According to our tradition, the Talmud (Tractate Rosh Hashanah) teaches that there have always been four different new years for the Jewish people. The first was at the beginning of Nisan, which is the New Year for Kings and for Festivals (Passover, the Festival which marks the Exodus from Egypt, is the first Festival mentioned in the Torah). The second was at the beginning of Elul, which was the New Year for tithing cattle (Elul is the month that leads up to Rosh Hashanah), the third was at the beginning of Tishrei which was the New Year for the reckoning of years (Tishrei is the month that encompasses the High Holiday Season) and finally the fourth was during the month of Shevat. It is during this month that we have the New Year for trees.
There is an argument in the Mishnaic text as to when in Shevat do we celebrate such a new beginning. The School of Shammai says we welcome in the New Year for the trees on the first of the month and the School of Hillel says we welcome in the New Year for the trees on the fifteenth of the month. After much debate, the sages side with the School of Hillel, and thus the New Year for the Trees is held on the fifteenth of Shevat (the Hebrew letters for the number fifteen are Tet, which is 9 and Vav, which is 6 equivalent to the number 15 which creates the prefix of our holiday known as “Tu BiShevat.”
Our New Year for the trees is one that we as Jews celebrate with great joy. It is a custom to plant trees on Tu BiShevat and to appreciate that which our trees and natural resources around us share with us every day. Tu BiShevat is also a time where we celebrate. We celebrate with music (hence, our yearly Tu BiShevat concert that Cantor Kula has created at Bet Shira), we celebrate with mystical customs (some of us experience a TuBiShevat seder with four cups of wine and the partaking of the different species of fruits and nuts that grow in the land of Israel) and we take the time to appreciate the “giving and receiving” that our trees extend to us and that we gratefully take in return.
As the holiday of Tu BiShevat comes into or lives, it allows the space for us to create ways and ideas to protect our trees, to secure our environment and to focus on our personal pathway of doing Tikkun Olam, in making the world a better place. May our Tu BiShevat celebration this year (Tu BiShevat occurs on Sunday Night, February 12 and throughout the day on Monday, February 13) be one where we verbally appreciate that which our trees give to us. At the same time, on Tu BiShevat this year, we, who receive such wonderful gifts, must show our holy gratitude by telling our trees through our actions that the environment they have is one which is healthy and one which will be present for the saplings that will be planted this year and for many years to come.
Kol Tuv, Hag Sameach to everyone and a Happy New Year to all of our trees!
Rabbi Micah Caplan
