Nisan: The Month of Miracles, Speech, and Renewal

By Rabbi Amichai Cohen

Hi and welcome to our class on the new month of Nisan. Nisan is a powerful and unique time in the Hebrew calendar—a month of life, renewal, and miracles. It marks the beginning of spring, Chodesh HaAviv, when the natural world begins to blossom outwardly, mirroring the inner growth we're invited to experience as well.

In Sefer Yetzirah, each Hebrew month is associated with specific spiritual characteristics. Nisan stands out as the month with the most direct and pure expression of Divine energy. The permutation of the Name of G-d (Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh) during Nisan is in its correct, straight order. Unlike the other months, which have scrambled forms of the Name representing concealment, Nisan represents direct revelation.

The Tribe, the Sign, and the Body

Nisan is aligned with the tribe of Yehudah (Judah), the tribe of kingship and leadership. From Yehudah comes King David, and eventually Mashiach. This tribe teaches us about stepping into our royal potential and expressing truth with courage.

The astrological sign for Nisan is Taleh (Aries), the lamb or goat, symbolizing the Korban Pesach, the Paschal offering. It's a docile creature, led rather than leading—reminding us that speech, like the lamb, needs to be guided by awareness and intentionality.

The body part associated with this month is the right leg—the leg that steps forward first. It reflects proactivity and movement, both spiritually and physically. We're not meant to remain in potential; we're called to take a step forward.

The Sense of the Month: Speech (Sichah)

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Nisan is that it's associated with the sense of speech. Not just speaking, but Sichah — deep, conscious, intentional communication. In Kabbalistic understanding, speech is the final expression of a long inner process: it begins with the intellect (Chochmah, Binah, Da'at), flows into emotion, becomes thought, and finally emerges as speech.

When our speech is aligned with inner clarity, it becomes powerful. The Talmud says, "Life and death are in the hands of the tongue." Our words create worlds.

Nisan and the Power of Miracles

The word Nisan shares a root with Nes — miracle. It is the month of Nissim, miracles upon miracles. The Talmud says that if someone sees Nisan in a dream, they should expect miracles.

What kind of miracles? Not just the hidden miracles that are disguised in natural events, but open, revealed miracles like the ones that occurred during the Exodus from Egypt: the Ten Plagues, the Splitting of the Sea, and the birth of a nation.

In Nisan, the natural world itself mirrors this theme. We witness the blossoming of trees and flowers, the warming of the air—it's as though creation is declaring: "Renewal is possible."

Two Heads of the Year

Nisan is also called one of the "heads of the year." While Tishrei is the beginning of the civil and agricultural year, Nisan is the spiritual New Year. The Torah says, "This month shall be for you the first of the months." (Exodus 12:2)

Tishrei represents the cycle of nature and hidden Divine governance. But Nisan is the month of Chiddush, newness, and revelation. It teaches us that no matter our past, we can begin again.

The word Chodesh (month) comes from Chadash (new) and Chiddush (novelty). And the root of the word Shanah (year) means repetition. So while the year may feel cyclical, the month empowers us with the ability to create something entirely new.

Becoming Kings: Proactive Miracles

Nisan is the head of the year for kings, for months, and for the cycle of holidays. What does this mean for us personally? That when we embrace renewal, we become like kings. Rishon Hu Lachem — "It is first for you" — spells the word Melech, king.

Kingship in Kabbalah is represented by the sefirah of Malchut, which is entirely receptive. It has nothing of its own but channels everything from above. Just as King David was humble, true kingship requires us to empty ourselves of ego and allow higher wisdom to flow through.

Pesach and the Power of the Mouth

The major holiday of Nisan is Pesach (Passover). The word Pesach can be read as Peh-Sach — "the mouth speaks." In Egypt, our collective voice was silenced. Exile, in its deepest sense, is the inability to express truth.

Redemption begins when the mouth opens. On Seder night, we are commanded to speak—to tell the story of the Exodus, to ask questions, to teach our children. This is not incidental. It is the tikkun (spiritual repair) of speech.

According to the Zohar, the Oral Torah (Torah Sheb'al Peh) — the Torah of the mouth — is the highest expression of Divine revelation. When we speak words of Torah, we are aligning our mouths with the Divine purpose of creation.

The Hidden and Revealed Hei

Nisan is also numerically connected to the mouth (Peh), and mystically, the letter of the month is Hei. The letter Hei has a gematria of five, representing the five organs of verbal expression: throat, palate, tongue, teeth, and lips. The month of Nisan brings the hidden Hei into revelation—twice. One Hei for the Exodus, and one for the future redemption, may it be soon.

Taking the Step

So how do we live this month?

We take a step forward with our right leg. We speak words of truth. We embrace newness and possibility. We act like royalty not through domination, but through humility and higher alignment.

We remember that every moment is a new creation. That miracles are real. That G-d is not only in the heavens, but in our words, our steps, and our willingness to begin again.

Chodesh Tov — May it be a month of revealed blessings, joy, and miracles for all of us.

This class is part of our "Beyond The Zodiac" course on www.livekabbalah.com