisdom, one in which things can open up for us that otherwise we could never understand. 

"The only time we experience any type of pain is when things happen and we don’t see the Light in them or understand why."

It’s important to realize, however, that we’re not simply talking about wisdom as an understanding of studies, or of how the world works and how to interact in it.  Rav Ashlag says something very powerful in his Introduction to Ten Luminous Emanations: the only time we experience any type of pain is when things happen and we don’t see the Light in them or understand why. If we had true wisdom about our lives and why things happen, there would be nothing that could get us upset, disappointed, or angry. So, when we talk about the power of wisdom that is available more in the month of Taurus than in any other time of the year, it’s not just wisdom from study, but also the wisdom we lack regarding our lives. 

Therefore, what we want to ask for at the beginning of this new month is for the gates of wisdom to open up for us so we can understand why certain things are happening in our lives. If we’re able to receive this gift of wisdom in this month, we’ll start to understand – sometimes in our mind, sometimes in our heart, or sometimes in our soul – and we will have the ability to remove the pain that comes from lack of wisdom. 

"We can come to a deeper understand-ing of who we are and what our potential is."

Further, if each of us individually knew who we truly were, which means knowing what our potential is, we would never be satisfied to remain on the lower levels of connection where we currently are. If we had a glimpse of who we could possibly be, we would not be comfortable in our current state; instead, we would be doing so much more to push forward out of it. Even for those of us who are connected, growing, and able to draw Light and blessings into our lives, it is nothing compared to what our real potential is or to what we would see if we had wisdom.

So, as we prepare our vessels for the month of Taurus, we ask to receive wisdom about our lives and ourselves, wisdom as it relates to those things that bother us and that we do not understand, and for those gates to open up. In so doing, we can come to a deeper understanding of who we are and what our potential is. Because if we had even a glimpse of it, we’d be pushing more strongly, changing more quickly, and connecting more powerfully. For those of us who truly understand, our mind can open up, our soul can open up, and the wisdom can come to us, making things clearer, helping us see our potential, and, as such, push ourselves towards it. And in the month of Taurus, the greater our desire for that, the more of the gift of wisdom and understanding we will receive.