Tu B'shevat Hagaddah

Tu B’Shevat Hagaddah Introduction Tu B’Shevat is the Jewish New Year for trees. Leviticus 19:23-25 Each section contains outlines the importance of Tu B’Shevat, stating: t Introduction When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, t Cup of Wine & Traditional Fruit regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it t Judaic text forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will t Scientific fact be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. t Action items Tu B’Shevat became an important marker of time so Jews t Discussion questions could respect the laws of tithing. It was a way to honor the trees, and by extension, the Earth that God gave us. Tu B’Shevat was Seders can include all of these sections, or you can select the ones a way to revere the partnership between humans and nature. By of interest to you. Take turns reading aloud. Each of the four medieval times, the mystical Kabbalists viewed this holiday as a sections begins with a question and answer, similar to the four way of spiritual improvement. In line with their general concern questions of the Passover Seder. These are meant for reflection for Tikkun Olam – spiritually repairing the world –Kabbalists during the ceremony. Further spiritual content, discussion regarded eating a variety of fruits on Tu B’Shevat as a way of questions, poetry, and recipes for the festive meal can be found improving themselves. in the appendix. Now, the environment is changing, and the idea of Tikkun Olam is changing with it. As it says in Deuteronomy 20:19, “A You will need 1. Red and white wine or grape juice human is like a tree of the field.” One human, like one tree, 2. For each level: (choose any or all of these) cannot make up a community. It takes all of us working together Assiyah – walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pomegranate, grapefruit, to repair the spiritual and physical damage humans have pineapple, coconut, pistachios, banana, kiwi impressed upon the Earth. As we celebrate this holiday and eat Yetzirah – dates, olives, avocados, peaches, plums, cherries, the traditional foods, we must also think about our responsibility apricots to the Earth and how to begin these repairs. Briyah – figs, seedless grapes, blueberries, raisins, raspberries, strawberries Atzilut - candle How to use this book Seder means order. The Kabbalists of Tsfat, Israel, of the 3. For the meal: 16th century created a Tu B’Shevat Seder Plan your meal around the “seven species” from loosely modeled after the Passover Seder. Like Deuteronomy 8:7-10: a Passover Seder, they drank four cups For the Lord your G-d is bringing you into a of wine, ate foods that are symbolic of good land, a land with streams and the holiday, and used a haggadah to springs and fountains issuing from guide them. This Tu B’Shevat plain and hill; a land of wheat and haggadah emulates that seder barley, of vines, figs, and model. pomegranates, a land of olive trees The Kabbalists taught that we and date syrup; a land where you may live on four spiritual levels eat food without stint, where you will simultaneously: Assiyah (doing), Yetzirah lack nothing; a land whose rocks are (formation), Briyah (creation), and Atzilut iron and from whose hills you can mine copper. (nobility). Every section of the haggadah represents some aspect of these four levels. At our When you have eaten your fill, seder, we will reflect on each spiritual level, while tasting the give thanks to THE LORD your G-d for the good land special foods and enjoying the different activities. which has been given you. Tu B’Shevat Hagaddah 1 Level 1: Assiyah – Doing Why does this holiday specifically honor trees, rather than people or events? The Jewish people have had a traditional appreciation for trees since the time of the Beit Hamikdash, the Temple. There are laws regarding the fruits of the trees, which entail giving the fruit as a tithe to the Leviim and Kohanim (priests) in the fourth year and not eating of the fruits until the fifth year of their growth. There is also a prohibition against cutting down the fruit trees of a city upon besieging it (Deuteronomy, 20:19). There used to be a custom to plant a cedar tree for a baby boy and cypress tree for a girl. The children would care for the trees as they grew up and on their wedding days would use the wood as poles for their chuppahs. This carried the tradition of loving trees from one generation to the next. Tu B’Shevat focuses on trees rather than people in order to celebrate and uphold these traditions. Introduction: Assiyah means action. Think about nature and the physical world—about actions we can take to repair the world and keep it whole. The earth (eretz) is a symbol of Assiyah because it is permanent and solid. As a symbol of Assiyah, we eat fruits and nuts with a tough outer shell and a soft inside. These foods symbolize the winter season because of their protective outside. Removing the hard shell exposes a fleshy vulnerable inside. Before you eat, recite this blessing: Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, Borei pri ha-etz. Blessed are You, our G-d, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree. Our first cup of wine is white, reminding us of winter when nature is asleep. The white wine symbolizes purity and represents the beginning of creation. In winter the earth is sometimes barren, covered with snow. We layer ourselves in clothing, blanketing ourselves from the cold just as the earth covered in snow is insulated. We turn up our heaters and start our cars earlier so that we can be warm when we leave our houses. Pour white wine, lift the cup and say: Baruch atta adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, Borei pri ha-gafen. Blessed are You, our G-d, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Drink the first cup. Tu B’Shevat Hagaddah 2 Jewish Text: “Every blade of grass sings poetry to G-d without ulterior motives or alien thoughts – without consideration of reward. how good and lovely it is, then, when one is able to hear this song of the grasses. it is therefore a precious thing to conduct oneself with piety when strolling among them.” – Rebbe Nahman of Bratslav Podolia, Ukraine 1772-181 i We see the actions that we can take, both physically and spiritually, to move toward a greater understanding and harmony between humanity and the earth. Scientific Fact: “According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), driving a car is the single most polluting thing that most of us do. Motor vehicles emit millions of tons of pollutants into the air each year. In many urban areas, motor vehicles are the single largest contributor to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog. Ground-level ozone is the most serious air pollution problem in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Cars also emit several pollutants classified as toxics, which cause as many as 1,500 cases of cancer in the country each year. Auto emissions also contribute to the environmental problems of acid rain and global warming. Pollution control measures have drastically reduced emissions per vehicle in the past 20 years. However, during that time the total miles traveled has doubled, resulting in higher levels of air pollutants in many parts of the country.” ii Action Items: The following actions help combat vehicle emissions: t Don’t idle your car. Idling wastes money and gas and creates pollution by releasing emissions that induce global warming. Unless in traffic, turn off your engine if you are waiting more than one minute. t Inflate your car tires to the proper gauge. Check your car manual for exact details. This can improve your gas mileage and save you seven cents a gallon. t Buy locally grown meats and produce. The average American meal travels 1,500 miles before reaching your plate. Supporting local farmers cuts back on use of fossil fuels and air pollutants while helping your community. t Carpool or use public transportation when possible. Carpooling can save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollar per year. Public transportation not only reduces your emissions but helps support the area you live in. t Plant trees. It is a tradition to plant trees in Israel on Tu B’Shevat. Now and all year long, students can plant trees in Israel. Discussion: An article that appeared in USA Today opens with the question, “If you plant some trees, is it OK to drive an Escalade?” While the question might be somewhat facetious, the question remains, what does off-setting our carbon actually do? Is planting trees “like the medieval practice of selling indulgences to wash away sins”? Does it actually do anything other than alleviate guilt for those who are doing the off- setting? What is our responsibility to Earth now that we can begin to see the affects of Global Warming? iii (To read the entire article, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-05-29-offset-schemes-travel_N.htm) Tu B’Shevat Hagaddah 3 Level 2: Yetzirah – Formation Why do we especially eat fruit that grows in Israel, rather than whatever is in season? Aside from the comparisons between these fruits and the Jewish people, they have connections to the Land of Israel as well.

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