11th Month -Shevat

January/February

Shevat/Shebat (שְׁבָט) – 11^th month; 30 days

Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” – Numbers 10:10 (NKJ)

Shevat (שְׁבָט) is the eleventh month of the biblical calendar. The name of the month derives from the Akkadian, Šabātu, “to strike or beat – a rod.”

Some of the events which occurred during Shevat are:

Benaiah was captain of the guard.
Moses begins the repetition of the law – Deuteronomy.
Ezekiel received a word against Tyre.
The new year for trees.
Traditional date for the war on Benjamin.
Zechariah received the vision of the man in the myrtle trees and the red, brown, and white horses.
Plague of hail in Egypt.

In the Bible, the new moon is defined as the first visible sliver of the moon at the beginning of its cycle. It is referenced several times in the Scriptures. Today, we’ll look at its appearance in the Psalms.

To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.

Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the lute.

Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. This He established in Joseph as a testimony, when He went throughout the land of Egypt, where I heard a language I did not understand.

“I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the baskets. You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!

I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.” – Psalm 81 (NKJ)

Many congregations take the opportunity to bless the upcoming new month on the Sabbath before. The blessing takes on different forms depending upon the congregation, below is a sample blessing.

Birkat Hachodesh

May it be Your will, LORD, our God and God of our fathers,

that You begin for us this month of Shevat

for goodness and for blessing.

May You give to us long life,

a life of peace,

a life of goodness,

a life of blessing,

a life of sustenance,

a life of physical health,

a life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin,

a life in which there is no shame or humiliation;

a life of wealth and honor,

a life in which we love Torah and fear God;

a life in which the LORD fulfills the requests of our hearts for good.

Amen. Selah.

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