Fruits and Nuts

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 Today is Tu Bishvat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. The Mishna tells us that it is the new year for trees, because when tithing fruits, farmers had to tithe each year’s fruit separately. The cutoff for the tithing year for fruit was Tu Bishvat.

 

The traditional way to observe Tu Bishvat is to eat many fruits, beginning with the fruits with which the Torah says Israel is blessed:  Grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. 

 

There is a tradition from the great Kabbalah master the Arizal to eat 15 different fruits. (We are talking fruits that have the bracha Ha’etz. Bananas, strawberries and pineapples are not in this category.). Tree nuts are also considered fruits for this purpose. It is also customary to try to eat a new seasonal fruit and say the blessing of Shehecheyanu.

 

As in all things in the Torah, every observance has a mystical component.  Since the Torah compared a person to a tree, as in the verse (Devarim 20:19) “for a human is the tree of the field,” the New Year for trees is a time for us to contemplate what this means to us.

 

As I said before, this new year is focused specifically on the fruit that the tree produces. One of the many lessons we can learn from the value that fruit brings us is the fact that fruit is not a necessity for life, like grain. While fruit certainly has healthful benefits, it is primarily eaten for pleasure.

 

In our service to Hashem and the fulfillment of our mission, grain, which is a staple of life, represents the fulfilling of Mitzvot because they are a necessity for fulfilling the purpose of creation. The observance of Mitzvot is a requirement for each of us, and it is possible for a person. To go through life observing then just because they have to.

 

Fruit adds pleasure to our diet. This represents bringing joy and excitement to our observance. When we recognize the tremendous value of observing the Mitzvot, it enhances our experience in that we do the Mitzvot with great pleasure and enjoyment.

 

This is perhaps the reason that the Rebbe connected Tu Bishvat with Torah study and Jewish education   It is through education that we are able to truly appreciate the meaning of a Torah lifestyle. So in addition to eating fruit, this is a day to consider what we can each do to enhance our own Torah education and that of our children and all our people.

 

I encourage you to consider joining the upcoming course I am giving (on Zoom), showcasing the incredibly inspiring advice the Rebbe gave that transformed people’s lives and brought this kind of joy to their Jewish experience, regardless of their background. And how it can be applied to each of our own lives to uplift and inspire us, as it inspires me every day. Click here to sign up or for more information. (The first lesson is free with no obligation.)

 

I wish you a joyous - and delicious - Tu Bishvat. 

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