Tu Bishvat, or the 15th of Shevat, is the New Year (or birthday) for trees and planting. It is often celebrated by eating specific fruits.
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The New Year for TreesMISHNAH
The New Year for Trees
MISHNAH
Tu Bishvat, the holiday celebrated on the fifteenth of the month of Shevat, is known as the “New Year for Trees” in rabbinic literature. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, from the early third-century land of Israel, details the four different “New Years” in the Jewish calendar and explains the unique purpose each one serves.
The Cycle of Sap and FruitsCOMMENTARY
The Cycle of Sap and Fruits
COMMENTARY
Why is Tu Bishvat, the “New Year for Trees,” celebrated in the winter, when most trees are still bare? Rashi, the renowned eleventh-century commentator, explains the timing of “New Year for Trees” in relation to the agricultural cycle.
A Seder for Tu BishvatKABBALAH
A Seder for Tu Bishvat
KABBALAH
A kabbalistic ritual for Tu Bishvat is a Tu Bishvat seder, with symbolic foods and a set liturgy. The introduction to the Peri Etz Hadar, a guide for the Tu Bishvat seder, explores the spiritual implications of the ritual, stressing its mystical significance in the kabbalistic tradition.
Unearthing the Roots of Tu BishvatCOMMENTARY
Unearthing the Roots of Tu Bishvat
COMMENTARY
In antiquity, Tu Bishvat was not yet a holiday but rather the cutoff date for the demarcation of tithes. Mishnat Eretz Yisrael, a contemporary commentary on the Mishnah with an emphasis on the land of Israel and its laws, provides an account of Tu BiShvat’s transformation into a festive day.
First Fruits of the New YearHALAKHAH
First Fruits of the New Year
HALAKHAH
Tu Bishvat serves as the cutoff date for several annual agricultural practices, including the offering of firstfruits. Rambam, in his comprehensive twelfth-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, discusses the laws of firstfruits and their relation to Tu Bishvat.
Tu Bishvat as a MetaphorCHASIDUT
Tu Bishvat as a Metaphor
CHASIDUT
Tu Bishvat is not just a celebration of trees but also a celebration of humanity and our relationship to the divine. Shmuel Bornsztain of Sochatchov, in an early twentieth-century homiletical collection, the Shem MiShmuel, explores the spiritual significance of Tu BiShvat, drawing parallels between trees and humans.
A Prayer for the TreesLITURGY
A Prayer for the Trees
LITURGY
Some prayer books include special prayers or liturgical poems for Tu BiShvat. A prayer composed by Yosef Hayyim, a nineteenth-century Baghdadi rabbi draws spiritual connections between trees, their fruits, Jewish ritual, and biblical imagery.
A Great Debate about the Trees’ New YearJEWISH THOUGHT
A Great Debate about the Trees’ New Year
JEWISH THOUGHT
The date of the “New Year for the Trees” is subject to a debate in the Mishnah between the schools of Shammai and Hillel. Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun, in his contemporary work of Jewish thought, Zakhor VeShamor, explores the historical dispute and its impact on different types of fruits.