(א) ...בְּאֶחָד בִּשְׁבָט, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָן, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ:
(1) ...The first of Shevat is the new year for trees, according to the words of Bet Shammai. Bet Hillel says: on the fifteenth of that month.
As usual, the tradition follows Beit Hillel, and the New Year of the Trees is celebrated on the fifteenth, or Tu Bishvat. The Mishnah lists it as one of four new years in the Jewish calendar, each marking a different cycle, such as the holidays or the counting of Sabbatical years.
Credit: Original image can found here. Public domain.
Tu Bishvat marks the beginning of a new agricultural cycle. Although Jewish life is no longer centered around the cycles of the land, Tu Bishvat remains an opportunity to consider the important role of nature in Jewish texts, traditions, and rituals.
Looking for resources to teach about the holiday? Check out these ideas on Sefaria:
- Want your class to have a multimedia Tu Bishvat experience? Explore the relationship between humans and the environment through text and photography, using this source sheet inspired by one of our partner educators.
- Should we study Torah in the classroom, or go out into the forest? This conversation starter is designed to spark dialogue around the balance and intertwining of nature and the study of Torah.
- How do we show our appreciation for the beautiful and tasty fruits that God created for us? According to the book Pri Etz Hadar, we eat an assortment of fruits and say thank you! This unknown author was the first to publish a Tu Bishvat seder which involves the eating of many fruits.