3 Thought-Provoking Articles to Help Get into the Spirit of the Month of Shevat

For the month of Shevat, we have the following from Rav Itamar Schwartz at Bilvavi:

• The Mazal of Shevat: Pail/Dli/Aquarius

This article is of particular interest because it mentions the "rope" one needs to hang on to in order to get out of the "pit" (dark, hopeless situation), and we've been discussing Rebbe Elimelech's idea of the "rope" we need to hang on to, no matter how hard it shakes—the rope of emunah.

• Asher & the Month of Shevat

The Tribe of Asher corresponds to the month of Shevat. Read this to learn about how Asher corresponds to elevated eating, song, bringing the highest point into the lowest point, and more.

• ​The Month of Shevat – Sanctifying The Act of Eating

If Tevet was about sanctifying the act of sleeping & using sleep for holy purposes, then Shevat is all about rectifying & sanctifying the act of eating. (Also contains helpful advice for different reasons why people overeat: hunger, boredom, cravings, etc., plus a fascinating Q&A at the end.)

• Eating with Holiness

Follows the theme of the previous.

• The Time for Fixing: A Guide for Shovavim

A downloadable PDF collection of Rav Schwartz's talks on the subject to help access the essence of this time for most effective rectification.

Also, you can check out this post if you ever wondered what was going on with Hashem hardening Pharaoh's heart:

• How to Wrench Yourself Out of the Paralyzing Plague of Darkness: ​The Life-Changing Lessons We can Learn from What Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus Says about Why Hashem Hardened Pharaoh's Heart & Why Hashem Punished Him Anyway