Teveth

In the North Terranian hemisphere Teveth used to be the darkest month of the Hebrew Year but it is far from quiet. These days Tevet is occaisionally after the North Terranean Hemisphere's darkest time of the year and most of it's observances have been transferred to December leading to a loss of tradition except among the most observant Jews. 

EVENTS OF OLD TEVETH

• The season starts with the last two nights of Hanukah. 
• There is a fast for Simon Clopas on the 9th. 
• The 10th is a fast for the breaching of Jerusalem. 
• Adam Kadmon's fast prior to the Tekufat of Teveth was around the Tekufat-Tevet itself in the fortnight of the 9th-22nd. The longest night of the fortnight is also called Nitlenakht (Labour night) or Blindenacht (Blind night) because of the darkness and Beyz geborenish or Moydrikenacht (murderous night) for the evil weather. 
• Kalenda (Nitl Katan) began on the 23rd. 
• The 8th day of Kalenda is the New Year for Trees on the 1st of Shevat. 
• Then follows Nitl Gadol on Shevat 2nd.

However, during the dark ages, Dec the 25th became Nitlekatan (8th of Kalenda) and the 26th had become Nitle Gadol. 

After 1582 when Pope Gregory inserted 10 days into the calendar, Nitle Gadol became extended for 11 days from Boxing day to the 5th of January (12th day of Xmas). 

Hence, over time most of the Teveth events have become associated with fixed Gregorian dates in December and even early January rather than fixed to the Hebrew month of Teveth whole Nitl Gadol is now usually in Teveth rather than Shevat. 

But this transition was also natural because the Tekufat Tevet fasts are supposed to correspond to the darkest time of the year in the North Terranean hemisphere which is identified in the Talmud as the pivot between the Roman holidays of Saturnalia and Kalenda. They are not supposed to occur after it. 

In the Dark ages, Dec 25th used to be the 8th day of Nitlekatan which used to be followed immediately by the day of Nitle Gadol, the original "Boxing day" where Rabbinical decree permitted Jews to to send gifts to Christian friends. But from 1582 the 8th day of Kalenda was celebrated 10 days earlier to match Dec 25th on Pope Gregory's new calendar causing 10 days of limbo before the original Nitl Gadol which had now become the 5th of January on Gregory's calendar but was still observed as the original (Julian) 26th by all who were opposed to the Papacy. The unintended result was 12 days of Nitl instead of the original 2.

So although the first 7 days of Kalenda were originally the last days of Tevet, thanks to the calendar reforms Kalenda could now be any 8 consecutive days between the 18th of December and the 4th of January inclusive. For example, one could start counting Kalenda from 18th December or completely ignore the Papal reform and count Kalenda from what had become the Gregorian  28th of December. In time however, a middle way emerged to count Kalenda from Dec 25th to Jan 1st (Edom's New Year for Trees) and Nitle Gadol from Jan 2nd to 5th while Tekufat Tevet became associated with Dec 24th.

FASTING VS DEBAUCHERY 

Among those who serve the Yetzer HaRa, Saturnalia (including Tekufat Tevet / Nitlnacht) is observed with Antinomianism but it is observed with fasting among the resistance army of HaShem. Fasting lasts through Saturnalia until the start of Kalenda (Nitlkatan). 

Fasting during this darkest time of the year in the North Terranian Hemisphere fight Haadam's hopelessness after first arriving on planet earth when he thought that the shortening nights heralded the end of the world. But many pagans indulge in Antinomianism during Saturnalia turning the time to fight the darkness with social activity into a time to be debauched. 

RABBI ST SIMEON CLOPAS

For Messianic Noahides, the fasting season begins with remembering the martyrdom and therefore also the work of Rabbi Simon Clopas the Saint starting with the fast of the 9th of Teveth. 

The 9th of Teveth is the yahrzeit for the martyrdom of Saint Rabbi Simeon Colpas, the Compiling Editor of the NT and founder of the Bei Abedan Yeshiva for Messianic Noahides retrieved from among the Notzrim. 

Simeon Colpas was originally highly esteemed by Herod Agrippa II and Gamaliel II's Council of Jamnia (80–115) but was martyred at a ripe old age in the early 2nd century after Herod Agrippa II had died and been succeeded by Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes (a member of the extended Herodian family erroneously identified as Herod Agrippa II's son). 

Saint Rabbi Simeon Colpas was martyred during a time of persecution under the emperor Trajan (Ecclesiastical History 3:32). One intent of this persecution, which began with an order by Domitian, was to eliminate all Jews of the Davidic line, which would have included the Netzarim and "Desposyni" among the Jewish kindred of Jesus Christ following the suggestion of the proconsul Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Simon Clopas was martyred because he disobeyed the order of Herodes not to go to Ai (Jericho) to find a diplomatic solution in dealing with the Notzrim there. Simeon Colpas had gone in secret but was betrayed by two couriers of Herodes who accompanied him and was cast down from the Mount of Olives on the way to Ai. His body was taken to Herodes who was delighted by the murder. Herodes did not allow the body of Rabbi Saint Simeon Colpas to be removed from the palace until Herodes himself died. The Sanhedrin established the date of Simeon's martyrdom on the 9th of Teveth as a fast day. 

After the fast of the 9th we have the fast of the 10th in remembrance of the conquest of Jerusalem. Reminding us more about the darkness associated with Tekufat Teveth.

This is followed by 8 days of fasting established by Adam to counter the the debauched ways of the Gentiles during Saturnalia as we approach the Tekufat Tevet. 

The last fast day of the fasting season is Tekufat Tevet itself which follows the 8 day Fast of Adam. 

It is interesting to note that Noahide Judaism's Fasts of Teveth are paraleled by Christianity's almost forgotten Nativity Fast of Advent. Fazlur Rahman Sheikh's work in the Chronology of Prophetic Events by Fazlur Sheik even shows that Islam's Ramadan was originally at the same time of the year. 

The fasting season is followed by the Kalenda celebration which, according to Judaism at least, is mainly about the arrival of the Good News brought by the lengthening of Days to Adam and by Messianic Noahide Judaism as collated by Rabbi St Simeon Clopas for the Notzrim.

TEKUFAT-TEVETH

The last day of the fast is Tekufat Tevet, identified by the last of three longest nights and darkest days during the winter solstice. Tekufat Tevet is the time of the Apostate Notzrim of Northern Israel (such as Benstada) who have secretly done things against the L-rd. 

Ben Stada
Judaism's Krampus

It is at this time of the year that the demonic Yosl Pondrik spirit seeks to trick humans into sexual immorality. This spirit is named after a stepbrother of Jesus called Joses Pandera who in Judaic tradition raped a disciple of Jesus called Magdalena who named her illegitimate offspring Jesus after her teacher causing all manner of misunderstandings for many centuries. Hence seasonal ghost stories (Christmas Carol, Gremlins, Krampus) are appropriate for the days of tekufat teveth while romantic activity among believers also ceases at this time to deprive Yosl Pondrik of hosts through whom he can sire his children. 

Yosl Pondrik's Offspring

TIME TO TRIUMPH

For Messianic Noahides, Tekufat Teveth is the best time to try and convert Yosl Pondrik's Offspring to faith in God's Word and according to Judaic tradition it is at this time of the year that the Evangelion (New Testament) was first compiled by Rabbi Simeon Colpas in order to do just that. After all, it is out of faithless Edom that righteous Thyatira's offspring were redeemed to rule the world with an Iron Rod and even conquer the armies of Gogmagog. Rabbi Simeon Colpas conquered the Notzrim with God's Word when he used miracles like arriving on a cloud to introduce his Euangelion to them on the First Day of Kalenda in the Jewish year 3849 (88/89AD).

Having this been conquered, the personifications of Tekufat Tevet therefore carry chains as depicted in the stories of Krampus and Jacob Marley as a warning to other gentiles who have not embraced Noahide Judaism. 

NATAL NIGHT

The last and darkest night of Tekufat Tevet is also known as Blind night or Murderous night but also Natal night because it was the night when the mother of Jesus went into labour. 

It is traditional not to visit the study house on Natal Night.

Food eaten during Tekufat Tevet should be layden with Garlic to ward off various evils associated with the season. 

KALENDA (NITL KATAN) 

Kalenda (Nitl Katan) is Xmas which literally means "Christ's Mission". Tekufat Tevet ends at Midnight where a candle is lit to study a passage of Torah symbolising the light of Noahide Judaism's victory over the historical darkness of the season before retiring to bed.

Thus, when the frosty wind howls down the chimney and drives tiny deerhorn-like snowflakes across the rooftops in the North Terranean Hemisphere, Xmas comes again proclaiming the rejuvinated novelty of a Messianic future as the old year passes away. The transition is an Alpha and Omega as it personified the death and rebirth of mankind in the end and the beginning of years. 

Christ's Engeel (the Christingle symbolised by the Christcandle) us the blood-red-robed and mitred Saint Mikölas (originally Michael rather than Nikolas with whom he came to be identified), riding the white cavalry BenThyatira on the clouds revealing and Establishing the Rule of God's Inconquerable Logos in the Human Heart to liberate us from the freezing deadly power of darkness and bringing joy to all the oppressed. 

Messianic Noahide Judaism carrying the Christ Angel

The Old Year personified as the Ancient of days hands over authority to the New Year which the Fraticelli depicted as the Child Messiah but in the middle ages was represented as Boy Bishops and by the Christ kind (Mary) delivering the word, among German protestants. Good Old Xmas also became known as Old Father Xmas from 1658 earning it Epithets like Grandfather Frost and Kal Gaxan. The personifications are well known. 

Every year the NATIVITY ANNIVERSARY invites all to become part of a Christ-Mission whereby Noahides join the triumph of the skies as Christ is born in us anew. 

When it is time for Noahides to swap HaAdam's Nittel fast for Adam's Kalenda celebration, the faithful remnant of Pharisees still describe the influence of Tekufat Tevet through the life of the Talui and recount how this influence was broken by the disciples of Jesus because Xmas is the effort of the disciples of Jesus and without the effort of his disciples there is no Xmas.

Xmas Eve, on the 7th day of Kalenda... 

As already mentioned, since 1582, the darkest night Vigil ends at 00:00:00am on the 25th of December and the hiatus on studying Torah ends at midnight with the beginning of the 8 day Kaleyd (Yiddish for the Talmudic Kalenda i.e. Xmas) celebration established by Adam Kadmon to celebrate the lengthening of days now called Nittel Katan.  The protective covers are removed and a Mitzva is observed to begin each new season like Kalenda with a fresh supply of sweet water, as brought down by the 10th century Hai Gaon. 

But it is either Xmas Eve the 7th day of Kalenda or the day after the 8th which is the correct day for Jews to give non-Jewish friends presents to separate ourselves from any Gentile activities around the New Year season.

This Halakhah about when to give presents during Kaleyd was recorded by Israel Isserlein (1390-1460) in Austria mentioned in the Terumas HaDeshen [Siman 195. :

שו"ת תרומות הדשן (סי' קצה')

Responsa of the Terumat haDeshen 195

שאלה: בכמה עיירות נוהגים היהודים לשלוח דורונות לכומרים ולשלטונים ביום שמיני לניתל כשמתחדשין להם השנה, יש

חשש זהירות בדבר או לאו?

Question: In many cities it is the custom for Jews to send gifts to priests and nobles on the Eighth Day of Nittel when they begin their New Year {for Trees ie Edom's 1st of Shevat}. Should we be concerned about the danger of this or not?

תשובה: יראה דיש ליזהר בזה שלא ישלחו ממש באותו יום אלא יום קודם או אחריו...

Answer: It appears that we should be careful regarding this practice not to send it on the actual day of the festival (lest they think we are celebrating) but rather on a day before {Xmas Eve} or after {Boxing Day}.

The correct Hilchos is for Jews to send gifts to non-Jews on the eve of their New Year (ie the 7th day of Kalenda) or the (Boxing) day after rather than the 8th Day (Xmas Day) itself. 

In the 1400s when Israel was writing, there had been no Georgian calendar reformation and Xmas was Edom's 1st of Shevat. But Nitle Katan became the Gregorian 4th of January after Pope Gregory's counter-reformation calendar insertion and was gradually replaced by the 25th of December.

Interestingly this responsum along with several others on the topic of dealing with apostates and Gentiles was apparently censored from the original Terumas HaDeshen. The responsa were printed at the end of the sefer in certain editions. 

In accordance with his ruling the Rema [Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 148:12] writes in the mid 1500s: “If a person wishes to send a gift to a gentile on the eighth day of Nittel which they call New Year when they view it as a good omen if they receive a gift — he should send it the night before. (The words in italics were censored from later editions.)

Nittel Katan & Nittel Gadol

Thus there were two periods of Xmas which Jews called Nittel Katan and Nittel Gadol. These two periods were the 8 days of Kalenda itself Nitle Katan and Nitl Gadol the following Jewish Gifting day when the Jews and Kings gave gifts on Boxingday, after all religious obligations had been fulfilled for Xmas. The 7th day of Kalenda (Nittel Katan) was when Noahides gave gifts on Xmas Eve. The 8th Day of Nittel Katan was not supposed to be a day of gifting but of Tikkun Olam Mitzvot. 

When the Calendar reform of 1582 took place, the Orthodox  and Protestants who were not under the influence of the Vatican were 10 days later than Catholics in celebrating Xmas and Boxing day causing a change in how Jews observed Nitl. Noahides had to adapt quickly and began to celebrate Nittel Katan on Xmas Eve while Jews and non-Catholic Royal Families held out longer passing presents out on what had become the 12th day of Xmas (the Gregorian 5th of January) rather than 25th of December. 

25 New Xmas (Nitl Katan 8),

26,

27,

28,

29,

30,

31 Old Jewish Gifting Day,

01 Old Nitl Katan 8,

02 Old Nittle Gadol,

03,

04,

05 New Nitl Gadol. 

Both nights came to be considered equivalent to each other and what became January 5th came to be considered equivalent to the Feast of Stephen resulting in the idea of 12 nights then days of Xmas rather than the original 2. 

An even more fenced observance among some Jews was not to give gifts throughout what became any of the 12 days of Nitl and only to give gifts only on either Christmas Eve (eg in Rzeczpospolita) or Epiphany (eg in Iberia). 

29th Teveth (Nitl Gadol)

Meanwhile, Kalenda is associated with the Gregorian 24th of December 1BC which corresponded to the Hebrew Calendar date 29th of Teveth 3760 while earlier in that same Gregorian year, the Julian 5th of January 2BC corresponded to the 29th of Teveth 3759. So the significance of Xmas Eve and 12th night has even earlier roots. 

All of this resulted in a makhlokhes. over the correct timing of Nittel observance among Perushim. In the end, Xmas Eve became recognized as Nittel Katan while the 12th Night "Feast of Stephen" remained Nittel Gadol making 12 days of Nittel from Dec 25th to Jan 5th followed by Epiphany season which begins on the 6th of January. 

But in 1901 the Julian Calendar had slipped by 2 days causing many formerly Julian countries to adopt the Gregorian Calendar in the 20th century and in recent decades, the significance of Nittel Gadol has diminished everywhere outside of the sphere of Russian Influence. While among certain Anapabtists, the 12th days of Xmas still remain significant as a lasting testimony to resisting the Gregorian Calendar reform. It is likely that the observance of 12 days of Nittel will eventually vanish if the remaining Orthodox Churches abandon the Julian Calendar in favour of the Gregorian.

Teveth is followed by the Epiphany (1 Shevat) New Year for Trees. 

It seems appropriate at this point to mention even more sources from Orthodox Judsism which are relevant to The Way of the Messianic Hebrews originating among the Chazal of the Shimon ben Shetach Yeshiva following both Talmuds and

the Teliya of Yochanan ben Zakkai (c.20-c.100). 

We should also consider the Christology of Aqiba (c.50-c.135) who has never been disregarded for having temporarily mistaken Bar Kokhba for the Sar HaPanim. His student Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai who said "There is a perfect man, who is an messenger, this messenger is Metatron, the keeper of Israel; he is a man in the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is an emanation from Him; yea, He is HaShem; of him cannot be said, He is created, formed or made; but he is the emanation from G-d. This agrees with what was written in Jeremiah 23:5-6 of the sprout from David, that though he shall be a perfect man, yet he is ‘the Lord our Righteousness’ " in The Propositions of the Zohar.cap 38, Amsterdam Edition.

We should also consider the Piyyutim of Eleazer ben Kalir (570 – c. 640) which mention Sar HaPanim and the preexistence of our righteous Messiah. 

Here I provide a list of some of the Scribes and Pharisees who made comments relevant to Messianic Noahides:

The Pirqoi ben Baboi (8th–9thC.). 

Rabbeinu Bahiya (1050–1120); 

Rashi (1040 – 13 July 1105); 

the Tosafists 

{like Simhah ben Samuel of Vitry (d. 1105); 

Rabbeinu Tam (1100 – 9 June 1171); 

Yechiel of Paris (died c. 1268); 

Moses ben Jacob of Coucy (fl.1240s); 

Judah of Melun (fl.1240s); 

Samuel ben Solomon of Falaise (fl.1240s)}; 

the Hassidei Ashkenaz 

{such as Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (1150 – 1217); 

and other Rishonim 

{like Nachmanides (1194–1270); 

the Meiri (1249–1316); 

Rabbeinu Yerucham (1290–1350); 

and Ibn Shaprut (born c.1350)}; 

the Litvak Perushim 

{like the Rema (1530-1572); 

Elijah Baal Shem of Chelm (1520 – 1583); 

Moses Rivkis (17thC.) who said "the gentiles in whose shadow Jews live and among whom Jews are disbursed are not idolaters. Rather they believe in creatio ex nihilo and the Exodus from Egypt and the main principles of faith. Their intention is to the Creator of Heaven and Earth and we are obligated to pray for their welfare."

The there is Jacob Emden (1697 – 1776)} 

Moses David Valle (d.1777); 

Baruch Fränkel-Teomim (1760–1828);

Nachman MeUman (1772-1810); 

Elijah Tsvi Soloveitchik (1805–1881); 

Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808 – 1888) who said "although disparaged because of its alleged particularism, Judaism….has been at pains to stress that, while in other respects their views and ways of life may differ from those of Judaism, the peoples in whose midst the Jews are now living [i.e. Christians] have accepted the Jewish Bible of the Old Testament as a book of Divine revelation. They profess their belief in the God of heaven and earth as proclaimed in the Bible and they acknowledge the sovereignty of Divine Providence in both this life and the next.

Israel produced an offshoot [i.e., Christianity] that had to become estranged from it in great measure, in order to bring to the world—sunk in idol worship, violence, immorality and the degradation of man—at least the tidings of the One Alone, of the brotherhood of all men, and of man’s superiority over the beast. It was to teach the renunciation of the worship of wealth and pleasures, albeit it not their use in the service of the One Alone. Together with a later offshoot [Islam] it represented a major step in bringing the world closer to the goal of all history."

The there was Isaac Lichtenstein (1824-1908);

Chaim Yedidiah Pollak (1854-1916)

Judah David Eisenstein (1854 – 1956); 

Pinchas Lapide (1922 – 1997); 

Harvey Oscar Falk (1932-2006); 

the Rabbonim of the CJCUC; 

and this project has also been supported by Rav Dov Meir Stein (d.2020) of blessed memory and other members of his Nascent Sanhedrin Project currently under my Sandak, Nasi Meir Hakak HaLevi. 

The main source for this article is "Christmas Around the World" and the author's family.