Tu B’shvat Higiyah: A Tu B’shvat Seder Experience
Tu B’shvat: Tree Huggin’ The Jewish Way
Welcome! Why are we here?
The custom of the Tu B’shvat seder is a Kabbalistic concept. In the 16th century, Kabbalist rabbi, Isaac Luria created a seder where he gave symbolic meaning to the fruits grown in Eretz Yisrael. The idea behind the seder is to bring human beings closer to nature and the spiritual world. We will eat 10 symbolic fruits and drink four different cups of wine.
New Year of the Trees- Rosh Hashanah La’ilanot
There are four “New Year”s in the Jewish calendar: “On the first of Nisan, the new year for the kings and for the festivals; On the first of Elul, the new year for the tithing of animals; Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say, in the first of Tishrei; On the first of Tishrei, the new year for years, fortheSabbatical years and for the Jubilee years and for the planting and for the vegetables. On the first of Shevat, the new year for the trees, these are the words oftheHouseofShammai; theHouseofHillel says, on thefifteenth thereof (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1)
The importance of Planting
Q: What’s is almost a guaranteed experience on one’s first Israel journey?
A: Planting a Tree!
Why?
Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai taught: if you have a fruit tree on your hands and someone says to you “here is the Messiah,” go and finish planting your fruit tree just the same, and afterwards go out and welcome the Messiah (Avot d’rabbi Natan 31)
וְכִי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל־עֵץ מַאֲכָל / And when you shall come into the land, you should have planted all manner of trees for food… (Vayikra 19:23)One Connection to Shabbat:
On Shabbat, we recognize the cessation of God’s creation of the world. It is a day when we turn back to nature and “observe, conserve and preserve”
“The whole world is holy because God created it and is alive within it. It is an idea that is so powerful, that if we are open to it, it can lead us to an ecological vision and guide us toward ecological lives. It lays the foundation for a deep environmental ethic, a creation ethic. -Ellen Bernstein, The Splendor of Creation
But, it’s 40 degrees here, why should we care?
L’uvdah U’l’shmorah: Shomrei Adamah- keepers of the Earth, keepers of our traditions
וַיִּקַּח ה’ אֱלֹ הִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־ עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ: / And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to guard it.(B’reishit 2:15)
כשעשה ברא הקב"ה את אדם הראשון נטלו והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן ואמר לו ראה מעשי כמה נאים ומשובחין הן וכל מה שבראתי בשבילך בראתי, תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי, שאם קלקלת אין מי שיתקן אחריך / When God created the first human beings [Adam and Hava], God led them around the Garden of Eden and said: “Look at my works! See how beautiful they are—how excellent! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil and destroy My world; for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it (Kohelet Rabah 7:13)
In our ignorance and our greed, we have damaged the world and silenced many of the voices of the choir of Creation. Now we must fix it. There is no one else to repair it but us.
-Lawrence Troster, “10 Teachings on Jewish Environmentalism,” COEJL
אמר רבי יוחנן… יומא חד הוה אזל באורחא, חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה נטע חרובא, אמר ליה: האי, עד כמה שנין טעין? - אמר ליה: עד שבעין שנין. - אמר ליה: פשיטא לך דחיית שבעין שנין? - אמר ליה: האי [גברא] עלמא בחרובא אשכחתיה, כי היכי דשתלי לי אבהתי - שתלי נמי לבראי. / R. Yohanan said: One day Honi was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree. He asked him, How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit? The man replied: Seventy years. He then further asked him: Are you certain that you will live another seventy years? The man replied: I found [ready grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me so I too plant these for my children.(Babylonian Talmud Taanit, 23a)
Before we begin, let’s sing!
השקדיה פורחתושמש פז זורחת,
צפורים מראש כל גג
מבשרות את בוא החג.
ט"ו בשבט הגיע
חג לאילנות.
ט"ו בשבט הגיע
חג לאילנות. / The almond tree is blooming, the golden sun is shining, birds atop each tree, brush (bless) the coming of the holiday
Tu B’shvat has arrived, the festival of the trees!
The Tu B’shvat Seder
1. Kadesh – L’chayim! Wine Tasting
The four cups represent the four seasons of the year. We’ll start with white wine, the closest color to snow.
(USY Adaptation- four types of grape juice)
Gefen has been cultivated as early as 3000 BCE. It is one of the 7 species of the Land of Israel
[The Land of Israel is] described as "A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey. (The Seven Species: Dvarim 8:8) / אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ־זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁBut they shall sit every person under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken (Micah 4:4). / וְיָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד כִּי־פִי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe Who creates the fruit of the vine / בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ לֹהֵינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.
One custom of the ancient Kabbalist Tu B’shvat seder is to drink four glasses of wine. We start with white wine for the first of four cups and gradually add more red to each subsequent cup of white so that the fourth cup is entirely red.
Activity- Challenge a volunteer or two to a blindfolded taste test: Use your taste buds to describe the difference between red and white wine (or grape juice)?
2. U’rchatz- Water, Creation and Land
Praise God, sun and moon; praise God; all you shining stars! Praise God, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!...Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping thing and flying birds! Young men and women alike, let them praise the name of the Lord…(Psalms 148:3-6) / גהַלְלוּהוּ שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ הַלְלוּהוּ כָּל־כּוֹכְבֵי אוֹר: דהַלְלוּהוּ שְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וְהַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר ׀ מֵעַל הַשָּׁמָיִם: היְהַלְלוּ אֶת־שֵׁם ה' כִּי הוּא צִוָּה וְנִבְרָאוּ: ווַיַּעֲמִידֵם לָעַד לְעוֹלָם חָק־נָתַן וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר: זהַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה מִן־הָאָרֶץ תַּנִּינִים וְכָל־תְּהֹמוֹת:
He [she] will be like a tree planted near water…”
(Jeremiah 17:18) / וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ ׀ שָׁתוּל עַל־מַיִם וְעַל־יוּבַל יְשַׁלַּח שָׁרָשָׁיו
Activity- Water is the element needed for growth and survival. Seeds are planted and then watered so that they may grow. One volunteer should wash his/hands and describe a role model that has “watered” his/her Jewish growth. (refer to Honi Story- how do you “water” the next generation of seeds. If parents are present they could wash their children’s hands)
3. Karpas- Eat ‘Yo Veggies!
29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, on which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. (Bereshit 1:29) / כטוַיֹּאמֶר אֱ לֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֵשֶׂב ׀ זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ פְרִי־עֵץ זֹרֵעַ זָרַע לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה:Borei Pri Ha’adamah- Blessed is the fruit from the ground. / ברוּך אתה ה' אלוהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי האדמה
Commercial Break - Second Cup of Wine- Spring
Let’s lighten the mood with white wine or you may continue the Kabbalist custom and mix half and half (pour the red into the white as color replaces our snow)!
Share your favorite Jewish holiday joke. Here’s one:
Q: If a doctor carries a medical kit? What does a Mohel carry?
A: A Briss-kit!
4. Yachatz- Our Broken World
Each person should break a pretzel stick (representing a broken branch), symbolizing our responsibility for our broken world.
5. Magid
The Four Questions of Tu B’shvat
The opening question: Go Vs. Grow?
How do the two seder food types of Pesach and Tu Bshvat correlate to the messages of each holiday? (Hint: Matzah Vs. Dried Fruit)
Additional Questions: Environmental Trivia!
Activity: Four people volunteer as contestants. Four figs are placed on the table. Pose a question. The first person to grab the fig either by hand or mouth (!), answers the question.
There are 5 rounds. Ask for different volunteers for each round. Trivia is included at the end of this booklet.
Story Time! Act out the story of the giving Tree (Shel Silverstein) with a narrator, boy and tree.
6. Motzi “Matzah”- Bring on the Holiday Foods!
Tu B’shvat- a treat for your digestive system. Compare the 7 species of the Land of Israel with 7 typical foods of the American diet (Explain context of dreams and fruit found in Brachot)
The 7 Species of Israel / The 7 “Species” or staples of theN. American diet
Wheat חִיטָה
“If one sees wheat in a dream, he will see peace, as it says: He makes your borders peace; He gives you in plenty the benefits of wheat”
Barley שֹעוֹרה
“R. Zera said: I did not go up from Babylon to the Land of Israel until I saw barley in a dream” (as a sign that his sins were forgiven)
Honey –date דְבֹש\תמַר
“[Date]Honey is one-sixtieth part of manna”
Pomegranate רִמוֹן
“One who dreams of a Pomegranate at the very least, his business will be as fruitful as the seeds of a pomegranate.”
Vine גֶפֶן
“If one sees a choice vine, he may look forward to seeing the Messiah, since it says, ‘Binding his foal unto the vine and his ass's colt unto the choice vine’”
Olive זַיִת
“If one sees an olive in his dream he
will acquire a good name, as it says , The Lord called thy name a leafy olive-tree, fair and goodly
fruit”
Fig תְאֵינה
“One who sees a fig in a dream, remembers what he learned of Torah. As it is said, ‘One who watches over his fig tree, will eat of its fruit.’” (Talmud, Brachot 57a-b)
7. Shulchan Orech!
Always begin a meal with a L’chayim!
Third cup of Wine: Summer
Fun Times in the Summer! Wine is often shared with a group of good friends. Choose from the list of questions found in the supplemental readings section and pair up with the person two seats to your left. Get to know him/her as you L’chayim. After a couple of minutes, everyone will say the bracha together.
Appetizers: A Historical and Edible Tour through Eretz Yisrael
Journey through the History of Eretz Yisrael with your taste buds! As you taste, say the bracha. (Borei Pri Ha’etz). If this is the first time you’ve tasted this fruit, recite Shehechiyanu.
The land of Israel is a horticultural heaven. Some fruits, such as grapes and olives were grown in the land of Israel before B’nai Yisrael hit the scene!
Time Period / Fruits grown in IsraelTorah / Figs, pomegranates, olives, pomegranate, dates, etrog, almonds, wild walnuts
Second Temple / Carob, peaches, apricots, plums, pear, walnuts
Medieval / loquat, mango
Modern / Almonds, avocado, orange, sabra, coconut, guava, kiwi, lychee, papaya, passion fruit
Ideas for what to do with the fruit-
Fruit and cheese with your wine, fruit smoothies, Guacamole and chips, make a unique trail mix, create a sweet dessert treat, a power breakfast granola fruit mix, make a 7 species salad.
------Serve meal if provided------
8. Tzafun- dessert’s on!
In a bowl, mix together the walnuts, ricotta cheese, figs or dates and honey. TEST: What bracha do we recite?
9. Barech- recite Birkat Hamazon עַל הָאָֽרֶץ וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן
Optional: Discuss or highlight themes of food and land in Birkat (Al Haaretz V’al Hamazon). How many times do we acknowledge land in Birkat? Are we expressing gratitude for the land from which our food is grown or the Land of Israel? Should we be reciting a different version of Birkat when outside of Israel?
10. Hallel- Sing off!
Option A: In small groups, come up with as many songs about “green,” trees or nature OR sing Let it Grow from the film “The Lorax” (lyrics included in this packet)
Option B: Sing the traditional Tu B’shvat songs such as Tu B’shvat Higiyah or other well known tree-themed songs from our sources such as Etz Chayim He, Eretz Zavat Chalav or Tzadik Katamar.
11. Fourth Cup ‘O Wine- Fall
Whine Vs. Wine
As you raise your glass to this third cup, it’s time for a quality Kvetch session!
Options (feel free to add you own as you raise your glass):
· Tumblr: You know you’re a USY RYD or Youth Director when…
· One of those comments that I just couldn’t respond to was…
· Complete the sentence: Did that really just happen/did he/she really just say that…
· He posted/texted what?!?
*Bonus*- A 5th Cup
A Cup of Water for the Land of Israel
“For Adonai Your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and the hills.” / כִּי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר:Instead of saying a bracha, we shall sing!