Rosh Chodesh Tevet: The beginning of the journey

The Hebrew month of Tevet begins Tuesday evening December 7^th. During the month of Tevet we start reading the book of Exodus which begins “These are the names of Israel’s sons who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:” (Exodus 1:1). The beginning of the greatest journey in the history of Israel begins—a journey which led us down from the land of Canaan, into the lands of the Nile, back for forty years through the desert, before finally returning after 460 years to the land of Israel once more.

When I read the Torah portions and think about them, I try to think about the whole story of the Exodus, which recounts the well-known story of Passover. The Passover saga begins with the rise of a new leader in Egypt “who knew not Joseph” and thus begins the enslavement of the Jewish people. Assuming you saw at least one of the movies (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Prince of Egypt, The Ten Commandments) or picked up a bit over the years during Passover, I won’t go into the whole story.

But the Book of Exodus and the Passover story, in addition to being about slavery & freedom, recount the beginning of the journey of the Jewish people through the wilderness and desert into the land of Israel. In fact, most of the Torah & Bible reflect this ongoing journey in and around the Holy Land. The Land of Israel is inseparable from Jewish life.

Israel is not merely a piece of land. Rather, it is the heart and soul of 3000 years of Jewish history. Because our Jewish roots, no matter where we live, are in the Land of Israel.  In the month of Tevet we remember that the Jewish story is a journey to and a relationship with Eretz Yisrael. 

~~~~~~~~~~

IsraelExperts is a fully-licensed Israel tour operator; our head office is in Israel. Comprised of experienced Israel destination professionals, logistics experts, informal educators and accredited tour guides, IsraelExperts works with major organizations around the world in the field of Israel-Diaspora relations and Israel education, and offers you its ability to provide quality innovative programs. You can find us on line at www.israelexperts.com or contact us at education@israelexperts.com for more information.