Passover Seder Tu B'shvat Seder

ו בשבט''סדר ט TU B’SHVAT SEDER

THE FESTIVAL OF TREES 2016

A young girl looks out the window and notices the tree in the front yard swaying in the wind. She asks her father, “How does the tree move its branches like that?” Now the father was preoccupied and almost said, “The tree is not moving the branches, the wind is.” But before the words were out, he caught himself and rose from his chair and went to the window to join his daughter. From inside, behind the window, they could neither feel nor hear the wind and the father thought, “How can I possibly be sure that the branches are moving from the wind rather than moving from the tree itself?”

He then asked his daughter, “Do you really think the tree is moving the branches?” and she replied, “If the tree is dancing it would need music, so maybe the music is in the wind. Maybe the wind carries a music that only the trees can hear.

Welcome to the Kabbalistic Tu B’Shvat Seder.

Tu B’Shvat is known as Rosh Hashanah la’ilan – The New Year of the tree. It falls on the fifteenth day of the month of Shvat. At this time in Israel the water rains are ending. The sap starts to rise in the trees and the first buds emerge.

The Tu B’Shvat Seder originated among the 16th century Kabbalists in Tzfat. The Jewish mystics gathered in the evening around elegantly decorated tables covered with sweet smelling flowers, fruits, wine, and candles. Tonight, we assemble in the throes of winter to celebrate this time of awakening—and to realize what amazing potential slumbers in each of us.

Seder means an order—and so we will follow an order similar to the Passover Seder but unique to the ritual of Tu B’Shvat. We will refer to the order (as it builds) through song before starting each new section.

Passover Seder Tu B’Shvat Seder

Kadesh (Sanctifying the day) Kadesh (First cup of the vine-sanctifying the festival) UreChatz (Washing hands) Urechatz (Washing hands) Carpas (Eating vegetables) Motzei (Eating bread) Yachatz (Breaking the matzah) ha-Klipot (Breaking the shells- Olam ha-Asiyah) Magid (Asking questions/ Magid (Asking questions/ telling the story) telling the story) Rachtzah (Washing hands) Merichah (Fruit spread) Motzei Matzah (Eat matzah) Olam ha-Yetzirah (Second cup- World of formation) Maror (Bitter herbs) Chartzan (Spitting out pits) Koreach (Hillel sandwich) Cos Shlishi (Third cup of the vine) Shulchan Oraich (Festive meal) Olam ha-Briyah (World of creation) Tzafun (Finding the hidden) Tzafun (Finding the hidden) Baraych (Blessing of thanks) Baraych (Blessing of thanks) Hallel (Giving praise) Cos Rivii (Fourth cup of the vine) Nirzah (Conclusion) ha-Atzilut (World of emanation)

Atzilut Emanation

Red wine

Briyah Creation

Fruit completely edible Blush wine

Yetzirah Formation

Fruit with pit White wine with red

Asiyah Action

Fruit with hard shell White wine

We will drink four cups of wine or grape juice in conjunction with three different categories of fruit which corresponds to each of the four realms of creation (on the right side of the diagram above).

Everything in the physical world is a metaphor for a deeper spiritual reality. Eating and drinking is to the body, what knowledge is to the soul. When we eat, we internalize the food -- and through that we grow and develop physically. Similarly, when we learn we must chew it over, digest it, and integrate it into our very being. Only then do we truly grow in wisdom.

Kadesh

Your partner pours the first cup of wine or grape juice (all white). A blessing is made over the fruit of the vine. The wine or grape juice is white to symbolize purity; in contrast the fruit we will eat at this first stage of the seder represents our struggle with that we experience as impure.

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, borei pri hagafen.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Kadesh Urechatz

First, we wash our hands and recite the blessing:

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al netilat yadayim.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, Who makes us holy with His commandments and commands us in elevating our hands.

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie

Wheat and barley are the first two of the seven species connected to the greatness of the Land of Israel, as it says: A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olives and honey (Deuteronomy 8:8)

The blessing to be recited on bread is:

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

We all sing the song of Tu B’Shvat

♫ Hashkedeyah Porachat— V'shemesh paz zorachat. Tziporim merosh kol gag . M'vasrot et bo hechag. Tu Bishvat higia, Chag la'ilanot. Tu Bishvat higia, Chag la'ilanot.

The almond tree is blooming The golden sun is glowing The birds sing out in joy and glee From every roof and every tree Tu B’Shvat is here—the festival of trees Tu B’Shvat is here—the festival of trees

Tu Tu Tu Tu B’Tu B’Shvat

Our intention is to reflect:

Please take a minute to reflect on the following question: What fruit of trees best symbolizes me as a person? Write down the name of the fruit or nut and some words or whole thoughts that explain why you choose that fruit or nut to represent you.

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie ha-Klipot

The world of Asiyah; the breaking of the shells

We now eat fruits with inedible hard shells or peels. For example: nuts, pomegranates and palmelos. This parallels the realm of action (asiyah), the lowest of the spiritual worlds -- a world which is enveloped by the physical, just as the fruit is enveloped in its shell.

The nut cracker is available to assist those who choose to crack nuts.

Keep in mind that this blessing on the fruit will be for all the fruits to be eaten during the Seder.

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, boray pri ha-aitz..

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree.

Discussion: What is our hard shell? Take note: when we select fruits (nuts) that have a hard shell we need to work to reveal the fruit inside.

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid

We refill the cups with wine or grape juice that is white with a splash of red.

Kabbalistic intention from the original seder text:

Please God who makes, forms, creates, and emanates supernal worlds according to their form and character “You made all of them with wisdom,” to unite the spiritual above and the physical below. You caused trees and grass to grow from the earth, according to the structure and character of the forms above, so that human beings might know wisdom and understanding through them, in order to grasp the hidden forms.

May it be Your will, O Lord our God and God of our ancestors that through the sacred power of eating fruit which we are now eating and blessing while reflecting on the secret of their supernal roots may that flow favor blessing and bounty upon them.

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah

We now take a fruit and use it as a spread (on bread) preferably with avocado (or preserves). Spreading symbolizes are telling the story of how we can want to share our knowledge with others. .

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah

Everyone drinks the second cup of the vine—the little splash of red is like the pit in the fruit.

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, borei pri hagafen.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

We now eat fruits with inedible pits. For example: dates, olives and plums. This stage is comparable to. the realm of formation (yetzirah), the world of emotions. The inedible part of these fruits is on the inside. The inedible part is a seed with potential to grow another fruit

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan

People eat a fruit with a pit and spit out the pit.

Discussion: What does a pit represent in us? Is it a barrier to growth or is it an opportunity for growth?

We sing a song about the date palm (Tamar):

♫ Tzadik ka-Tamar Yifrach, ki-Erez ba-Levanon Yizkeh. Shitulim beVet Hashem, be-Chatzrot Elohehun, Yafrichu. Ode Yenuvun beSayva deShaynim vera’ananim ye-Heyu, le-Hagid ba-Boker Chasdecha, ve-Emunscha ba-Laylot

The righteous flourish like a palm tree. The righteous are fruitful and sweet, like a date palm. (Psalms 92:13).

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan Cos Shlishi

We fill the cup with a mixture of white and red wine or grape juice.

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, borei pri hagafen.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Wine rejoices the heart of man. Yayin (Hebrew for wine) equals 70 in gematriyah, the same numerical. value of Sod, meaning secret. As wine enters the secret is revealed (Zohar -Parshat Pinchas).

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan Cos Shlishi Olam ha-Briyah

Now we eat fruits that are completely edible: berries, figs, apples, seedless grapes. This is the realm of creation (briyah) the world of the intellect.

Now we can use our intellect and look more loosely at the fruit we selected to represent us. Do we protect ourselves enough, have good boundaries, or are we too closed off? Are we strong on the outside but fragile on the inside? Do we rely on emotions or intellect? Can we generate new life (new ideas) or even transform?

Did you think of answering the question in a different way? Did the thought cross your mind: Why limit myself to a fruit or a nut? How else might I answer the question if I think outside the box(er)?

Optional meal (just joking, since when is eating optional? it’s a mitzvah).

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan Cos Shlishi Olam ha-Briyah Tzafun

When Honi the ‘circle maker’ was a young man he was walking down a dirt path and saw an old man and his granddaughter planting a carob tree. “Old man,” said Honi, “Don’t you know that you will not live long enough to eat the fruit of this tree?” The old man nodded and answered, “Indeed I won’t but she will and so will my granddaughter’s children.” Honi wandered off and grew tired, resting under a nearby tree. When he woke up he noticed that he had a long white beard and that he was surrounded by carob trees. An old woman was picking carobs for her grandchild. He asked the old woman, “Is that your fruit tree?” “Yes,” she replied, “My grandfather planted it with me many years ago.” At that moment Honi really woke up!

What else is hidden in the secret of the trees? The word tree in Hebrew Eitz =advice. What advice does the tree have for us?

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan Cos Shlishi Olam ha-Briyah Tzafun Baraych

We will now say the grace after the meal.

Kadesh Urechatz Motzie haKlipot Magid Merichah Olam-he-Yetzirah Chartzan Cos Shlishi Olam ha-Briyah Tzafun Baraych Cos Rivii ha-Atzilut

We fill up the last cup of the vine—all red. The realm of Atzilut-the pure spirit, is the realm above thought where being and aliveness become one.

From the movie Sideways

What about you, why are you into wine? I discovered I had a really sharp palette, And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about.

I like to think about the life of wine, how it’s a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing how the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes and if it is an old wine. How many of them must be dead by now.

I like how wine continues to evolve, Like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different today then if I’d opened it on any other day… Because a bottle of wine is actually alive, it is constantly evolving and gaining complexity that is until it peaks.

Baruch ata Ado-noy, Elo-heinu melech ha- olam, borei pri hagafen.

Blessed are you God, King of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Close your eyes and drink the wine or grape juice slowly—swish it in your mouth; let it trickle down your. throat. Final blessing over the wine.

Prayer of Reb Nachman of Bratslav

Master of the Universe, grant me the ability to go outdoors each day and commune among the trees and grass- among all growing things and there may I enter into prayer, to talk with the One to whom I belong.

May I express everything in my heart and may all the foliage of the field, grasses, trees, and plants awake at my coming to send the powers of their life into the words of my prayer so that my prayer and speech are made whole through the life spirit of all growing things made one by their transcendent Source.

As others planted long before us, so may we plant for those who will follow.

Let us honor Tu B’Shvat by treasuring our Earth, enjoying its yield, concern for its wellbeing.

From the tree of life, let us learn today that we are the guardians of God’s creation.

Let us honor Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of Trees, by striving for harmony with the world around us.

May the words of the prophet be soon fulfilled. “Then shall they sit under the vines and fig trees and none shall make them afraid.”

(Allan Sugarman)

We have completed the Tu B’Shevat Seder with all its symbolic foods. Let us merit that we can enjoy the fruits of our land and the fruits of our labor and all say together – Next year in the Garden of Eden.

We all sing: L’ Shana Haba’ah b’Gan Eden B’Shalva

Next year in the peacefulness of the Garden of Eden

Please travel home safely and be tranquility.