The month of Shevat שבט according to Kabbalah

5773


The first suggestion we make is to read what we said last year about the month of Shevat. What will be said this year will build on what we said last year.

Below is the link to last year's Blog about Shevat. Please press your back button to return to this location after you read last year's Blog.

Essence of Shevat שבט

The Name of this 11th month of the Hebrew Calendar is Shevat spelled with Tet as the last letter. The month of Shevat seems to be two different months in one. The first two weeks prior to the Holiday of Tu B'Shevat reminds of the month of Tevet and the energy "seems" to be unchanged. The last two weeks after the Holiday is very different. These last two weeks transforms into a much more positive month.

The energy of these two periods is really the same but feels like two different aspects. One aspect is Appeasement and one aspect is Abundance. What is the difference? Appeasement is sharing that feels like giving. In Kabbalah, giving is sharing with your own agenda while sharing has no personal agenda. Sharing is when you are a channel for the Light to share through you to another person.

Appeasement has a bad connotation in the western world since the 1930's when the West appeased the voracious appetite of Germany and its Leader. It was not truly sharing even though so much was given. In effect it is a transfer of resources from one to another under duress of some type.

Abundance on the other hand is usually thought of as relating to physical resources yet it actually applies to both spiritual and physical resources. When things (spiritual or physical) are in abundance people find it easier to share. Yet unless it is acting as a channel of the Light of Hashem it is simply giving under another name.

That is actually the Tikune during Shevat to become a channel for the Light of Hashem and remove your own ego from the equation. Of course this is the Tikune in any month; Only in Shevat it is more concentrated.

This year both Rosh Chodesh and the Holiday of Tu B'Shevat is on Shabbat. Shabbat is the second highest energy day of the year. When Shabbat and a Holiday coincide it is an indication of two things. One Hashem is showing us his Mercy. Two, we need additional energy for the negativity involved in this year. Please remember that Rosh Chodesh is announced by Man not an effect of the cycle of the moon. Please see below in the section on the Holiday for a meditation that will assist you in balancing your individual energy and also balancing our Global energy so mitigate the effects of Global Warming.

Shevat and the Tetragramaton

The months of the Hebrew year are connected to the Tetragramaton. The Kabbalists teach that Tevet along with Shevat and Adar are connected to the lower Hay. In Kabbalah the lower Hay represents Malchut which is called Sister and also called Wife to the "Son" which is Zeir Anpin. Malchut and the lower Hay is a metaphor for our physical world. It is also representative of the final step in any process or goal. We use the word manifestation to express this idea.

Shevat being the 11th month also represents the Malchut. Yet it is not the final step since there one more month in the year. There are two aspects to the number 11 just as there are two aspects to the energy in Shevat. 11 represents being more than 10. Jt represents the idea that there is a negative system that is not included in the 10 Sefirot.

At the same time there are 11 components in the Incense that was burned in the Temple. That incense represents a tool to bring us closer to Hashem. One of those components smelled horribly when burned by itself. When burned within the Incense all 11 worked together to create a smell that is heavenly. Shevat teaches us that the negative side is necessary yet it must be limited and controlled so that it does not take over the Whole Process.

Here are the letters of the month. Also the Tetragramaton Permutation for the month of Shevat

צ ץ ב היוה

The letter Bet is related to Blessing while the Letter Tzadi is related to Righteousness. Both letters represent balance and the Central Column of the Tree of Life. The month of Shevat gives us the opportunity to reveal Truth and Light and Goodness in our life and in the quantum level consciousness of the world. It is for this reason that Shevat is called the month of Redemption, since the physical world is usually thought of as darkness and exile. Of course normal people do not think of this world as an exile from our true home. Our true home is with the Creator in Heaven. This consciousness is necessary to help bring the Mashiach with Mercy and avoid the Armageddon War.

Now, let us look at the permutation of the Tetragramaton for the month of Tishrai and what we can learn.

The Tetragramaton is normally spelled יהוה. The Yood is in the first position. The first position is normally considered the World of Atzilut (Emanation). The second position normally has a Hay and is considered the world of Beriah (Creation). The third position normally has a Vav and is considered the World of Yetzirah (Formation). The fourth position normally has a Hay and is considered the world of Assiya (Action or Manifestation).

All of these worlds in the paragraph above relate to descriptions and teachings in Kabbalah. They are metaphors to help us understand and relate to these worlds that we do not see with our physical senses.

The word that is the Tetragramaton is actually the Hebrew verb "to be" in a conjugated form. The Yood at the beginning of a Hebrew verb indicates action. Therefore the Name of God translates into English as "Active Being". The ultimate essence of "Active Being" is transcendent power of love and compassion without regard to people's merit.

This normal permutation which is used in the month of Nissan puts the Name of God in its normal, proper, and optimal placement to provide for the maximum flow of the Beneficence of Hashem. In essence the Yood, in the World of Atzilut, allows for a concentrated point of connection to the World of Ain Sof or Endless World. The upper Hay in Beriah expands to support actual birthing and Creation. The Vav then channels this energy of Creation into the final Hay in the World of Malchut which is manifestation.

When we look at the permutation for Shevat, we see the upper worlds in reverse order, the Hay prior to the Yood, while the lower worlds have the regular order of the Hay following the Vav. When the upper worlds are in reverse order we know that the energy influx is extremely strong and the mental level requires a lowering of its vibration level in order to handle that much energy. This is then channeled through the heart and finally into our world of action.

The letters of the Month

The Tzadi is the letter that created the sign of D'li or the Aquarian sign. The Tzadi also created the month of Shevat. D'li translates as a bucket usually called a "water bucket". Another metaphor for the sign of Aquarius is the water carrier not just the water bucket. In Kabbalah, water is always a sign for Torah and also for the energy of Loving Kindness which is translated as Chesed. The Tzadi letter is cognate to the word Tzadik which represents the complete and fully corrected individual man. The Tzadik is always doing the "Right" or Correct action. Always. In fact when someone does a Right action at that moment they have the consciousness of a Tzadik. Yet they can not maintain that consciousness. In Aquarius we find it easier to maintain ourselves in doing the Right actions. This is because the universe supports the Right actions of sharing, as described above. It also explains why the period of Shovavim occurs over the month of Shevat.

The Bet created the planet Saturn which is the furthest planet from the sun of the visible planets (the 7 inner planets). As the furthest from the sun Saturn appears distant and cold and this just reinforces the idea that the physical world is the most important. This is why the Capricorn people develop ideas about "they having built what they have accumulated materially over their lifetime. This is clearly a wrong image since everything comes from the Creator. Now that we are in Shevat we would expect this same energy to be manifesting but it does not. This is explained by the physical cause that the planet Saturn always has one side of the planet facing the sun and the other side facing the openness of the universe. These are the two aspects of the Bet and of the differences between Capricorn which is always limited to the solar system and the open look of the Aquarian trying to save the universe.

The gematria of the Tzadi and Bet is 92. 92 is equal to 91 plus the Colel. 91 as we know represents the unity of the Spiritual and Physical worlds. 92 has this energy even at a stronger more intense level. This unity is what allows the Tzadik to do the Right action.

Holidays in Shevat

There is only one Holiday in Shevat. It is the Holiday of Tu B'Shevat. This Name translates as the 15th of Shevat which is the date of the Holiday. It is also the date where the Talmud teaches us that rain in Israel defines a different level of consciousness. If it rains prior to the 15th of Shevat this rain waters the previous year's crops. If after Tu B'Shevat it waters this year's crops. This matters for the purposes of tithing the crops.

There is also a teaching in the Talmud which explains that the Sap that runs in trees and indicates the beginning of spring starts to flow on Tu B'Shevat. The Kabbalists started or revealed the idea of a Seder to be done for the fruits and to enhance this idea of spring and the rising of the Sap about 600 years ago. This Holiday is actually a celebration of the ecology as well as the tool of Binding by Striking. In Kabbalah gravity is the energy of the desire to receive for oneself alone. Gravity is the cause of every aspect of mass desiring (or causing to flow towards) every other aspect of mass. Trees are the tallest living thing on our planet. Why do they grow so tall? The Kabbalists explain that the Trees have an innate energy of the desire to receive in order to share. The Holiday of Tu B'Shevat is the New Year for Trees. Actually Tu B'Shevat is one of 4 New Years in the Hebrew Calendar. Rosh Hashana is one, Tu B'Shevat is another, a third is First of Nissan the New Year for Kings, and the 4th is the First of Elul. The New Year in Elul is used to tithe the kosher animals for the Year. If an animal is born after Rosh Chodesh Elul it is tithe as coming from the group tithed in the following year.

As said above, this year Tu B'Shevat is on Shabbat. Yet not just any Shabbat. It is Shabbat Shira. It is the Shabbat Named Song of the Sea. It is Parasha that reveals the 72 Names of God; Also the 72 Names from the Tzadikim; Actually there are 9 other permutations of the three verses at Exodus Chapter 14 Verses 19 to 21 for a total of 11 permutations.

As indicated above, when we need additional energy to balance the negativity in the world Hashem provides this by having the Holidays coincide with Shabbat. Remember this does not happen due to the calendar. It happens because men declare the new month. Hashem sends his Angels the Teli (from Sefer Yetzirah fame) to influence the declaring the new moon so that the Holiday or Rosh Chodesh or both fall on Shabbat. THIS IS HASHEM'S MERCY IN ACTION.

By hearing the Torah Reading on these Shabbatot (plural of Shabbat) we receive the additional energy of the Maftir for Rosh Chodesh and the Haftara for Rosh Chodesh. These readings assist us in receiving the enhanced energy of Shabbat and the Holiday in a balanced way.

High Energy Days

There are no other high energy days except Tu B'Shevat and Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Actually every day is a High Energy Day complete with the energy of Shovavim.

Any questions about the above write to yeshshem@hotmail.com

Tzadikim who left in Shevat

Our Tzadikim have given us a great tool. Themselves! Their Hilulah is the opportunity to utilize their connection to the Creator to make our connection easier. The method we use is to light a Yahrzeit candle (25 hour candle) and learn about the Sage. This strengthens our connection to the Tzadik and through that connection allows us to reach the Creator more easily.

It is recommended that one mentions the Names of the Tzadikim every evening at the start of your evening prayer connection or just prior to going to sleep each evening.

Tribe and Tribal Leader connected to Shevat

Here are the connection to the Tribe for the month and the Leader of that Tribe from our website, with information about the Nasi and the attributes dealing with this month.

The Tribe for the month of Shevat is the

  • Tribe of Asher.
  • I suggest you spend some time during this month checking out the attributes of the name Asher and the Name of the Nasi who gave the dedication and his consciousness of why he gave what he gave. Remember not all of these attributes are positive and with the tool of "Binding by Striking" we can correct them and transform them into positive aspects.

    Practical Tools to adopt in Shevat

    Here are strategies to adopt for this month of Shevat.

    1. Do New Things Shevat is the month of renewal which we refer to as spring. By doing actions that are new you achieve to different connections. One you bring yourself to the consciousness and excitement of spring and you also take yourself out of your comfort zone which is an attribute associated with Binding by Striking.

    2. Learn Torah When we study Torah we are listening to Hashem speak to us. When we learn Torah we manifest those words from Hashem in our lives. This month add some additional study time and take the words you study into your life through practical means. When was the last time you went to an old age home or a homeless shelter and visited with someone you do not know so that you can bring joy and human compassion into their life? You will also receive this compassion and joy in your life.

    3. Be Conscious as You Eat The month of Shevat, according to Kabbalah, corrects the sense of eating. This correction is acheived when we become conscious as we eat and also of what we eat. Is it healthy? Is just the first level of consciousness. Is it Kosher? Is another level. Do you think about what you chew? Are you chewing your food 101 times like your parents taught you do do? Of course they probably told you to do what they say and not what they do. Perhaps this Shevat you might try to learn the Hebrew Blessings over Food as well as the Hebrew Blessing for after eating. This is one step in correcting the aspect of eating, which is one spark of Light that can only be fully corrected when Mashiach comes.This is due to the reality that we must eat to live and therefore can not totally correct the desire to receive for oneself alone. Although a good step is to eat only to give pleasure to the creator who Created what you eat for your pleasure. This consciousness creates a complete circuit of energy and you will find that you will eat less and loose those pounds you promised to lose this year. You will also find your immune system being strengthened as well.

    4. Look into becoming vegetarian or Kosher. Most people do not know that we will reverse the process of the Fall of Adam as Mashiach manifests in this world. This means that the evolutionary process which the scientists have gotten almost right will reverse itself. Man prior to the flood did not eat meat. This will be true when Mashiach comes as well. Learn about the energy of food such as foods grown close to you are better for you than foods grown around the world from you. Also learn the energy of food such as not mixing milk and meat which are code words for continuity and end. Learn why there are two signs for a kosher animal - chewing its cud and cloven hoofs. Cloven Hoofs represent Left and Right column energy running through the animal. Chewing its cud represents in built binding by striking that allows the energy in the animal to balance itself so that it is easier for the human being to maintain balance when he eats an animal. There is so much more to learn about eating in the Torah way.

    The Tikune in Shevat

    If your lunar north node is in the Zodiac sign of Shevat, your Tikune is in Shevat.

    If you do not know where your north node is within your astrological chart send me your birth date birth location and birth time to yeshshem@hotmail.com. I will send you information on how to find your north node and your personal Tikune.

    During Shevat every person will be influenced by

    The universe will support the consciousness of Let Go and Let God. If you try to hold onto your negativity the universe will kick you in the groin during this month. Let go and you will be amazed at what can be accomplished towards world peace and joy.

    In conclusion

    Shevat can be a very stimulating month or you can remain in the coldness of winter. The choice is yours. Just try to do the whole process one step at a time.

    Kol Tuuv

    chanoch