Weekly Torah Gatherings – Sun 2/1

Tu b’Shvat: yes, this evening, we are gathering, “It takes Tu” and it will be good to see each other again.

It takes Tu
I said to the almond tree,
“Friend, speak to me of God,”
and the almond tree blossomed.

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One of the first acts of the entire Jewish people, well before the re-establishment of the State of Israel, was
to join in reclaiming the Land of Israel, in draining the swamp lands, and in planting the trees, again.

The entire Jewish people, the world over, gave their all for the Land and for the sake of the Jewish People.

Does anyone remember these?

I know this might be difficult to imagine, especially at this moment of frigid weather conditions, but the Holiday of “Tu b’Shvat” was always meant to announce that Spring was just around the corner, and the life-saving trees with all of their symbolism were ready to bloom. Not by accident, at a much earlier time, there was a common Jewish expression that if one sat under their vine and fig tree, one enjoyed peace
and prosperity.

As far as the Tanakh was concerned, Tu b’Shvat came to symbolize the soon return of the Springtime, the flowering of trees, and a renewal of life, hope, and peace. It is not by accident that even in the midst of all of this cold (that all of us are now experiencing), tomorrow, drawing on the Jewish calendar, along with Biblical and Talmudic references, tomorrow is the New Year of the Trees, Tu b’Shvat.

From the Prophet Micah 4:4
“They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

Zechariah 3:10
In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”

Of course, there are many types of trees mentioned in the Bible, all imbued with symbolic meaning, such as the Oak, Date, Almond, Gopher, and Cypress trees. And of course, let’s not forget the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden.

Thinking back, the Biblical Book of 1st Kings 4 describes the early days of King Solomon’s thriving reign over the United Kingdom of Israel, Judah, and Israel. According to Kings, It was a time of “eating, drinking, and rejoicing (1 Kings 4:20).” The book even mentions that the enemies of Israel were quiet, so much so, that the people “dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree (4:25).” As I highlighted above, both the prophets Micah (4:4) and Zechariah (3:10) use the fig tree symbolizing peace over the entire earth, noting at that time, that everyone will (again come to) sit under his own “vine and fig tree.”

Interestingly, the Tanakh uses the fig tree and figs to describe Israel’s physical and spiritual well-being. In good times, the people are “the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season (Prophet Hosea 9:10).”

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We still plant trees in the Land of Israel in remembrance of the Land from which we once emerged and grew. We still hold to the same meaning: “For it is a tree of life that hold onto it, and all that grasp it are happy”

We plant and nurture in the memory of where we grew and where we remain as an inextricable part of a much larger grove. This is an eternal covenant that cannot be broken.

Tu BiShvat, Tu B’Shevat, or Tu B’Shvat (Hebrew: ט״ו בשבט‎) occurs every year on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, and is called “The New Year of the Trees” or (Hebrew: ראש השנה לאילנות, Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot‎). It will always symbolize our dedication to the Land of Israel, and to our responsibility as an indigenous inheritance of the Land and of we the People of Israel who emerged from there, and to those of our people who still live and reside there to this day.