This “Essence” is taken from the Sourcebook for Leaders, written by Rabbi RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem. Gartner and Barbara Berley Melits, for Rosh HodeshThe new moon, which marks the beginning of the Jewish month. According to tradition, because women did not participate in the sin of the golden calf, they were given the holiday of Rosh Chodesh. It is customary for women not to work on Rosh Chodesh.: It’s a Girl Thing! This experiential program was created by Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women’s and Gender Studies to strengthen the Jewish identity and self-esteem of adolescent girls through monthly celebrations of the New Moon festival. The program is now available through Moving Traditions.
Fast Facts
Tevet is the tenth of twelve months of the Jewish calendar.
Tevet comes at the same time as the secular months December/January.
Tevet begins with the last days of HanukkahThe holiday which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following its conquest by the Syrians in 165 BCE. The holiday is celebrated by lighting candles in a hanukiyah oon each of eight nights. Other customs include the eating of fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly donuts), playing dreidl (a gambling game with a spinning top), and, in present day America, gift giving..
The mazalGood fortune, luck, and the Hebrew sign of the Zodiac. (constellation) for Tevet is the gedi (goat).
“The goat works its way slowly, laboriously up the mountain of winter. Though the path is treacherous, the goat never slips or falls. Sure-footed, firmly centered in the earth, the creature eventually reaches the summit.”1 As winter deepens, and darkness arrives early, we remember that we too can reach summits of joy–even in darkness.
Features
Hanukkah concludes on the second of Tevet, thus completing the rededication of the Temple in JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled..
Places of prayer, such as the Temple in Jerusalem, the mishkan (the portable tabernacle that preceded the Temple), and synagogues, have always been highly prized in Jewish life. Jewish mystics teach that the body is like a temple–a dwelling-place of God and of our soul. Just as we mourn the defilement of the Temple by those who did not see it as a dwelling-place of God, so we lament the harmful ways in which we mistreat our bodies when we forget that they house our souls. The Hebrew word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” Just as we celebrate the rededication of the Temple, so we affirm our own rededication and commitment to respectful treatment of our bodies, the temples of our souls.
The 10th of Tevet. A minor fast on the 10th of Tevet commemorates the siege of Jerusalem on that day in 589 BCE by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, which ultimately led to the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the Jews to Babylonia.
With the founding of the State of IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel. in 1948, the 10th of Tevet was declared Yom Hakadish Haklali (General Day of KaddishThe Aramaic memorial prayer for the dead. Mourners recite this prayer at every service, every day, in the presence of a minyan (prayer quorum) over the course of a year (for a parent) or thirty days (for a sibling or offspring). The prayer actually makes no mention of the dead, but rather prays for the sanctification and magnification of God's name.) to provide an opportunity to say the Kaddish (prayer for the dead) for those who died in the HolocaustThe genocide of millions of European Jews--as well as other ethnic, religious and minority groups--by the Nazis during World War II. The tragic events of the Holocaust are now commemorated each year on Yom HaShoah; established in 1952 by the Israeli government. Shoah (calamity) has become the term used to describe the systemic mass slaughter that occurred during World War II. whose precise date of death was unknown. Some have adopted the custom of mourning all those whose date of death is unknown on this day, including victims of war, genocide, or accidents. Yom Hakadish Haklali reflects Judaism’s deliberate effort to help us honor everyone in our past. As we think about those who have come before us, we are inspired to live a life worthy of their memory.
Fabulous Females
In Tevet we honor all Jewish women who came before us, particularly those whose lives and deaths went unrecorded.
Foods
This month dedicate yourself to treating your body like a holy temple. Honor your body by improving your eating habits: try avoiding non-nutritious foods, eating extra fresh fruits and vegetables, and drinking lots of water.
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