Tishrey and Cheshvan stand next to each other in the calendar, but seem to be as far apart as two months can be. Tishrey is full of holidays, joy and intensity; Cheshvan does not even have one minor holiday. Experiencing their juxtaposition may feel to some like a spiritual roller-coaster ride. Tishrey puts us on a high with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah; with the Shofar, the Lulav and Etrog and the Sukkah; with introspection, prayer, excitement and joy. Then comes the month of Mar Cheshvan, with its apparent vacuum. The month of Cheshvan is referred to as Mar Cheshvan, the bitter Cheshvan, because of its total lack of holidays. Cheshvan seems like the vacant lot left after the amusement park has been taken apart and packed away at the end of summer.

Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin uses a passage from the Kabbalistic book, Yetzira. This passage connects all of the months to different aspects of a person. Cheshvan is connected with the sense of smell and is associated with the Sefira of Da'at or Knowledge. Says Rav Tzaddok, during the month of Tishrey we taste of the great Divine lights. In Cheshvan, even though the taste is gone, the fragrance still remains. Cheshvan is not a vacuum left after the holidays, but a vessel with which we can hold onto them. Just as the fragrance of our etrog remains, the highs of Tishrey do not have to disappear but can stay with us during Cheshvan, just as we use the spices during Havdalah to allow our sense of smell to hold on to the spirit of Shabbat into the week. Cheshvan allows us to hold on to the remnants of the holidays.