Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser

Happy Holidays! Yes, it seems as if we just finished putting away our chanukiyot, and I’m guessing the smell of oil is still lingering in your kitchen, but that means the spring holidays are just around the corner.  In fact, one holiday is coming up on us in the next few days!  During the evening of February 6^th, the Jewish people will observe the holiday of Tu Bishvat.  What is Tu Bishvat?  Well, it’s a date.  Let me explain—The “Tu” consists of the letters “tet” and “vav.”  Each Hebrew letter also has a numerical value.  The numerical value of “tet” is nine, and “vav” is six.  Six plus nine equals fifteen.  The “Bi” is a prefix meaning “of,” and “Shvat” is the Hebrew month of… get ready for it, shvat!  So Tu Bishvat means, “The 15^th day of the month of Shvat.”   “Big deal,” you may exclaim.  Big deal indeed!  Tu Bishvat is not just another day on the calendar.  Rather, it is a holiday with roots in the ancient world which still holds important meaning for us today.  Let’s delve a bit deeper.

Tu Bishvat is first mentioned in the Mishna (completed around 200 CE) as one of the four Jewish new years.  Four new years?  How is that possible?  Well, each new year has a different meaning and purpose.  The Mishna teaches us that the first of Nisan is the new year for kings, the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithes, the first of Tishrei is the new year for the calculation of the calendar, sabbatical years and jubilees (what we call Rosh Hashanah and now typically celebrate as the new year), and the first of Shvat is the new year for the trees.  So how did the fifteenth of Shvat take the place of the first of Shvat?  Well, the school of Hillel said the New Year for the trees should be on the fifteenth, and so it came to be!  Perhaps Hillel wanted Tu Bishvat to be celebrated in the middle of the month because that is when the moon is full, allowing the trees to be illuminated not just during the daytime, but during the night as well.

So how is Tu Bishvat commemorated?  Naturally, of course!  What I mean is that one should try to spend  time in nature admiring God’s beautiful creations, away from the stress and business of civilization.  Take a hike.  Go to the beach.  Or, you can celebrate Tu Bishvat at Beth Am with our wonderful seder for families with young children on February 12.  Or you can volunteer to help with either of our gardens; our beautiful Meditation Garden or our Gan Mazon, our organic fruit and vegetable garden.  Both spaces are in need of volunteers to help make them vibrant and beautiful.  Get in touch with me if you would like to help out, or if you have other ideas on how we can better “green” our beautiful synagogue.

The late Debbie Friedman, whose first yahrzeit we observed a few weeks ago, knew the power and importance of celebrating the natural world.  She was so moved by a prayer written by Rabbi Nachman of Breslav, an 18^th century chasidic Rabbi, that she adapted his words into a beautiful song.  Take a moment to read these words, take them (or take the entire Builder!) with you into nature, and spend some time contemplating the beauty and awe of our spectacular planet.  Happy New Year to you and the trees!

You are the One, for this I pray,
That I may have the strength to be alone
To see the world, to stand among the trees,
And all the living things.
That I may stand alone, and offer prayers and talk to You
You are the One to whom I do belong
And I’ll sing my soul, I’ll sing my soul to You
And give You all that’s in my heart.
May all the foliage of the field,
All grasses, trees and plants,
Awaken at my coming, this I pray,
And send their life into my words of prayer
So that my speech, my thoughts and my prayers will be made whole,
And through the spirit of all growing things
And we know that everything is one,
Because we know that everything is You.