According to the Kabbalistic text Sefer Yetzirah, every month of the Jewish calendar is associated with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a sense (one of the five senses or an emotion), a controlling limb of the body, a zodiac sign and one of the twelve tribes of Israel. These associations give us important clues as to how to live in tune with the spiritual energies of each month, and can help each of us prepare our own personal to-do list for the soul.

Sivan is the third month of the Jewish year and according to the kabbalistic text The Zohar, there are "three bonds that are bonded together: Israel to the Torah and the Torah to God. Before Creation, all three were one. After Creation, Israel had to re-establish its bond to God through its connection to the Torah."

Zayin is the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet. According to our tradition, the Torah was given on Shabbat - the seventh day of the week. Shabbat is special, for as the Torah says, "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy" (Genesis 2:3). In other words, God made Shabbat a vessel in which to receive His blessings and His holiness.

But just as God recognized the need for a special vessel to contain His blessings and sanctity, so too do we need to realize that we must create our own vessels to receive this holiness. Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, leader of the Safed Kabbalists, instituted a special prayer service to help us create these vessels - Kabbalat Shabbat.

Kabbalat Shabbat, which is recited on Friday evening, means Receiving the Shabbat. If we start off the seventh day by making ourselves into a vessel to receive its unique spiritual qualities, we will not only be able to fully enjoy the entire day, we will also be able to imbue our entire week with the blessings and the sanctity of Shabbat.

Sivan, when we receive the Torah, is therefore also a good time to work on how we receive Shabbat and incorporate it into our souls.

To-Do List for the Soul

Kabbalat Shabbat

God wishes to bestow upon us His many blessings, but we have to do our part by being open to receive them. Here are seven ways to enhance our awareness of the special holiness of the seventh day:

In the Torah, the Patriarch Isaac's two sons, Jacob and Esau, are the archetypal twins. Jacob represents the good inclination, while Esau represents the desire to do evil.

Everyone has both a good and evil inclination, and very often we find ourselves involved in a fierce struggle between the two. During the month of Sivan, when the Torah is given, both of these "twins" are rectified and united and so this month is a good time to work on bringing harmony to our own warring twins.

To-Do List for the Soul

Do As You Say, and Say As You Do

Very often we have good intentions - we think of things we would really like to do to help a family member, friends or our community. Then the excuses set in: I'm really busy this week, I'm not feeling 100 percent, maybe my actions won't really make a difference, etc., etc. And then the good intentions get forgotten.

This month, try to make peace between your good intentions and your many objections. Take one "mitzvah project" on yourself and explain to your tired, busy or insecure self why this project is really going to be beneficial - both to the person involved and to you.

Some examples of projects could be: take an elderly relative out for a nice meal, take each of your kids out separately for a special outing, volunteer for a synagogue chessed project, visit a home for the elderly - even if you don't know anyone there, etc., etc.

Jewish law, which is concerned with every aspect of human life, is called halacha, a Hebrew word that has its root in the word le'lechet, which means "to walk." When our steps are guided by halacha, we walk along a spiritual path that gives us opportunities to continually progress from one spiritual level to another.

Just as halacha is a dynamic process, so too is the sense of walking that characterizes the month of Sivan one of dynamic progress. It is not an aimless ramble, but rather a walking with a mission: to seek out fallen Divine sparks so that we can elevate them and return them to holiness.

All of us encounter "fallen sparks" at some point in our lives. It could be a family relationship that has gone sour, a job that has become unfulfilling, a squabble within the community, or an overall sense of failure or stagnation.

Many times we feel dissatisfied with some area of our lives because we allow ourselves to be guided by non-Jewish values. For instance, the Torah view of marriage - which is based upon the man and women having respect for one another - is quite different from the non-Torah view that places a premium on self-satisfaction. Therefore, Sivan is a good time to "visit" our fallen sparks and take steps to elevate them in light of the wisdom of the Torah.

To-Do List for the Soul

Take a Walk Around Your Life

1. First, do a quick self-test to determine your level of satisfaction in the following areas:

For each area note if you receive satisfaction from this area or dissatisfaction.

2. Pick one area that you are dissatisfied with and would like to work on during Sivan.

3. Prepare for yourself a short course of study for this area where you can learn what the Torah has to say about this topic. You might ask what the purpose of marriage or work or friendship is; what are the qualities that make a good spouse, worker, etc.; what are the stumbling blocks, etc. To devise a study plan, you can ask for advice from your rabbi or from workers at a Jewish bookstore. Or there is a lot of information available on the Internet. If you know of other people who share the dissatisfaction, you might want to put together a small group to study the topic.

4. When you have completed your mini-seminar, summarize in your own words what you have learned about this subject and how you can apply these teachings to your life.

According to Jewish thought, the concept of "right" is spiritual while the concept of "left" refers to the physical. The left foot, therefore, is concerned with worldly affairs. But because walking is a dynamic process that involves both the left and the right foot, we learn that both the spiritual and the physical must be in sync in order to move forward in life.

Therefore, Sivan's controlling limb teaches us that even our mundane, physical activities - work, shopping, cooking, etc. - can be elevated to serve God and that every moment of life is a precious gift. If we sleepwalk through life and live out our days in servitude to our mundane desires, we waste this gift. If, on the other hand, we recognize that every activity offers an opportunity for dynamic spiritual movement, we can make every minute of our lives meaningful.

To-Do List for the Soul

Work It Out

Work in all its forms - paid work, housework, etc. - is an important part of our lives. However, there is a difference between work that sustains us and work that depletes us.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught that all forms of work have their basis in the 39 types of work that were involved in building the Sanctuary (the desert structure that served as the spiritual focal point for the Jewish people before the building of the First Temple). If we realize that our work - no matter what sort of work we do - has the potential to be elevated to serve God, then we will find meaning and satisfaction in all that we do.

Zivebulun is often referred to in relationship to the tribe of Isaachar. Whereas Isaachar was a tribe of Torah scholars, the tribe of Zivebulun was comprised of businesspeople that supported this study. However, this was not just one-way giving. The support that Zivebulun gives to Torah study gives him something in return - a reason for his work.

Having a goal in mind can make the difference between work - and life itself - being meaningful or seemingly pointless. Most people have no trouble coming up with material goals they want to accomplish - such as setting aside money to buy a first home or pay for a child's education - but we should remember that having clearly articulated spiritual goals are also important.

To-Do List for the Soul

Mission Statement

1. Create a mission statement for both your home and your workplace. What are the principles that you would like to guide you?

For instance, it might be important to you to create a home that will be a peaceful and supportive haven for family members. Or it may be important that your home give space to each family member to develop his or her individual creative talents. Or it may be important that your home be open to guests and a place where chessed (charitable) activities are planned and implemented.

For your business, it may be important for you to run your place of work according to strictly honest business practices. You may have a commitment to giving "service with a smile" or dedicating a few hours a week to pro bono services for the community.

2. When you are happy with your Mission Statements, type them up and display them in a prominent place in your home and office. You might want to design a logo or place them in decorative frames.

3. When things get stressful or you feel like you are losing your enthusiasm for what you are doing, recharge your batteries by viewing your Mission Statement.