Today is the Spring Equinox, traditionally known as the first day of Spring. When we look out of the window in the UK it may not seem as if much has changed, but the start of Spring or aviv in Hebrew has an important place in Judaism.
In Judaism the Spring Equinox represents renewal, starting afresh. The fruits on the trees are starting to blossom and if you take a trip into the countryside, you will notice that lambing season has begun. We find in the Torah that there is a positive commandment for the festival of Passover to take place in the Spring, after the Spring Equinox, and to remember the month of ‘Aviv’ - spring.
What is Aviv? Spring means new beginnings, it means looking to the future, taking the potential and allowing it to grow and blossom. The fruits begin to blossom and are full of potential. The lambs are born, full of potential and it was at this time of year that the Jewish people were taken out of Egypt and became a nation, full of potential.
(In Hebrew the word Aviv (meaning spring) comes from the word Av, as in the Hebrew month of Av which is in the height of the summer. Aviv means little Av. When we get to the month of Av the potential has been reached. Aviv is the start of that, the opportunity is there for the taking)
The Rabbis also use the word Aviv to mean redemption. Redemption too is the time when a new future begins, when we start afresh with so much potential.
At the Spring Equinox the day and night are equal length and this is the case all over the world. This only happens twice a year. It is of course at this time, on the day when everything is still potential, that everything and everyone is equal. We all have the potential to become great. Today is about looking to the future, thinking about what we can do and who we can be and realising that we have the potential to become great.
After today for some people the day gets longer and for others the night. Some people will unfortunately miss the opportunity to grow and continue to live in darkness and others will recognise their potential and begin to grow bringing light to the world.
Let us use today to look to the future, recognise our potential and begin to blossom.
