Podcast Episode 6: Tu B’Shvat

Tu B’Shvat is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the renewal of trees in a yearly cycle. Elliott notes, the timing of the holiday on the Jewish calendar is weird, falling out in the middle of winter. If we really wanted to get into the spirit of the day, we’d send everyone out into the middle of mature, “into the wild,” to experience the trees. Rabbi Yossi points out that the winter is also a cool time to think about trees, because it is when the sap starts to run. The trees are starting to come alive, on the inside, where the sap is starting to build. Really, this is symbolic of the inner growth that takes place inside of us as human beings.

Yossi adds that maple syrup is an ancient food but you have to get rid of the excess foam, which is a great metaphor for what people have to do – to keep the sweet parts of ourselves and get rid of the excess. As Yossi says, “whatever your winter looks like” you have to learn to go through the dark nights and come out on the other side.

Elliott also notes that educationally, Tu B’shvat should teach us to “throw out the playbook.” Jewish schools could plan a trip, throw away the books for a day, and take students out into nature to experience renewal and the miracle of creation. The holiday of the trees shows us that religious education can be found as much in nature as in textbooks.

Yossi says there should be “Outward Bound” program for Tu B’shvat. This holiday represents the environmental ethic of the ancient rabbis and their view of the ecosystem, exemplified in the discussion of rain in the second paragraph of the Shema prayer. God gives human stewardship over the earth and it is up to us to make sure we treat that a sacred trust. In an age of climate change, this is a powerful message.

Shout out to the late great Neil Peart of Rush and his wonderful song “The Trees!”

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