http://www.ou.org/chagim/roshchodesh/tevet/default.htm
The OU.ORG Tevet section is adapted with permission from The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov and other sources.
THE MONTH OF TEVET
The month of Tevet is the tenth in the number of months counting from Nisan. The name Tevet was acquired in Babylonia, as is the case with the names of the other Hebrew months. In the Scroll of Esther (Chapter 2) the month is referred to as, "the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet."
Rosh Chodesh Tevet is sometimes observed as one day and sometimes as two, because Kislev, the preceding month, is sometimes "full" (consisting of 30 days) and sometimes not (consisting of only 29 days). With a two-day Rosh Chodesh, its first day is the 30th day of the preceding month, and its second day is the 1st day of the next month. The month of Tevet itself always consists of precisely 29 days; because of this lack of variation in the length of Tevet, the Rosh Chodesh of Shevat, the month which follows, always consists of only one day, namely, the 1st of Shevat.
A Month of Anguish
During the month of Tevet, three fast days are observed, the 8th, 9th and 10th of the month, in commemoration of three major calamities which befell the People of Israel.
The fast days of the 8th and 9th of Tevet are called 'fast-days-for-the-righteous,' as on these days, only individuals who choose to, fast, whereas the fast of the 10th of Tevet is a public fast obligating the entire Jewish community.
What Happened?
0n the 8th of Tevet, at the beginning of the "Greek Era," the Torah was translated into Greek by the decree of King Ptolemy, in about the year 313 B.C.E., according to the Bayit Sheni Timeline presented in the ChanukahSection, which locates the date of the Destruction of the First Temple in 423 B.C.E. This corresponds to the approximate year of 476 B.C.E., according to the alternate timeline which locates the Destruction at 586 B.C.E. That day was regarded as equally calamitous for Israel as the day on which the Golden Calf was made, since it is impossible to adequately translate the Torah.
Moving backwards in time, the 9th of Tevet commemorates the death of both Ezra the Scribe and Nechemia, two of our greatest leaders, who faithfully led Israel during the return from Babylonian captivity. This occurred in approximately the year 353 B.C.E., according to the first Timeline referenced above, or approx. 516 B.C.E., according to the alternate Timeline. It is said that the eyes of all Israel were clouded by their death, for the loss of these great leaders was a tremendous blow, and Ezra's stature, in particular, was so great that it is said of him that had the Torah not been given to Israel through Moses, it would have been given to Israel through Ezra.
On the 10th of Tevet, Nevuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia, laid siege to Yerushalayim. The imposition of this vise-like siege occurred in the approximate year 426 B.C.E., according to the Bayit Sheni Timeline, or the approximate year 589 B.C.E., according to the timeline which sets the year of the Destruction of the First Temple as 586 B.C.E.
The walls of Yerushalayim were subsequently breached on the 17th of Tammuz, during the third year of the siege, and the Temple destroyed onTisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, the saddest day in the Hebrew Calendar, the Date of Destruction of both Temples, and the most somber fast day. But the start of the siege set the stage for both of those tragic events. It was for this reason that the Prophets and other Jewish Leaders of the time set the Tenth of Tevet as a day of fasting for the Jewish People.
In modern day Israel, the 10th of Tevet has been designated as YomHakaddish Haklali - the day on which we mourn those whose date or place of death is unknown.
On the 1st of Tevet, Yechoniah, King of Yehudah, was exiled together with the Sages and the nobility, members of the family of royalty, of Yerushalayim. The day was not however designated as a public fast day.
With the exception of the closing days of Chanukah, the month of Tevet contains no Yom Tov or festive day.
The Translation of the Seventy
(Completed on the 8th of Tevet)
Hilulah Day | Name (Click on the name to view more info.) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rabbi Masoud Refael Alfasi of Tunisia Leader of the Tunisian Jewish community. |
| 3 | Rabbi Avraham of Stretin Chassidic leader. Son of the tzaddik Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi of Stretin. |
| 3 | Rabbi Yaacov Cohen Gadisha of Jerba |
| 5 | Rabbi Shlomo Molcho A Kabbalist with prophetic visions. Died on Kidush HaShem, sanctification of God's Name. |
| 6 | Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga of Shiniava Chassidic leader, son of Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz. |
| 7 | Rabbi Tzvi Son of the Baal Shem Tov. Lead the Chassidic movement for one year. |
| 7 | Rabbi Baruch of Kaminka Student of the Baal Shem Tov |
| 9 | Rabbi Ezra Teacher of the Ramban in Kabbalah. |
| 9 | Rabbi Yeshua Besis of Tunisia Rabbi of Tunis, Kabbalist. |
| 9 | Ezra and Nechemia Prophets / Lead the Jews in the effort to rebuild the Second Temple. |
| 10 | Malachi The Prophet A prophet during the Second Temple era. |
| 10 | Zechariah The Prophet A prophet during the Second Temple era. |
| 12 | Rabbi Natan Shapira Student of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the ARI. |
| 13 | Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Shmuelkes Student of the Baal Shem Tov. |
| 17 | Rabbi Moshe of Kitov One of the first students of the Baal Shem Tov. |
| 17 | Rabbi Yaakov Krantz- The Maggid of Dobnow - The Maggid of Dobnow An outstanding darshan(preacher), using stories and parables to transmit deeper ethical and moral teachings. |
| 18 | Rabbi Huna bar Mar Zutra & Rabbi Mesharshya bar Pakod Leaders of Babylonian Jewry, executed by Persian officials. |
| 18 | Rabbi Moshe Kalfon Ha-Cohen of Jerba Scholar and leader of the ancient Kohanim community of Jerba, Tunisia. |
| 18 | Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov- The Bnei Yissas'char - The Bnei Yissas'char Chassidic leader, Kabbalist. |
| 20 | Rabbi Moshe Maimon (Maimonides)- RAMBAM - RAMBAM Halachist, commentator, philosopher. |
| 20 | Rabbi Yaakov Abuchatzeira Kabbalist, Torah commentator, Halachist. |
| 24 | Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi- Baal HaTanya - Baal HaTanya Founder of Chabad Chassidut. |
SINAILIVE
Rabbi Pinson gives insight into the month of Tevet
Rosh Chodesh Tevet - ראש חודש טבת
Song contains excerpts from the prayer for Rosh Chodesh. It asks Hashem to renew this Chodesh/month for good, blessings, joy and for happiness
