Posted January 22 2008
Tu’Bishvat 2008
As I look out the window and see the blustering snow and watch the cold wind it is apparent that winter is upon us. No one would even consider the possibility of planting for spring or summer. This is not an outside time, it is a time to hibernate in our warm homes. Nevertheless in the Jewish Calendar it is Tu Bi’shvat (the New Year of Trees) and it is our tradition to plant. Is it remarkable that while our trees are barren and the ground frozen that we are talking to our families about planting new trees.
We take this time during the winter months to remember that when the trees are bare and outdoors uninviting we talk to our families about Israel and the planting of trees. Even Israel is cold this time of year. Not a time when one would wonder outdoors without the benefit of warm clothing. Tu B’Shvat is not just a time of plant but also a time of hope and faith in G-d. We know that spring will come and the winds will begin to shift from the Northern Arctic winds to the Southern Gulf winds that will turn the frigid winds of the winter to the more moderate and warm winds of the spring and summer. With the warmer winds will come the blossoms of spring and people will again reopen their homes and appear on the streets. Neighbors will stand together and catch up on the news of family. Lawn chairs will reappear and notice of the spring and summer outdoor concerts will appear on our door steps. As February will come to an end, we will begin to count down the winter days as we await the coming of spring. People will appear in spring clothing even before the outdoor temperatures invite the change. Hope is renewed and the glory of G-d’s creation is once again reborn as the buds appear on the trees and the first of the flower spring out of the ground.
Tu B’shvat is as much about hope as it is about trees, flowers and planting. Even in the depths of the winters of our soul, when things appear the gloomiest, we must know that hope fertilizes our future and that faith nurtures and harvests opportunity. Just as the cold causes us to hibernate in our homes, fear, depression and hopelessness drives us into isolation. We overcome these spiritual winters with faith in HaShem that whatever the winds of life bring, with the strength of our faith we can and must overcome the gloom. “Though I walk through the Shadow of death I fear no evil for Thou art with me;” says the Psalmist.
If the words of the Psalmist are hard to believe, take the drive to Eilat. The desert will be everywhere. Nothing but sand for as far as the eye can see and then, out of nowhere, appears an oasis created by man. Green fields with produce, hydro plantations growing fruits and vegetables. The miracle of man’s persistence and ingeniousness. So when life has you feeling blue, think about the deserts of Israel that bloom with great beauty, where G-d and man have come together to work miracles.
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