Today is Tu B’Shvat, the day our tradition calls the Birthday of the Trees. Throughout this week, the Daily Kavanot will focus on nature, the environment, and sustainability practices.

Happy Tu B’Shvat!!

השקדיה פורחת
ושמש פז זורחת
צפורים מראש כל גג
מבשרות את בוא החג

The almond tree is blooming
And the golden sun is shining,
Birds atop each roof
Announce the arrival of the festival.

Tu B’Shvat has arrived
(It’s) the festival of trees.

Among the arboreal facts that I have learned recently are these:

  1. While in Israel the bloom of the almond tree marks the coming of spring, as in the beloved folk song above, the first tree to blossom in Southern California is the evergreen pear, or pear blossom tree. While native to Taiwan, this tree has been widely planted in Southern California due to its suitability as a street tree, and is a favorite for parks and lawns.
  2. We have 19 species of trees here on our beautiful Wise campus, including said pear blossom trees.
  3. While not directly related to Wise, California holds the record for the oldest living trees. Some of the state’s bristlecone pines and giant sequoias are 4,000-5,000 years old. Methuselah, an estimated 4,852-year-old ancient bristlecone pine, is one of the oldest living trees in the world.

Today is, of course, Tu B’Shvat—the Birthday of the Trees. Growing up in New York, Tu B’Shvat was often celebrated under a blanket of snow, and while climate change has made that less and less likely, I still loved this story from the Ba’al Shem Tov: He suggested to his students that they go out for a sleigh ride together in the snow-covered countryside and take along with them some wine, honey cake, whiskey, and fruits for Tu B’Shvat. More snow began to fall as they careened along in the sleigh, and yet they were so joyful that they felt they were lifted up on a cloud of light.

The story continues as the students make their way through the forest. Overhead, the branches from the trees on either side of the road formed an arch, growing so close together that they nearly blocked out the sun. But, here and there, the sun peeked through the branches, lighting the travelers’ path as they sped along in the sleigh, singing and singing and singing.

Their singing grew stronger and stronger, and flocks of birds flying above them began chirping so loudly that it seemed that they were singing along with the joyful travelers in the sleigh.

According to the Sages, today is one of the days marked as a New Year—representing the cycle of growth and rebirth which begins in the spring. However your week is starting, I hope there is a song in your heart, and the sun peeking through, if only just a little bit.

—Rabbi Sari Laufer