Tu B'Shvat Linguistics (Wordplay)

Tu b’shvat is one the less known Jewish holidays, and is more about the symbolism than the ritual. There are no direct obligatory practices for this day, but many deep ideas.

The essential one is that it’s the “New Year for the trees” and is used to determine which year the fruits belong to when calculating agricultural laws within the land of Israel. 

Beyond that, many celebrate and acknowledge the blessing of our sustenance that grows from the Earth at the time when it’s still cold out but the in-ground preparation is beginning behind the scenes for the Spring crops. It's customary to partake of the seven species with which the land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and date (honey). Some even conduct a Seder with specific and symbolic prayers, blessings, and meditations. 

The word Shvat, which is the name of the Hebrew month featured in the name of this holiday, is composed of the letters which also means branch, staff, or tribe. (The other Hebrew word “mateh” has the same double entrendre.) A branch could be used to symbolize family- as in a family tree, it could be used as a weapon, and it could be used as a cane to lean on for support. The human lived experience encompasses all of these possibilities respectively- interpersonal connection, pain, and healing. 

A Torah verse teaches that “a human is like a tree of the field,” and this simile has multiple features: 

Like trees, we have our roots in the Earth, and grow upward toward Heaven; we have both physical bodies and abilities, and spiritual consciousness and aspirations.

Trees produce sustenance, air, and beauty, which can nourish and enhance life, as do humans. 

The word for tree, “etz,” is the same root as the word for “advise” or “idea” which may hint that human knowledge and growth germinates and evolves when given with water (often a symbol of Torah and desire) and sunlight (wisdom and utility). It’s also composed of the letters that are the words for “eye” and “righteous person” , perhaps hinting that an enlightened perspective and holy intentions and actions are the ingredients to a fruitful and meaningful l life. 

Another message of this day is faith: Those who plant seeds and rely on the outcome for livelihood (as we all do, indirectly) require a certain faith that with time and work, it will yield produce. The symbiotic synthesis of the elements- the soil, seeds, water, air, and sun draw from the bounty of G-d’s blessings to integrate and perpetuate the global ecosystem. This delicate and abundant symphony of nature is how we experience and witness the cycles of life. 

After the month of Shvat, which is about vegetation and growth, comes Adar which is about joy and salvation. The most sacred and enduring joy is that which follows challenge and growth. 

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