In Israel, Tu B’Shevat is a national holiday. It is customary to eat a great amount of fruit on Tu B’Shevat—particularly fruits that are grown in Israel including bokser (carob pods), oranges, avocados, banana, kiwi, dried plums, melons, dried apricots, and the seven spices of Israel: wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olive (oil), and date (honey).
In the Middle Ages it was celebrated by the mystics as a New Year in the Holy Land. Each fruit, each tree was given symbolic meaning. The ritual of eating ten fruits, drinking four cups of wine, reciting the appropriate blessings in a specific order naturally evolved into a Tu B’Shevat seder. The Kabbalists believed this ritual would bring human beings closer to spiritual perfection.
As we acknowledge nature and how it renews itself on a minute-by-minute timeline, we are grateful for the gifts that we receive every day, every second from the bounty of the world we live in. The Torah teaches us in the very first chapter of Genesis that we have a responsibility to take care of, protect, and guard that which we have been entrusted with.
I am reminded that when I was growing up how much this holiday meant to me and my paternal grandparents. My grandfather, Morris Lam, z”l, was Vice President of the Western Region of the Jewish National Fund—the planting of trees was a major part of his philanthropic work. As devout Zionists, Bessie and Morris Lam left the legacy of a forest planted in their honor. I was so proud that my Uncle Jacob Lam was a chalutz (pioneer) and a farmer in Israel.
The planting of a tree shows faith in the future of the place where it is planted. Future generations will be the recipients of the revach, the reward, of previous generations that believed in that very future.
In memory of Bessie and Morris Lam, of Blessed Memory, with gratitude and love.
— Cantor Nathan Lam
Chag Sameach! Our friends at MyJewishLearning.com have put together some terrific resources and ideas for Tu B’Shevat.