1.Divine Assistance in Torah learning
On the first of Shevat Moses began reviewing the Torah with the Nation of Israel as it says in Deuteronomy: “And it was in the 40th year in the 11th month on the first of the month Moses began to explain this Torah saying….” Therefore the righteous say that the days of this month have great spiritual bounty in them for subsequent generations to tap into. This month has great divine assistance for those who want to make new effort to diligently learn Torah with a renewed energy this month of Shevat and onwards. The word explain in Hebrew is also a ‘well’ a source of spirituality and it’s also ‘clear’ in Hebrew meaning that these days can give us new clarity in our Torah learning.
2.The wellsprings of wisdom open on Rosh Chodesh Shevat
The Chiddushei Harim used to say that on this day all the wellsprings of wisdom open up and any new Torah idea a student of Torah will say throughout the year will get its inspiration from this day.
3.The Torah novellae thought out after this date are dearer
The Avnei Nezer said that he could feel the difference between new Torah ideas that came to him before the month of Shevat and those that came to him during Shevat and afterwards.
4.Auspicious time to learn the Talmud and oral law
The Bnei Yissachar says that the month of Shevat is good for Torah novella and learning the Talmud and oral law.
5.On the day Rosh Chodesh Shevat it is good to take on another Torah study obligation
It is proper for someone to take upon himself a new resolution even a small one to strengthen his Torah study and through this resolution he will merit abundant assistance from heaven.
6.An auspicious time to pray for the fruit of trees and for children
In the Mishna, Bet Shammai is of the opinion the Rosh Chodesh Shevat is the New Year for trees. We hold of the position of Bet Hillel that it is really Tu BeShevat but one can still add prayers as he would on Tu BeShevat for fruit of the tree and fruit of people meaning children that we ask they should toil in Torah and good deeds and grow up with a good (spiritual) smell and taste.
7.Prayer for your children to go on the right path for Rosh Chodesh and Tu BeShevat:
We say in the morning blessing for Torah: G-d please sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths… and may our descendants and their descendants Your nation the house of Israel all know Your name and learn Your Torah for its own sake…”
In Ahava Rabbah ‘endless love’ the blessing before saying Shema in the morning we ask: “Our compassionate father, have compassion on us and place in our hearts to understand, to know, to learn, to hear, to learn and to teach, to keep and do all the words of Your Torah with love”
In Uva Letzion we ask; “So that we don’t toil for naught and give birth for confusion and chaos”
In all these places we should concentrate on asking for our children’s success and that they should learn Torah, acquire good character traits and grow up to be righteous. Even someone not yet married can start praying for this… it’s never too early for such a prayer.
8.An auspicious month for healing and redemption
In Shevat we read of the plagues in Egypt. Each plague was a ‘plague and a healing’ after it. It was also a plague for Egypt and a healing for the nation of Israel. So from here we can see the latent healing abilities which start in the month of Shevat. We also read of the redemption from Egypt so it is also a time of redemption for us since every year when reading about these things in the Torah Portion the spirituality of the event is repeated and available to tap into.
