The Mystical Month To Come

2) CALENDAR REMINDERS

1 Shvat (Jan. 19) -- Rosh Chodesh

4 Shvat (Jan. 22) -- -- Yahrzeit of the 'Baba Sali' (1890-1984)

6 Shvat (Jan. 23-24) -- Shabbat Bo, Torah Reading: Ex. 10:1-13:16; Haftorah: Jeremiah 46:13-28

10 Shvat (Jan. 28) -- Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yosef Yitschak Schneerson (1880-1950), the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe and the beginning of the reign of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (1902-1994) as The Rebbe.

Also the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shalom Sharabi ("Reshash"), the great Yemenite 18th century Kabbalist, who's "Siddur/prayerbook with Kavannot/mystical intentions" is still so influential today

13 Shvat (Jan. 30-31) -- Shabbat Beshalach, Shabbat Shirah -- Torah Reading: Ex. 13:17-17:16; Haftorah: Judges 4:4-5:5:31.
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15 Shvat (Feb.1-2) -- Tu b'Shvat --The New Year's Day for trees of Israel -- One of the most important authorities on Jewish Law, the Magen Avraham, writes in his notes to the Code of Law (131:16): "It is the custom on Tu b'Shvat to eat many different kinds of fruit."

The Tu b'Shvat Seder Celebration:
The Kabbalistic celebration of Tu b'Shvat that originated in Zefat, as recorded in Pri Etz Hadar, a 50 page pamphlet presenting fruits to eat and passages to read arranged by anonymous student of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria [1534-1572], the greatest Kabbalist of Tsfat, takes the form of a "seder," similar to Passover. Certain fruits are eaten in a particular order, accompanied by specific readings. See the attached link for the first 12 fruits recommended for the Seder, corresponding to the 12 possible permutations of G-d's four-letter name, along with related verses and themes to focus on while eating which we have substituted for the lengthy Zohar passages of the original. Hopefully, you will find this Seder also to be a liberating, enlightening experience. (For more information on the Seder please see http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=tubshvat

18 Shvat (Feb.5) -- The day, 43 years ago, that the founders of Ascent received by letter the blessing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the establishing of Ascent

20 Shvat (Feb.6-7) -- Shabbat Yitro, Torah Reading: Ex. 18:1-20:23; Haftorah: Isaiah 6:1-7:6, 9:5-6.

22 Shvat (Feb.9) -- Yahrzeit of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, daughter of Rabbi Yosef Yitschak of Lubavitch, wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

24 Shvat (Feb.11) -- The yahrzeit of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel, daughter of the second Lubavitcher Rebbe, Dov Ber, matriarch of the entire Jewish community in Hebron and specifically of the Chabad community.

27 Shvat (Feb.13-14) -- Shabbat Mishpatim, Shabbat Shekalim and Blessing of the New Month -- Torah Reading: Ex. 21:1-24:18, 30:11-16. Haftorah: Kings II 12:1-12:17

30 Shvat (Feb. 17) -- First Day of Rosh Chodesh Adar

3) For Ascent Seminars & Shabbatons go to http://www.myascent.org/

MAY YOU HAVE A FRUITFUL MONTH OF SHVAT!