Tevet is the Hebrew month after
Kislev. The celebration of Hanukkah shares
both months, beginning on 25 Kislev and ending on 2 Tevet, the day after Rosh Chodesh Tevet. This wonderful joyous holiday of Hanukkah
ends in a month that is also known for one of the great Jewish tragedies, and
that is the destruction of the first temple, or the Beit Hamikdash, at the hands of the Babylonians on the 10th
day of the 10th month according to the Hebrew calendar, or 10 Tevet
(See Ezekiel 24:1). How important is
this day? Well this day has been called Ta’anit Ah’sarah B’tevet, the Fast of 10
Tevet, and is the only day other than Yom Kippur where we fast even if it falls
on the Shabbat.
In the Book of Bnei Yissaschar, a classic Chassidic text authored by Rabbi
Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, Poland (1783-1841), the Tribe of Dan is connected with
the Temple’s demise. The Tribe Dan, while they are associated with the idolatry that
brought about the first Temple’s destruction, also plays an important
role in the longevity of Israel as well.
Yet as we shall see Rabbi Zvi Ryzman wants to redeem Dan in connection
with how the light of Hanukkah, which began in Kislev, brings brightness into
the dark memories of the Temple that was destroyed in Tevet.
The Tribe of Dan was the largest of tribes other than Judah, with both Dan and Judah
playing important roles as Israel’s protectors.
The Talmud teaches that as Judah traveled in the front Dan traveled in
the back to watch over the rear of Israel as they journeyed in the wilderness. Maimonides reflecting on the words of Talmud
recalls the blessing from Jacob upon his son Dan who would be “like a snake upon the path” where
Israel’s enemies “will fall.” But Dan’s might also translated to their role
in sacred things as well. In building
the Mishkan, the traveling worship space in the wilderness, two key figures
were Be’zalel ben (son of) Uri and Oh’oliav ben A’chisamach. Bezalel was from the tribe of Yehuda and had “the skill, ability, and
knowledge in every kind of craft to make designs for work in gold, silver, and
copper,” whereas Oholiav was from the tribe of Dan and was “the carver, the designer, the embroiderer in
blue, purple, crimson yarns, and in fine linen, and of the weaver—as workers in
all crafts and as makers of designs.”
We read in Torah that these two from Judah and Dan together were “endowed with skill and ability to perform
expertly all the tasks connected with the service of the sanctuary.” In fact the Messiah according to Jewish
tradition physically descends from the tribe of Judah and will “strike down a land with the rod
of his mouth, and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips” (Isaiah
11:4). This part of the job-description for
the Messiah is connected to the “spirit” of Dan who would be “a serpent by the road [and] a viper by the
path [where Israel’s enemies] … will
fall before [him]. Dan stands as a redemptive figure.
Yehuda Aryeh Leib in his writings from the Sefer Emet teaches that “the
rays of the Hanukkah candles [that began in Kislev] cause the light to spread
to the entire month [of Tevet].” Again
from the book of Bnei Yissaschar, we are reminded that Tevet is also a
time where life emerges once again after the 40 days of the flood, playing with the
words of Genesis 8:5 Rabbi Tzvi
Elimelech of Dinov writes, “Through the commandments we perform on the first
day of the tenth month [Tevet, when the waters receded after the flood] we can
hope to see the top of the mountains.” Those mitzvot (commandments) are Rosh Chodesh
(new moon) and Hanukkah (festival of dedication), each allowing us to see the mountain
tops where the light burns the brightest.
As such when we celebrate Hanukkah in Tevet we embody the spirit of Dan who helped make the holy objects in the Mishkan. As said, Rabbi Zvi Ryzman appeals to that part of Dan’s role and calls upon the Jew – but I say all people of faith and principle - to use our gifts in this world in order to protect and support those around us when our lights burn the brightest. It seems that there is just too much darkness in our world today that is right here in our cities and towns. You cannot look at the news without being reminded of the pandemic let alone this new variant that has emerged. Daily we deal with political strife, continued school shootings as well as ongoing social disarray, whether it is about abortion rights or equal rights, not to mention inflation and labor shortages that impact all of us. Tevet unfortunately reminds us what we already know, therefore; we need to let our lights shine brightly because the miracle of Hanukkah reminds us that the light always prevails over the dark, freedom always triumphs over oppression and goodness has more power than evil. Rosh Chodesh Tevet comes with the spirit of Hanukkah attached. Each of us contain divine sparks with rays that burn brightly. The light of Tevet comes from our sparks that seek to make the world a better place.
Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov and Chag Hanukkah Sameach
