TU B’SHVAT - THE NEW YEAR OF TREES

Excerpt from the book "Remember, Observe, Rejoice" © Petra van der Zande

"As others have planted for you, so you will plant for your children."

Leviticus Rabbah, 28

Tu B’shvat, the 15^th of the Hebrew month of Shvat (end of January, beginning of February) is not mentioned in the Bible. However, the Mishnah (part of the Talmud), describes it as the "New Year for trees". Israel’s rainy season is usually over by now, but people still hope for the blessing of the "latter rain". This holiday marks the revival of nature, which is symbolized by the budding of the almond tree.

Leviticus 19 tells us what was expected from the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land:

“When you come to the land and you plant a tree, you shall treat its fruit as forbidden; for 3 years it will be forbidden and not eaten. In the fourth year, all of its fruit shall be sanctified to praise the Lord. In the 5^th year you may eat its fruit.” (NIV)

Having a specific date as the New Year for trees also helped with the law of tithing – 1/10^th of the farmer’s fruit had to be donated to the priests.

Biblical tithes were: 

•        Orlah - refers to a biblical prohibition (Leviticus 19:23) on eating the fruit of trees produced during the first three years after they are planted.
•        Neta Reva'i - refers to the biblical commandment (Leviticus 19:24) to bring fourth-year fruit crops to Jerusalem as a tithe.
•           Ma'aser Sheni - was a tithe which was eaten in Jerusalem.
•         Ma'aser Ani - was a tithe given to the poor (Deuteronomy 14:22-29) that were also calculated by whether the fruit ripened before or after Tu B'shvat.

 During the Second Temple period it was customary to plant a tree when a child was born - a cedar for a boy (referring to its height and strength), and a cypress (smaller and fragrant) for a girl. When the child married, the wood of the tree was used to make the chuppah, the wedding canopy.

Throughout the ages, the diverse Jewish communities in the Diaspora developed all kinds of customs to celebrate this day. In the beginning of the 19^th century, when the first Jewish settlers began to redeem Eretz Israel, part of their work was to plant trees on the barren and eroded hills.

On Tu B'shvat, January 25, 1890, Rabbi Zeev Yavetz and his students set a good example by planting trees in the agricultural colony of Zichron Ya’akov.

The idea to plant trees on Tu B'shvat, was in 1908 adopted by the Jewish Teachers Union and later by the Jewish National Fund (Keren haKayemet leIsrael), who, amongst other endeavours, began to oversee the forestation of the Land of Israel.

Many of Israel’s major institutions have chosen this day for their inauguration ceremonies.

The cornerstone of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was placed on Tu B'shvat 1918, and the first stone of Haifa’s Technion was laid on the same day in 1925. The first Jewish parliament of the Jewish sovereign State chose to hold its first Knesset session on Tu B'shvat 1949.

On Tu b’Shvat it is customary to eat the types of dried fruit mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8 (the Seven Species). Some Orthodox Jews make candy from their Etrog (one of “Four Species” during Sukkot) and eat it during Tu B'Shvat.

Tu B'shvat is sometimes called the Jewish Arbour day. 

The highlight of the holiday is planting a new sapling in the soil of Eretz Israel, the Jewish homeland.