Dear Friends:
Tomorrow night begins the Jewish celebration of the trees, Tu B’ Shevat. If you are one who loves nature, then you have a unique opportunity to experience the healing power of trees beginning tonight. Collectively, on Tu B’Shevat, we will acknowledge the importance of trees and their holy reminder and presence of G-d in every way. Jews and lovers of Judaism all over the world will be celebrating the trees.
Trees are precious in their gifts of fragrance, colors, nourishment, healing essence, foliage, shapes, playfulness, protection and beauty; to name a few. From the rays of the sun, trees release oxygen and gift us the breath of life. For this and so much more, we need to rejoice and increase our mindfulness.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. Proverbs 3:18
Before the destruction of the Temple, the purpose of Tu B’ Shevat was to support the Kohanim (the priests) and the poor by tithing fruit. After the destruction, it became a celebration and reminder of the beauty and importance of the natural world.
Spiritually and mystically speaking, trees represented the Etz Chayim, the tree of life. Rabbi Isaac Luria, the 16th century Kabbalist, scribed a nourishing experience of our own divinity with ceremony and ritual meal to celebrate this day. The ceremony celebrates the four levels of the soul and the four letters of G-d’s name; blessing us by reading text, eating specific “tree foods” and drinking four cups of wine, similar to the Passover Seder.
As the collective evolved into dispersed lands, ethics and morals evolved the holiday as well. In America, planting a tree in Israel became a great way to contribute to our holy land of plenty. As it continues to expand our awareness to the story of creation, it also brings to focus what we have created: the moral dilemma of climate change! Our activism must evolve. Our opportunity and responsibility is to merge the tree of life with the tree of knowledge and experience the worlds responsibly.On this day, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge unite. So if you choose to celebrate, give yourself time to acknowledge the power of tree healing. Do something that will make you feel the essence of trees. Whether it be gardening, changing the products you use to eco-friendly or donating to the cause, todays the day.
I invite you to learn more about the ecology, the environment and divine ways to celebrate, from Rabbi David Seidenberg of NeoHasid.org and create for yourself, a meaningful Tu B’Shevat.It’s up to us to feel and help heal the healing power of trees!
The minute I saw this tree near my daughters home in Boca Raton, I was instantly pulled into it’s beauty and resonance of G-d’s presence. I took several deep breaths, captured the image and hurried back to the grandchildren as we walked along the culdesac in her development.
What do you feel? Do you feel pulled to go outside? Learn the blessings of this holiday? Contribute to the climate change cause? Vote responsibly? All of these???
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