Related reading: The Month of Tammuz: Calendar, Fast Day, Torah Portions, and Meaning and The Month of Tishrei: Calendar, Holidays, Torah Portions, and Meaning.
Shevat is a month of quiet renewal. In the heart of winter, while the world may still look cold from the outside, the Hebrew calendar reminds us that life is already beginning to move within: Rosh Chodesh Shevat, Tu BiShvat - the New Year for Trees, the Torah portions of the Exodus and the giving of the Torah, and many opportunities for family learning about growth, responsibility, and blessing.
This monthly guide is for parents, teachers, students, and Bible Quiz leaders: what is marked in Shevat, which Torah portions are usually read during the month, what Tu BiShvat means, and how to turn the month into a short, lively educational quiz.
In Brief: What Happens in Shevat?
Shevat is the fifth month when counting from Tishrei, and the eleventh month when counting from Nisan. It usually falls in January-February, and it always has 30 days.
The month includes several important points:
- 1 Shevat: Rosh Chodesh Shevat
- 15 Shevat: Tu BiShvat, the New Year for Trees, a day connected with the fruits of the Land of Israel, planting, and learning about growth
- Shabbatot in Shevat: usually the portions of Vaera, Bo, Beshalach, Yitro, Mishpatim, and sometimes Terumah
- Main learning themes: renewal, nature and blessing, the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, the giving of the Torah, social responsibility, and justice
- Bible Quiz connection: questions about Tu BiShvat, the Seven Species, the plagues in Egypt, the Song at the Sea, the Ten Commandments, and laws between people
Shevat is especially well suited to joyful, approachable learning. It invites children to notice trees, fruit, water, soil, and the great words of the Torah: freedom, faith, Torah, and justice.
Shevat Calendar: Key Dates
A Shevat page should offer a clear monthly calendar: Hebrew and Gregorian dates for each day, Rosh Chodesh, Tu BiShvat, the Shabbatot of the month, the weekly Torah portion, and a link to a related quiz.
| Hebrew date | Milestone | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Shevat | Rosh Chodesh Shevat | The beginning of the month; a good time to set learning and quiz goals |
| 15 Shevat | Tu BiShvat | The New Year for Trees, connected to fruit, the Land of Israel, the Seven Species, and growth |
| Shabbatot in Shevat | Weekly Torah portions | Usually Vaera, Bo, Beshalach, Yitro, Mishpatim, and sometimes Terumah |
| Shabbat Shirah | Around Parashat Beshalach | In many years it falls in Shevat; connected to the Song at the Sea and the Exodus story |
| End of Shevat | Preparing for Adar | A transition from deep winter toward joy, community, and preparation for Purim |
In 5787, for example, 1 Shevat falls on Shabbat, January 9, 2027, and Tu BiShvat falls on Shabbat, January 23, 2027. Annual dates, Torah portions, and Shabbat times should be loaded on the site from a reliable, up-to-date calendar source.
What Is the Meaning of Shevat?
Shevat sits in a special place on the calendar. On one hand, it is a winter month; on the other, Tu BiShvat teaches that renewal begins before it is visible from the outside. The tree may still look quiet, but within it a new movement of life has already begun.
That is why Shevat is such a good month for educational conversation with children: not all growth is immediately visible. Learning, a good deed, persistence, prayer, changing a habit, or offering a kind word can all be like a seed that slowly takes root. Shevat gives a name to that moment: it is still winter, but something has begun.
In the biblical reading cycle, Shevat often falls within the flow of Exodus: leaving Egypt, the splitting of the sea, receiving the Torah, and beginning the laws of a just society. It is a month that connects nature with Torah: not only trees and fruit, but a people learning to leave slavery, receive a path, and build a moral community.
Tu BiShvat: The New Year for Trees
Tu BiShvat is known today as a day of fruit, planting, nature, and the Land of Israel, but its halachic root is in the Mishnah, where the New Year for Trees is listed on the fifteenth of Shevat according to Beit Hillel. Its practical meaning relates to the laws of fruit, but over time the day also gained educational and spiritual meaning: gratitude for the fruit of the land, connection to the Land of Israel, and reflection on human responsibility for the world.
An educational page should present Tu BiShvat in three circles:
- Calendar and custom: when the day falls and what people commonly do
- Land of Israel: fruit, the Seven Species, planting, and connection to the soil
- Personal growth: what I want to grow in myself, at home, in class, or in the community
There is no need to include full Tu BiShvat seder texts unless licensing has been checked. Instead, the page can suggest an original activity: choose a fruit, learn which tree it comes from, ask a Bible question about it, and end with a small growth mission for the coming week.
Torah Portions in Shevat
The Torah portions in Shevat vary by year, but the month usually moves through the Book of Exodus:
- Vaera - the plagues begin and the struggle for freedom is revealed
- Bo - the Exodus from Egypt, the plague of the firstborn, and the first Passover
- Beshalach - the splitting of the sea, the Song at the Sea, manna in the wilderness, and the war with Amalek
- Yitro - the giving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments
- Mishpatim - social laws, responsibility, justice, and relationships between people
- Terumah - sometimes read at the end of Shevat, opening the Torah portions about the Mishkan
This sequence works beautifully for a Bible Quiz. It begins with the question of how people leave slavery, continues with how a nation learns faith in the wilderness, and reaches the question of how freedom becomes a life of Torah, justice, and holiness.
Family Learning Themes and Practices
Shevat works well for short daily or weekly learning around several themes:
- Fruits of the Land of Israel: identifying the Seven Species and their biblical roots
- Inner growth: one good habit to cultivate this month
- Water and blessing: why does a tree need roots, water, and patience?
- The Exodus: how do we recognize the first steps toward freedom?
- The Song at the Sea: what makes a person sing after great fear?
- The giving of the Torah: why is the Torah given to a people that just left slavery?
- Mishpatim: what does responsibility look like among friends, neighbors, and family?
Questions for Children and a Shevat Quiz
The page can include a short quiz that updates by week or date:
- Which day is marked on 15 Shevat?
- What does "New Year for Trees" mean?
- Which fruits are included in the Seven Species?
- In which Torah portion do we read about the splitting of the sea?
- In which Torah portion do the Ten Commandments appear?
- What did the Israelites eat in the wilderness according to Parashat Beshalach?
- What can a tree teach us about patience and growth?
- Which mitzvah or good action can we "plant" this month?
Call to action: Start the Shevat quiz and choose a track by age - children, teens, families, or classrooms.
Recommended Page Experience
To serve both quick search intent and deeper learning, the page should function as a monthly tool:
- Monthly view with Hebrew and Gregorian dates for each day
- Markers for Rosh Chodesh, Tu BiShvat, and the Shabbatot of the month
- Print or PDF button for the Shevat calendar
- "Torah Portion in Shevat" module based on the selected year
- Tu BiShvat activity area: fruit, questions for children, and a growth mission
- Quick links to the Hebrew calendar, today's Hebrew date, weekly Torah portion, and Shabbat times
- A short daily or weekly quiz for children and families
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Shevat begin?
Shevat begins on 1 Shevat. The Gregorian date changes every year, so it is best to check a Hebrew-Gregorian calendar for the year you need.
How many days are in Shevat?
Shevat has 30 days.
What is Tu BiShvat?
Tu BiShvat is the New Year for Trees. Its original meaning is a halachic date connected to fruit of the tree, and today it is also associated with the fruits of the Land of Israel, planting, nature, and growth.
Which Torah portions are read in Shevat?
Shevat usually includes portions from the Book of Exodus: Vaera, Bo, Beshalach, Yitro, Mishpatim, and sometimes Terumah. The exact order depends on the structure of the year.
Is Tu BiShvat a biblical festival?
Tu BiShvat is not a biblical festival like Passover or Sukkot. It is mentioned in the Mishnah as the New Year for Trees, and later generations developed educational, communal, and spiritual customs around it.
How can Shevat connect to a Bible Quiz?
You can include questions about Tu BiShvat, the Seven Species, the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, the Song at the Sea, the Ten Commandments, and Parashat Mishpatim. This connects the calendar with the flow of the biblical story.
Shevat Quiz Idea
Quiz name: "Shevat: Growth, Sea, and Torah"
Suggested structure: 12 questions in three stages - Tu BiShvat and the Seven Species, the Exodus and the Song at the Sea, and the giving of the Torah and Mishpatim. At the end, the user receives a "growth mission": choose one good action for the coming week and connect it to a value from the weekly portion or to one of the Seven Species.
Recommended Schema Markup
Add Article, BreadcrumbList, and FAQ Page schema. If a print or PDF feature is implemented, add a short HowTo schema explaining how to choose a year, display the month, and print the calendar.