What is Shovavim (Tat)
The end of the month of Teves sees the start of the Shovavim. Shovavim (Hebrew: שובבי”ם ) is an acrostic for the six Jewish parshious. These are “Shemos”, “Voeira”, “Bo”, “Bishallach”, “Yisro” and “Mishpotim”. During a Jewish leap-year one sees references to an eight-week period called “Shovavim Tat”. This is derived by adding the next two portions, “Terumah” and “Tetzaveh”, to the list. Another allusion to Shovavim is seen in Yirmeyohu (3:22) שובו בנים שובבים ארפה משובתיכם – “Return wayward sons and i will heal your waywardness.” It is an auspicious time for rectifying sexual sins and includes customs to fast.
What sin(s) and why these weeks?
These parshious from Shemos onwards discuss Golus Mitzrayim, the exile, and the redemption from it, Yitsias Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim was the place of rampant immorality – chomer, where everyone could pursue their own pleasures. It was a place that excelled in sorcery and tuma. When the Jews were there they became negatively influenced to the extent of almost losing their connection to the Avos (see Rambam end of Hilchos Avoda Zora, 1:3)
The end and key of the Shovavim sees the Jews leaving this behind and embarking on a spiritual journey that leads to Matan Torah. This is why it ends in a normal year with Parshas Mishpotim that ends with Moshe going up to receive the Torah. Torah gives tzura – it gives a spiritual framework within which man can live and relate to the world. Torah enables the teshuva process. Man can climb back up the ladder leaving behind his sins, especially of the pleasures of the flesh and the world.
It is by living these parshious as we read them on Shabbos in Shul we can accept them like a new Kaballas HaTorah. Then we can imbibe this same process into our lives. Like the Jews needed special divine help to climb out of any such personal immoral sins as seen in what the Jews went through in Mitzrayim. With this we can also rise up from sinking into the physical and rise into the spiritual.
How to achieve rectification?
There are many different customs as to what to do. Some have the customs of study laws relating to such transgressions, fasting and giving extra tzedakah during this time. Also some recite Selichos and other Kabbalistic prayers and tikkunim (Kabbalistic prayers or meditations) designed to counteract their harmful effects. There are those Jews who have a custom to fast every Monday and Thursday during these weeks.
Others suggest focusing on putting more spiritual emphasis on how to relate to the mundane – especially in areas of man and wife. This is why people review the laws of Nidda during the Shovavim. There is also the pathway of minimizing indulgence into physical pleasures. Also, the emphasis on special kavana when saying brochos before doing physical things. The theme behind all this is to place more spiritual direction when dealing with physical things.
What if I can’t?
The gateway of tikun and repentance is never closed. An older or weaker person who cannot fast will focus on other ways – like we mentioned above. The purpose of fasts is to bring a person to teshuva. This comes when he thinks why he is fasting. It also makes a person more spiritual as the physical is weakened. It therefore follows that one who cannot fast can do other things that aim to achieve the same results – namely, thinking into the causes of sin and what to do about them, as well as how to weaken the physical temptations and strengthen the spiritual.
Thank you.
Your welcome