Tu Bishvat:  A New Year for Trees

Created by Rabbi Shari Shamah, Jewish Life Specialist

Shari.shamah@memglobal.org

• What are the foods we eat on Tu Bishvat?

Deuteronomy 8:8 “For God brings you into a good land, a land of water courses, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil, and honey…” (* note that honey here generally refers to date honey not bee honey) Almonds are prominent on Tu Bishvat since the trees were believed to be the first to blossom of all trees in Israel. Carob (or St. John’s bread) was the most popular fruit to eat since it could survive the long trip from Israel to Jewish communities further away.

• Tu Bishvat Seder

The basic concept is to increase the flow of God’s blessings in the world.  By eating the various        kinds of fruits, we bring the nature and God closer to our world.  The activity in the seder      involves eating 4 groupings of different kinds of fruits and nuts and drinking four cups of wine or grape juice.  The white wine represents nature as dormant, and the red wine represents nature in bloom – as you combine the wine you symbolically make the transition.               4 Glasses of Wine:                                                                                                                                           The first glass of wine or grape juice is all white.              The second glass is mostly white with a splash of red.              The third glass is half red and half white.             The fourth glass is all red.              4 Kinds of Fruits:         The first set of fruits are those with neither pits on the inside or shells on the outside.                         These get to be eaten whole.  (Grapes, figs, apples, raspberries, blueberries, carobs and                     quinces… )         The second set has pits inside but the outside can be eaten. (Olives, dates, cherries,                            persimmons, apricots, peaches, plums…)        The third set has hard, inedible shell and an inside that can be eaten. (Walnuts, almonds,                 pine nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, coconuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios and pecans)      The fourth set has a tough outer skin that is not eaten and the fruit itself is very sweet.                       (Pomegranate, Banana, Orange) The parts that can be eaten represent holiness; the inedible parts, the pits, represent the                    impure; and the shells serve as protection for the fragile holiness inside.

• Blessings during the Seder:

          Blessings for eating fruit that grows on trees

          .בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ

          Baruch A-ta Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, borei p’ri ha-eitz.

          Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of fruit from the trees.

 

Blessing over the wine (vines)

          .בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן

          Baruch A-ta Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, borei pri ha-ga-fen.

          Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

 

Acknowledging the awesomeness of the holiday

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Baruch A-ta Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, she-hecheyanu, v’keeyamanu, v’higeeyanu laz-man hazeh.

Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us and for helping us to reach this moment.

• First Mention of a Tu Bishvat Seder:

ומנהג טוב להולכים בתמים להרבות בפירות בעצם היום הזה ולומר דברי שירות ותשבחות עליהן כאשר הנהגתי לכל החברי׳ אשר עמדי. ‏‏ It is a good custom for the faithful to eat many fruits on this day and to celebrate them with words of praise, just as I have instructed my companions. (Pri Eitz Hadar, 18^th Century, text from Sefaria.org)   ***During the drinking of the four glasses of juice/wine and the eating of fruits, you may want to include texts about trees, planting, and nature in Judaism.