Tu b’Shvat is one of my favorite holidays. I know I keep saying that, but it's like asking me to pick a favorite child - they're all my favorite. Sadly, its celebration is often limited to children in Hebrew school, while their parents usually miss out on the deep spiritual meaning of this uniquely Jewish celebration of nature. In today’s frightening world of deteriorating environmental conditions and global warming, Tu b’Shvat is an opportunity to reflect on Judaism’s deep traditional commitment to protecting the natural environment – the world that God created for us.
As the rainy seasons ends in Israel, the almond trees begin to blossom, around the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Ancient farmers used this date to designate the beginning of the new crop year. During the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish farmers in Israel brought a share of their crops as a tithe.
After the Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were exiled from the Land, Tu b’Shvat took on special meaning as an expression of their connection to the Land and their longing to return. But it was the Kabbalists living in northern Israel centuries later who established Tu b’Shvat as the holiday we know today. They expanded their understanding of the day, not just as a celebration of the renewal of agricultural life, but as a time to rejoice in all of God’s creation.
It was these spiritual men who created the first Tu b’Shvat seder, taking its structure from the Passover Seder. In the nearly 2,000 years since, the Tu b’Shvat seder has evolved into an expression of our joy over nature, our strong ties to the Land of Israel, and our commitment to protecting the environment.
As the rainy seasons ends in Israel, the almond trees begin to blossom, around the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Ancient farmers used this date to designate the beginning of the new crop year. During the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish farmers in Israel brought a share of their crops as a tithe.
After the Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were exiled from the Land, Tu b’Shvat took on special meaning as an expression of their connection to the Land and their longing to return. But it was the Kabbalists living in northern Israel centuries later who established Tu b’Shvat as the holiday we know today. They expanded their understanding of the day, not just as a celebration of the renewal of agricultural life, but as a time to rejoice in all of God’s creation.
It was these spiritual men who created the first Tu b’Shvat seder, taking its structure from the Passover Seder. In the nearly 2,000 years since, the Tu b’Shvat seder has evolved into an expression of our joy over nature, our strong ties to the Land of Israel, and our commitment to protecting the environment.
The Tu b'Shvat Seder
The Tu b'Shvat seder, like the Passover seder, follows a specific order. It is divided into four parts, representing the four worlds of the Kabbalists and the four seasons. We drink four cups of wine and, like in the Passover seder, symbolic foods – three types of fruits – represent meaningful concepts and lessons.
The first cup of wine is white. We eat fruits with an inedible outer skin or shell and a soft, edible inside, such as pineapple, coconut, banana, and nuts. Hard-skinned fruit symbolizes the winter season. In nature, seeds and roots quietly develop underground, hidden under the harsh wet or frozen ground. Animals grow heavy with their young, protected within, who will be born in the spring. The shell which conceals also protects. The divine spark within each of us is hidden and protected deep inside.
The Tu b'Shvat seder, like the Passover seder, follows a specific order. It is divided into four parts, representing the four worlds of the Kabbalists and the four seasons. We drink four cups of wine and, like in the Passover seder, symbolic foods – three types of fruits – represent meaningful concepts and lessons.
The first cup of wine is white. We eat fruits with an inedible outer skin or shell and a soft, edible inside, such as pineapple, coconut, banana, and nuts. Hard-skinned fruit symbolizes the winter season. In nature, seeds and roots quietly develop underground, hidden under the harsh wet or frozen ground. Animals grow heavy with their young, protected within, who will be born in the spring. The shell which conceals also protects. The divine spark within each of us is hidden and protected deep inside.
For the second cup, we splash some red wine into our white, representing the first blush of spring when nature begins to awaken. We eat fruit with edible skin that contain pits such as olives, dates, and plums. We realize that, despite our interaction with people and the world around us, we often withhold our true, best selves, even from our closest family and friends. We are still concealed, deep inside, protecting our divine sparks even from within.
The third cup of wine is red with a splash of white. The land grows warmer and the colors of the fruits deepen as they ripen. The darker wine reminds us that we, too, become warmer and more open. We eat fruit that are soft throughout and can be eaten whole, such as berries, figs, and tomatoes. We are reminded to open ourselves up, to find and love our own divine spark and to look for the sparks in others.
We finish the seder and the year with the deep red wine that represents the full bloom and maturity of nature before the cold winter. As we symbolically pass through each season, we change with each one. As we drink the fourth cup of pure red wine without any additional fruit, we strive to become strong, like healthy trees, with solid roots in the ground and our arms open to the love that is all around us.
There are dozens of texts available in bookstores and online to guide you and your family through a Tu b’Shvat seder. I propose the following menu, which includes all the various types of fruits. Begin with Fresh Mozzarella CherryTomato Skewers w/ Pesto and Mini Avocado Toasts w / Pomegranate Seeds. For the main course, try Mushroom Nut Loaf w/ Wild Mushroom Gravy and a simple Green Herb Salad. Finish your discussion with a beautiful platter of dried fruits and nuts and a Pina Colada Mini Smoothie.
There are dozens of texts available in bookstores and online to guide you and your family through a Tu b’Shvat seder. I propose the following menu, which includes all the various types of fruits. Begin with Fresh Mozzarella CherryTomato Skewers w/ Pesto and Mini Avocado Toasts w / Pomegranate Seeds. For the main course, try Mushroom Nut Loaf w/ Wild Mushroom Gravy and a simple Green Herb Salad. Finish your discussion with a beautiful platter of dried fruits and nuts and a Pina Colada Mini Smoothie.
