The beginning of Tevet always falls amongst the days of the Hanukkah holiday. Furthermore, it is known that the start of the month is also the spiritual foundation for the entire month. The first letter of the word" ืืืช "(Tevet) is the
letter "ื" (Tet). The first appearance of the letter "Tet" in the Torah is in the word "ืืื" (good) during the creation of light on the first day of creation, as it is
written:" And God saw the light, which was good" (Genesis 1:4). From here
onwards, the sages discovered that light represents complete and utter goodness. This light is called "the hidden light" since, after the sin of the first man, this light was hidden so as evil would not benefit from it throughout the generations. This specific light is revealed at times, and one of its true revelations is during Hanukkah. This is the light of the final rectification which will once again be revealed in all of its existence, all through the complete rectification in the future. This is revealed during the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, which contains both a spark from the light of the Temple menorah, along with the hidden light.
Tevet is one of three months associated with calamities related to the destruction of the Temple. These months are Tevet โ when the siege on Jerusalem began before the destruction, Tammuz โ when the city wall was breached, and lastly Menachem Av โ when the First and Second Temples were destroyed. With relation to Moses, it is said, " And she hid him for three months" (Exodus 2:2). Moses' mother concealed him for three months. The sages interpret this as referring to the Holy Presence (Shekhinah), which means 'hidden', thus when a person serves his Creator with covering and holiness, he can remove the forces of judgment which are uncovered during those three calamitous months. This also appears in the Book of Esther, as it is written: "Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace on the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet, during the seventh year of his reign" (Esther 2:16). In the Midrash, it is explained that Tevet comes from the word"good" ,as in this month, it was "good" for Israel. For in this month, Hadassah (Esther) was taken to King Ahasuerus, and thus goodness emerged for the people of Israel. She managed to do this as she persuaded Ahasuerus to annul the decree of Haman, thus in return, bringing salvation to all the people of Israel.
In a subtle hint, it is said that the name Tevet comes from the word 'favors' (ืืืืืช), as if we insert the letter ''ื (written with two ื ' โ Vav) into the name of the month Tevet, we get the word" ืืืืืช" (favors). The letter ื'' represents the Torah, so if we strive for more spirituality, we will value the revelation of the Holy One, blessed be He, in all the details of our lives. In this month, we will treasure seeing the great goodness in everything. The tenth of Tevet is the day by which King Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem during the days of the First Temple, ultimately leading to the destruction of the First Temple. Our Sages recognized this day as a day of fasting, nonetheless, it is important to remember that the fast is not an end in itself, but rather serves to awaken our hearts in repentance and awakening for the reconstruction of the Temple.
If each of us take it upon ourselves to work on our belief that the construction of the Third Temple and the presence of God can be swiftly revealed, and through this, the concealed light will shine, only then will we value the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah.
"So says the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth
month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall
become the house of Judah in times of joy and cheerfulness, love, truth and
peace " (Zechariah 8:19)
"May the Third Temple be swiftly built during our lifetime, Amen! "
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