The Month of Tevet

The month of Tevet is the tenth month of the Jewish calendar. This month begins with the last days of Chanukah. With the power of the shining lights of the menorah we are able to reveal the good — Tov in Hebrew — which is hidden in the cold winter month of Tevet.

The Tenth of Tevet is a fast day. On this day Nevuchadnezar, king of Babylon, initiated a siege around the holy city of Jerusalem; the siege led to the destruction of the first Temple on the Ninth of Av. The Tenth of Tevet therefore represents the beginning of the downfall of Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish people. Spiritually, the service of this day is to become aware of any un-G-dly power that begins to besiege our hearts before it becomes a threat to our entire being. The great leaders Ezra and Nechemia, who led the Jewish people out of the exile of Babylonia, passed away on the Ninth of Tevet.

The letter that governs the month of Tevet is the letter Ayin, which means "eye." The faculty of the soul associated with Tevet is anger — the anger generated by the "Evil Eye," which does not acknowledge the good and the G-dly in people or circumstances. We need the light of Chanukah, especially the last day (Zot Chanukah), to rectify the Evil Eye and to reveal the good in whatever exists. This month is an auspicious time to work on our anger by seeing the good in others and uncovering the good in life's challenges.

The Zodiac sign of Tevet is G'di (Capricorn). The numerical value of G'di is 17, the same as the word Tov (good) hidden in the name Tevet. The goat climbing the mountain represents the growing process that comes through refining and elevating our animal soul. The tribe of this month is Dan, similar to Din — judgment. Overcoming criticism and judgment of oneself and others can bring about the highest levels of transformation: from the snake (nachash), the symbol of the tribe of Dan, to the light of Moshiach — the numerical value of nachash (358) is the same as Moshiach. This process is connected with the liver, the organ associated with Tevet, which purifies the blood and transforms bad blood to good: the energy of judgment and anger transformed into a burning love for G-d.