Page 7-THE NEWS-February, 1985
Thoughts From The Lubavitcher Rebbe
Tu B*shevat — New Year For Trees
By Rabbi Yossi Groner
The 15th day of Shevat (cor
responding this year to
February 6) is Rosh Hashana
for the trees, which is relevant
to all Jews. The Torah states
that “man is a tree of the
field”, and just as a tree’s
function is to produce fruit, so
is the function of Jews to fulfill
Torah and Mitzvoth, which
are the fruit of a Jew.
Our sages tell us that on the
15th of Shevat it is customary
to eat more fruits of trees.
This custom is associated with
eating fruits of Israel, specifi
cally those fruits with which
the land of Israel is praised.
The Torah describes Israel as
“a land of wheat and barley,”
and vines, pomegranates, and
figs; a land of olives fit for oil
and of honey (referring to date
honey).
When we examine the festi
val of Tu B’shevat, we find
two puzzling facts, one in its
origin and one in its practice.
1) We do not find this festival
mentioned in the Torah. It is
a Jewish custom to consider
the 15th of Shevat as a “festi
val” 2) The practice of eating
fruits of the land of Israel is
specifically connected with
fruits but not with grains of
Israel. Why are the grains not
included?
The distinction of a
“custom” will be understood
through a simple example. The
difference between “wheat and
barley” and “fruit of the tree”
is that from the former bread
is made, which is an essential
staple for life. Fruit, however,
is mainly to give delight to a
person. When a person is
hungry, he satisfies himself
with bread — as it says “bread
satiates the heart of man”.
After satisfying his hunger, he
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eats fruit as a pleasant des
sert.
So too is the distinction of a
custom. The fulfillment of
Torah and Mitzvot is an essen
tial staple for our spiritual life.
A custom, however, provides
delight for the devine soul; it
enhances the obligatory and
also gives special delight to
G-d.
Since the festival of Tu
B’shevat is a “CUSTOM” one
eats fruits of the trees specifi
cally, for fruit produces
delight for a person, as does a
custom.
There is a lesson in the
above for our service to G-d. A
person’s service can be per
formed as a routine, coldly,
without warmth and enthusi
asm. When Tu B’shevat
comes, it teaches us to add and
enhance our practice with
pleasure and delight.
TORONTO (JTA) - Cana
da’s new Conservative Prime
Minister, Brian Mulroney,
named Stephen Lewis, a life
long Socialist active in the
Jewish Community to be
Canada’s next Ambassador to
the United Nations.
Lewis is the former leader of
the New Democratic Party in
Ontario which his late father
had £ilso headed. His grand
father was a member of the
Bundists, the Jewish Socialist
movement in Czarist Russia.
Lewis is also a former chair
man of the Histadrut cam
paign in Ontario and has lec
tured on the Holocaust in
literature.
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Look for our early Passover list in the next issue of The Charlotte Jewish News
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