Response to Silence Day – February 9, 2013
What a day! It is Chinese New Year Day. It is a sacred Jewish day.
Sharing Steve Siegel’s response to Silent Day, the invitation to share one day of silence, Mauni Amavasya, each year:
“I find it very interesting that the annual day for silence corresponds to the new moon that inaugurates the Hebrew month of Adar. Although there is no specific reference to silence, in Jewish tradition, in relation to this new moon that I am aware of, a little digging shows it to be a most auspicious time for the practice.
The name Adar is connected to the Hebrew word Adir meaning empowerment and strength. The word Adar can also be broken into A/Dar–the first Hebrew letter ‘alef’ representing the oneness of God, and the Hebrew word ‘dar’ meaning dwells. The letter ‘alef’ has no sound of its own. It is the pregnant silence just before a sound. So one could interpret the beginning of the month of Adar as a time to be strengthened by dwelling in silence with God or when God dwells in silence with us.
Adar is the happiest, most joyous month of the Hebrew calendar. In fact, its motto is ‘When Adar comes, joy is increased.’ May we all be empowered and strengthened by the joy of silence and the presence of the One at this special time.”
-Steve Siegel