The Hebrew word Tevet can be read as a contraction of the word tav and the letter taf, which is the final letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The first letter of the alphabet is alef. The Arizal teaches that the placement of the letter “taf” is very significant—it is the most distant level from alef, which symbolizes Alufo Shel Olam, the Supreme Being.
The first part of Tevet, that word tav, is also very important. Our sages tell us, “Everything the All-Merciful One does is l’tav, for the good.”
The month Tevet hints to us that even that lowest level of taf can be transformed into tav, good. Reb Nosson often writes that one should never give up “…no matter what!” It doesn’t matter how far we’ve fallen, it doesn’t matter what we’ve done; nothing has to hold us back from getting up and growing again, right now, from wherever we are. We don’t go looking for falls and fails, but if I use my fall as a springboard to renewed connection with G-d, it is transformed into good. Had I not fallen, I would never have felt so driven to bring G-d back into my life. Our sages reveal that there is a level where one repents from love and transforms all sin to merit. Rebbe Nachman teaches that all of us should work to access this level by using failures as catalysts to forging a deeper connection with G-d.
All Merciful G-d! When will I finally stop allowing my spiritual failings to hold me back? Please help me use my shortcomings to access new levels in my Divine service. I have heard that there is no giving up, but when will the lesson really, really penetrate? When will I let go of my ego and humbly use any fall to find You? Show me how to focus every fiber of my being on repenting from love and let me realize that I can always fix everything,, no matter what.