Posted on 02/11/25
Tu B’Shvat is just about here. It’s a great holiday, yet unfortunately underappreciated and not widely celebrated in the US. I’m not sure why that’s the case, however, I only came to appreciate it when I started teaching Limudei Kodesh in preschool, and even then it was a cursory introduction.
Over the years, I have read articles as well as attended a Tu B’Shvat Seder and have really come to realize its significance. I don’t have the qualifications to expound halachically or ruchuniyus- wise as to the source of the Chag and its deeper meanings, however I can share some of my own personal feelings that I’ve learned over they years. And for those not Sefer-inclined, there are many great websites, like aish.com and Chabad.org, that will expound on this holiday, as well as on this very forum with our esteemed Rabbonim and their teachings.
The Mekubalim, and if you have a Tu B’Shvat Seder you will experience the ideas, attribute a lot of mysticism as to the inner meaning of this Chag. There is a lot going on within us, in our souls, much like the nuts and fruits that we eat, whether peeled or cracked, and the lightening of the wine (opposite of the dark wine on Pesach!). I hope you get to attend a Seder and discover for yourself!
Tu B’Shvat is the 15th day of Shvat and it is what we call “the holiday of the trees.” Here’s what I found on myjewishlearning.com :
“Traditionally, Tu Bishvat was not a Jewish festival. Rather, it marked an important date for Jewish farmers in ancient times. The Torah states, “When you enter the land [of Israel] and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden for you, not to be eaten” (Leviticus 19:23). Only the fruit of older trees could be eaten. This law raised the question of how farmers were to mark the “birthday” of a tree. The rabbis therefore established the 15th of the month of Shevat as a general “birthday” for all trees, regardless of when they were actually planted”
My lens, of most things in general, is one that is presented through Chinuch as I have been teaching for quite some time, and I am grateful to have learned a thing or two along the way. I would be remiss if I did not mention a great sefer and one that is an absolute must for parents and Mechanchim. It is translated and will give you the framework that is foundational in Chinuch. Written by R’ Shlomo Wolbe, the sefer is Binyan U’Zeryiah, Building and Planting: how to Raise a Jewish Child. It is short and concise yet written eloquently enough to interest and teach the reader the difference between the 2 concepts, most importantly in how to fundamentally define and engage in education. It was recommended to me by the master Mechanech, Rabbi Shalom Weingot, zt’l and as I’m typing this I realize I need to peruse it again.
In my humble opinion, Tu B’Shvat is about the potential that lies within each and every one of us, whether it is for our own self-development, or whether it is with our contribution to another’s development, be it with our children, our students, and perhaps even those around us, who we impact in some way. It is what I tell my own students, and what we act in a role play as we pretend to be trees, that the sap that is accumulating deep within the tree, starts to flow at this time of winter. Even when it is so cold and bitter, and when in some parts of the country that experience snowstorms, something is going on. Who can envision anything growing at this time? It’s freezing, the ground is so hard, even the trees themselves look so cold without their greenery clothing their branches, and the flowers and bushes that you planted in the summer are dried up clumps. And yet, Hashem, in His infinite wisdom and kindness, starts this process NOW. From a chinuch perspective, our children may not be so excited about school at this point as they were 5-6 months ago. Our dedicated teachers are a bit tired, even after a short winter break, with challenging behaviors to deal with (from said students), and from trying to teach differentiated learning needs (from said students.) Parents are tired as well and perhaps roll their eyes or tear their hair out (been there, done that) from what seems to be never-ending phone calls, e-mails or meetings to set up regarding fill-in-the-blank situations. Winter is hard. Growth and change seems foreign and imperceptible. Let’s just give up now and count down ‘till the summer is how some of us may feel. Nope. Try again. Hashem built into the Briyah the concept of growth, specifically at a time when it seems hopeless as we trudge on. We are capable of so much, even in the dead of winter. There is something there that is stirring or perhaps needs an awakening from an outside source. There is hope even with those e-mails and phone calls. There is a possibility for change. There is growth. It’s happening now when you least expect it.
I witness this on my daily walks when I walk through Luckman Park and note the changes in the landscape. Recently, I heard the twittering of the birds who were playing in a puddle of water from the melted snow, the week of Parshas Beshalach! Then again, I saw the tips of the crocuses just starting to push through the ground. We can learn so much from the natural world Hashem has gifted to us.
And that is why I love Tu B’shvat. I cherish its message. All is not lost. I can inspire hope within myself, my students and my very own children not just in spite of, but exactly so, in a time that seems barren and infertile. I can live the passuk, one of my favorites, that Devarim says in 20:19
Ki Adam Eitz HaSadeh; Man is like the tree in the field. This is really in reference to not destroying fruit trees during times of war. There is so much more to analyze about the tree, its parts, its function, and in comparison to man and human development. For now, I will focus on standing straight and tall and tapping into that sap, rather the soul that is within each every one of us.
Here’s to growth! Happy Planting! Happy Tu B’Shvat!