By By Rabbi-Cantor Cheri Weiss
As I write these words from the comfort of my living room sofa, a relentless storm is raging outside. Winds are bending palm trees to a frightening angle, rain is flooding the streets, and even thunder – rare on the island of O‘ahu—can be heard occasionally pounding through the dark skies. For the second time this week, we have lost electrical power.
I have always had a great deal of respect for—and sometimes fear of—the forces of nature. Having spent the past several years living in Hawai‘i, I have learned how deeply-rooted respect for nature is in Hawaiian culture. The guiding principle is known as aloha ‘āina or “love of the land” wherein nature is considered to be the very source of life. As such, we should always feel a sense of gratitude for its existence, conserving natural resources wherever possible, and living in harmony with nature rather than trying to dominate it.
The Jewish festival of Tu Bishvat (“Fifteenth of Shevat”—this year February 12/13) offers us our own opportunity to honor nature. While not specifically noted in the Torah as a holiday, its origin stems from the prohibition therein to avoid eating the bounty of a tree for the first three years after it has been planted. (The bounty of the fourth year was considered “holy” and as such to be given to the priests.) This particular date on the Hebrew calendar was selected by the rabbis as a way to calculate the age of all trees regardless of their actual planting dates. They felt confident that in the Holy Land, by the fifteenth of the month of Shevat, most of the severe rains would have fallen, and trees would begin a new cycle of growth as Spring began to approach.
The followers of the Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (in 16th century Tz’fat) celebrated Tu Bishvat with unique rituals, including a Seder (festive meal) as a way of honoring God’s Divine presence in nature; particularly the land, trees, and the blessings of abundance that they provided. Fruits, nuts, and wine of various colors formed the basis of their Seder, each item receiving its own specific blessing. This tradition has been passed down through the generations and has increased in popularity throughout the Jewish world with communities holding festive Seders and using special Haggadot written for the occasion. (Many Tu Bishvat “Haggadot” may be found online.)
In contemporary times, Tu Bishvat is often regarded as “Jewish Earth Day”. It is a great occasion to renew our commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of our planet and educating ourselves (and each other) on how to preserve our natural resources. In Israel, the holiday has long been associated with the planting of trees—an admirable tribute to the renewal of nature.
God has entrusted us to be the caretakers of our planet: “The heavens belong to God, but God has given the Earth to human beings.” (Psalms 115:16) Let us celebrate our holy mission on this Tu Bishvat by honoring God’s bounty and ensuring that it is available for all of the generations to come.
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