The Jewish month of Tevet arrives quietly, after the lights of Hanukkah fade and winter fully settles in.
The siege of Jerusalem remembered on the fast day of Asarah B’Tevet wasn’t destruction all at once – it was the slow tightening that came before it, ending in the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash, the Temple. Jewish tradition pays attention to that stage because collapse rarely begins with a single dramatic moment. It begins when pressure builds, resources thin, and warning signs are ignored. Tevet asks us to notice what’s straining now, while there’s still time to respond, reinforce, and change course.
It isn’t a month of big breakthroughs or dramatic change, but of holding, steadiness, and paying attention to what the light has already revealed. Rooted in the memory of a slow siege rather than sudden destruction, Tevet invites us to notice pressure early, simplify instead of add, and tend to what already exists.
If Jewish life feels heavier or quieter right now, this season has something to teach you.
Tevet reminds us to strengthen foundations before things break. My membership Bayit Builders exists to help you do exactly that, with structure and support for real Jewish life. Doors open January 11–15. Learn more or join the waitlist.
Transcript below.
Transcript:
The Jewish month of Tevet is a quieter, heavier month. It comes right after the brightness of Hanukkah.
But then the lights go out, the days get shorter, and winter really settles in.
Where the month of Kislev asked us to light, Tevet asks us to sit with what the light revealed.
Historically, the month of Tevet marks the beginning of a siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which ended with the destruction of the first Temple, the Beit HaMikdash.
Not destruction all at once, but the slow tightening of the noose that came before it.
And that can show up personally for us too.
Tevet can feel like a holding pattern.
Things aren’t falling apart, but they’re also not moving forward. Energy dips, motivation wobbles, questions linger. Tevet isn’t a big month for breakthroughs or big plans.
It’s a month for steadiness, for simplifying instead of adding.
Strengthening your foundation to withstand attacks.
For noticing where pressure is building and respond early.
This is a season for tending to what already exists, choosing importance over urgency.
For making things more sustainable instead of more impressive.
If Jewish life feels heavier or quieter for you right now, that’s not wrong. Jewish life is seasonal.
And this is exactly the kind of season that my membership Bayit Builders was made for.
When you don’t need hype- you need structure, support,
and rhythm that fits your real life.
Doors open to new members January 11th through the 15th. You can learn more or join the wait list at Building a Jewish Life.com/membership.
