The origins of Tu BiShvat lie with the people who were guided by the tenets decreed in the Torah, their holy book. The Book of Leviticus forbids Jews from eating fruit produced by trees in the first three years after they were planted. Fruit produced in the fourth year goes to the temple and the poor. After five years, tree owners can take the fruit for themselves. To get the accounting right, followers needed a date to mark time, like the beginning of a fiscal year, a sort of birthday for all trees.
In the 16th century, members of the mystical Jewish sect, the Kabbalah, instituted a a feast of fruits as a ceremonial meal, or Seder. Participants ate fruits associated with the Land of Israel, which were described in the Book of Deuteronomy: figs, dates, raisins, pomegranates, olives, carob and almonds.
Celebrants also drank four cups of wine, ranging from red to white, each color a symbol of a different season. They recited particular blessings, which they believed would bring human beings and the world closer to spiritual perfection.
In the 1970s, Tu BiShvat took on an ecological flavor, and became the Jewish "Earth Day," with communities implementing actions related to environmental care. Today, in many Jewish congregations, Tu Bishvat is celebrated as a time to plant trees — in Israel and elsewhere. Many contribute money to the Jewish National Fund, an organization devoted to reforesting Israel.
For me, this holiday reveals the many different values and ways of understanding trees. It started as a way to account for the economic value of trees. Then, it manifested symbolic links to Jewish spirituality. And now, it’s an opportunity to both celebrate the many benefits that we receive from trees, and an inspiration to return those gifts.
