The Month of Shevat
Shevat is the fifth month in the Hebrew calendar, which begins in Tishrei, and the eleventh in the biblical calendar, which begins in Nissan.
The name of the month, like the names of other months, comes from the Babylonian exile, and its meaning is ‘rod’ (probably because it is a winter month, characterized by heavy rain).
Prominent events of this month:
- One of the Shabbats of the month of Shevat is called “Shabbat Shirah,” on which people scatter food for the birds.
- On the 15th of Shevat, “New Year for the Trees” falls, and people have a tradition of eating from the ‘Seven Species’ with which the Land of Israel was blessed.
“Shevat” is an acronym for: ‘News of Good Reports’.
Background
At the beginning of the Mishnah’s tractate “Rosh Hashanah”, four types of “New Years” are mentioned, with each serving as a “New Year” for a different domain:
- 1st of Nisan – the New Year for counting the years of the kings of Israel, and the beginning of the biblical year starting in the month of Nisan.
- 1st of Elul – the New Year for tithing animals, where all animals born from this day forward are considered to belong to the next year in terms of separating this tithe.
- 1st of Tishrei – the New Year for judgment, in which all creatures pass before the Creator and their fate is decreed for the new year, the New Year for counting the years of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, the New Year for the commandments of tithing produce and more.
- 15th of Shvat – “The New Year for Trees”.
The 15th of Shvat is designated as “The New Year for Trees” because by this date most of the annual winter rains have already fallen, the soil is saturated and fertile, ready for cultivation, and any saplings planted from this day onwards are considered ‘good’ saplings that will be well absorbed into the soil and will produce nourishing and juicy fruits and vegetables.
In more ‘Israeli’ terms, we could define the 15th of Shvat as “the beginning of the agricultural year for trees”.
“Mitzvot Depending on the Land”
From a halakhic perspective, Tu B’Shvat has practical implications for many commandments and laws related to trees and fruits, which can only be fulfilled in Israel and not in the DiasporAnswer : These commandments are called “Mitzvot Depending on the Land” because in order to fulfill them, one must specifically be in Israel, so their fulfillment is ‘dependent’ on the geographical location of the trees.
The main commandments are “Tithes and Offerings”, “Shmita”, “Orlah” and “Neta Revai”. Here is a brief overview, ‘on one foot’, about these special commandments, which are ‘dependent’ on the land:
Tithes and Offerings
Terumah Gedolah (Great Offering): After the first yield is ready, a “Yisrael” (a term for a Jew who is not a “Kohen” or a “Levi”) should take a small portion of it and give it to the Kohen, every year.
Maaser Rishon (First Tithe): After the “Yisrael” has given the Terumah Gedolah to the Kohen, he should take a tenth of the remaining yield and give it to the Levi, every year.
Terumat Maaser (Tithe Offering): From the amount that the Levi received in Maaser Rishon, he should also give a tenth to the Kohen, annually, just like the owner separates the portion. This part is not eaten, like the Terumah Gedolah. This is the largest part of the separation that is not eaten (1% of the total yield).
Maaser Sheni (Second Tithe): After Israel has separated the Maaser Rishon, it must take and separate a tenth of the remaining yield and eat it in purity in Jerusalem. Alternatively, as is practically done, to redeem it for a ‘prutah’ (small coin) and then it can be eaten as usual. The obligation to fulfill this commandment is only for the fruits of the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the “Shmita” (seven-year cycle).
Maaser Ani (Poor’s Tithe): As a ‘completion’ to the “Maaser Sheni”, in the third and sixth year of the “Shmita” count, take a tenth of the remaining yield after the “Maaser Rishon” and give it to the poor. This tithe does not have sanctity but is the property of the poor, and therefore even today it should be given to a poor person or an institution that feeds those in need.
Orlah
After planting a fruit tree, there is a prohibition to eat or enjoy its fruits for the first three years. During this time, the fruits are called “Orlah”. The blooming of Orlah fruits is preferably picked from the tree and discarded to prevent stumbling in eating the forbidden fruit (and also for the good of the tree).
Neta Revai
After the first three years of the fruit, it receives a special ‘sanctity’ for the entire fourth year and is called “Neta Revai”. It must be eaten in purity in Jerusalem, or be converted into money with which other food that will be ‘sacred’ is purchased.
Tu BiShvat as “Rosh Hashana” (New Year)
Tu BiShvat is considered the most significant for the fulfillment of these commandments, because it sets the beginning of the agricultural year, as follows:
In the commandments of “Tithes and Offerings” of the tree fruits – a fruit that has passed the ‘Chanata’ stage (a stage that indicates that the fruit has indeed started to grow significantly, but has not yet reached a third of its full and natural size) after Tu BiShvat – is considered as a son of the new year, even though it may have started to grow much earlier. But if it passed the ‘Chanata’ stage before Tu BiShvat, then it is considered as a son of the previous year.
- So, in relation to the commandment of “Maaser Rishon” for example, a fruit that has reached a state in which the tithe commandment fell on it before Tu BiShvat – will be considered as belonging to the previous year of ‘the tithing year’ and therefore we will need to give a tenth only of the amount that reached a third of its ripening until Tu BiShvat.
Nowadays, all commandments of “Tithes and Offerings” are kept in a slightly different way, because the terumah is not pure, and it is not possible to eat Maaser Sheni and Neta Revai in purity these days, the Kohanim are impure, and the Temple stands destroyed.
How, after all, do we fulfill these commandments?
See in detail in Commandments Dependent on the Land – The Jewish Home.
Customs of Tu Bishvat
Introduction
We celebrate the fifteenth day of Shevat (Tu Bishvat) with the following customs:
- We do not recite the “Tachanun” sections during prayers, starting from the afternoon prayer of the fourteenth of Shevat.
- When Tu Bishvat falls on Shabbat, we do not say “Av Harachamim” before the Musaf prayer, and “Tzidkatcha Tzedek” at the end of the afternoon prayer.
- We do not fast on Tu Bishvat, even a groom on his wedding day.
- It is customary to eat various fruits on this day, especially those mentioned in the verse praising the fruits of the Land of Israel: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. The verse also mentions “land of wheat and barley,” but they already ‘received attention’ on the first of Tishrei – which is the New Year for tithing the crops, as we mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph.
- We should bless “Shehecheyanu” on a new fruit we haven’t eaten since its previous season.
Eating Fruits
Since there is a high likelihood of finding insects in fruits, it is necessary to check thoroughly before eating any fruit.
- Dates, apricots, and figs – it is necessary to open before eating and check thoroughly that they are ‘clean’ of insects. Figs, in particular, should be inspected due to a high likelihood of infestation.
- Dried fruits – one should buy them in places where they are meticulous about cleanliness at a high level, and it is better to buy them packaged.
“Man is the tree of the field” – The Spiritual Message
The Torah compares a person to the tree of the field, indeed, in many areas one can find similarities and parallels between the human being and the tree:
In their external-physical form, it can be said that all parts of the tree are also found in humans: the tree’s canopy corresponds to the head, the trunk that ‘holds’ the tree resembles the body, the branches are like arms, and the roots remind us of legs stuck in the ground. The tree also ‘breathes’ through its leaves, there are ‘arteries’ in the trunk through which necessary liquids flow, and even an external shell – analogous to human skin – that protects it from harm.
But in their internal-spiritual essence, there is a deeper dimension that gives us a different perspective on the connection between the human and the tree, as follows:
The root is ‘hidden’ deep in the ground, but without it, the tree cannot continue to live. The roots provide the tree with the minerals it needs, and thanks to them, the tree remains planted even in stormy weather and harsh conditions.
- The spiritual root is – faith. It is ‘hidden’ and concealed in the depths of a Jew’s soul, and from there it ‘flows’ life and spiritual strength. From the perspective of faith, there is no difference between a ‘simple’ Jew and a great righteous man, and it connects the Jew with the Creator of the world in a strong way. In ‘stormy’ situations, where the Jew stands before difficult tests of faith, faith emerges and rises to the surface with power, vigor, and Jewish pride.
The body of the tree constitutes most of the tree – the trunk, the branches, and the leaves. In it, the beauty of the tree and its splendor are expressed, and through it, one can know the type of tree and the quality of the fruits that will grow from it. Over the years, the tree body grows and expands, and many layers surround it, protect it, and provide it with protection against harm.
- The ‘spiritual body’ is the Torah and the commandments, because most of a Jew’s time revolves around them. Unlike faith, Torah study and observance of the commandments are visible to all, and a person’s actions can ‘catalog’ him to the level of holiness in which he resides. One must persist in fulfilling commandments and studying Torah all the time, thereby ‘wrapping’ oneself in spiritual layers that protect against various ‘damages’.
But the root, trunk, branches or leaves – they do not ‘touch’ the purpose for which the tree was originally planted. The tree achieves its purpose and mission only when it makes and produces fruits, in which seeds are hidden. These seeds will enable planting additional trees that will also grow and bear fruits, and so on…
- This is also true in a person’s spiritual life: a Jew should not be content with achievements – as impressive as they may be – that only bring him to spiritual ‘perfection’. The purpose of our descent into this world is to ‘bear fruits’, to positively influence and bring kindness to our environment, to cause another person to do a good deed for a third person, and to transform those around us into ‘fruit trees’ – having strong roots (faith), trunk, branches and leaves (Torah and commandments), and fruit producers (caring for others).
