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Feb 7, 2012
What Do You Do on Tu B'Shvat?
Tomorrow is Tu B'Shvat.
What, if anything, do you do special for the day?
The highlight of my Tu B'Shvat is skipping Tachanun. I don't think I would notice Tu B'Shvat most years if not for that... though we have gone a few times in previous years to plant trees....
really nothing. If the kids were not sick we might go to the shul Tu'B Shavat thing. Absent that I may try to eat some dried fruit, but then again I like dried fruit
I even say tahanun. And when everyone else doesn't I realize "Oh, it's Tu B'Shvat today" and then continue about my business. Sorry to be so anti-festive, but the weird "seder" and all the kabbalistic stuff just doesn't do anything for me. The highlight of the day, however, is when my young children being home coloring projects about the Sheva Minim.
The date (no pun intended!) does exist, so we should (or must) take notice of it. We have wine, and fruits in our evening meal, and an interesting idea, which I weish would take on, is to go up to a tree, and give it a hug and kiss, wishing it Shana Tova. Not more weird than feeding the birds on Shabbat Shira
Hugging and kissing trees?! This is the exact reason why I stay so far away from celebrating a purely agricultural marker for the permissibility of fruit trees. Teaching children (or anyone for that matter) to speak or show affection to trees is absurd. It's now wonder that youth are going off the derekh at alarming rates these days. Judaism has decided to become a religion of fools and their folly. Sorry, but if doing something as innocent as painting fruit trees red is considered "A Way of the Amorites," then surely hugging, kissing, and wishing trees well can be placed in the same category.
Maybe the real reason for Tu bShvat is to tell us the Pesach is only 2 months away. Better get cleaning. To Anonymous, I would say, what's wrong with hugging or kissing a tree? It is a living organism, created by Hashem for our benefit. It's better than some of the uses I've seen trees being used for, like notices being stapled to them (sometimes death notices), or someone locking his buggy or bike to it. It's not idol worship, and I would add, if someone hugs a tree, eventually he might hug his fellow man, instead of spitting or throwing stones. What do you think?
:\ ...Oh, yes. The carnage must be stopped. We must stop the merciless STAPLING OF NOTICES TO TREES?!? Are you kidding me? Yes, trees were created for our benefit, i.e. eating their fruit, or cutting them down, or even locking our bikes to them. The benefit that the Almighty intended them for was not to engage in some sort of filial or physically affectionate relationship. Instead of hugging trees in order to engender brotherly love, why don't you start with brotherly love first? And skip the ridiculous tree thing altogether? ...I can't believe that I am actually having this conversation with a Jew. Rachmana Litzlan.
Well, we just enjoyed a kabbalistic seder with our children - we had 4 cups of grape juice ranging from white through to red, and platters of fruit arranged in groups depending on edible/inedible stones/shells, plus special 7 minim platter. My husband did say that it was a Sabbatean ritual, but it was very nice and we shared divrei Torah as well as appreciating Hashem's bounty. Also stunning full moon here as sky very clear (and weather very cold!)
There's different types of people in the world. There's serious yeshiva learning types who don't see any value in celebrating a holiday with no mitzvot. And there's the less serious, fun people (many of whom would be called dati-lite by the first group), who enjoy Tu B'Shvat as a day to connect to Hashem and nature in a special way. If you ask which Hashem appreciates more, I have a feeling its the second group.
really nothing. If the kids were not sick we might go to the shul Tu'B Shavat thing. Absent that I may try to eat some dried fruit, but then again I like dried fruit
ReplyDeleteI even say tahanun. And when everyone else doesn't I realize "Oh, it's Tu B'Shvat today" and then continue about my business. Sorry to be so anti-festive, but the weird "seder" and all the kabbalistic stuff just doesn't do anything for me. The highlight of the day, however, is when my young children being home coloring projects about the Sheva Minim.
ReplyDeleteHappy 15th of Shevat,
Yehudah
The date (no pun intended!) does exist, so we should (or must) take notice of it. We have wine, and fruits in our evening meal, and an interesting idea, which I weish would take on, is to go up to a tree, and give it a hug and kiss, wishing it Shana Tova. Not more weird than feeding the birds on Shabbat Shira
ReplyDeleteHugging and kissing trees?! This is the exact reason why I stay so far away from celebrating a purely agricultural marker for the permissibility of fruit trees. Teaching children (or anyone for that matter) to speak or show affection to trees is absurd. It's now wonder that youth are going off the derekh at alarming rates these days. Judaism has decided to become a religion of fools and their folly. Sorry, but if doing something as innocent as painting fruit trees red is considered "A Way of the Amorites," then surely hugging, kissing, and wishing trees well can be placed in the same category.
ReplyDeleteHaShem Yerachem,
Yehudah
If I owned a house (I rent) I would probably try to plant a tree.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the real reason for Tu bShvat is to tell us the Pesach is only 2 months away. Better get cleaning.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous, I would say, what's wrong with hugging or kissing a tree? It is a living organism, created by Hashem for our benefit. It's better than some of the uses I've seen trees being used for, like notices being stapled to them (sometimes death notices), or someone locking his buggy or bike to it. It's not idol worship, and I would add, if someone hugs a tree, eventually he might hug his fellow man, instead of spitting or throwing stones. What do you think?
Meir - better get cleaning? you mean you didnt start already at Hanukkah???
ReplyDelete:\ ...Oh, yes. The carnage must be stopped. We must stop the merciless STAPLING OF NOTICES TO TREES?!? Are you kidding me? Yes, trees were created for our benefit, i.e. eating their fruit, or cutting them down, or even locking our bikes to them. The benefit that the Almighty intended them for was not to engage in some sort of filial or physically affectionate relationship. Instead of hugging trees in order to engender brotherly love, why don't you start with brotherly love first? And skip the ridiculous tree thing altogether? ...I can't believe that I am actually having this conversation with a Jew. Rachmana Litzlan.
ReplyDelete-Yehudah
Well, we just enjoyed a kabbalistic seder with our children - we had 4 cups of grape juice ranging from white through to red, and platters of fruit arranged in groups depending on edible/inedible stones/shells, plus special 7 minim platter. My husband did say that it was a Sabbatean ritual, but it was very nice and we shared divrei Torah as well as appreciating Hashem's bounty. Also stunning full moon here as sky very clear (and weather very cold!)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRafi G. said...
ReplyDeleteMeir - better get cleaning? you mean you didnt start already at Hanukkah???
This reminds me of a local joke here in Jersey, Channel Islands.
A woman said that she starts her preparations for Xmas in August. Her astonished neighbor asked her what can be done so early.
The first woman replied, "Oh, I start cooking the Brussels sprouts (כרוב ניצנים) for Xmas dinner!"
[We are relatively unsophisticated folk here on our small island off the coast of northern France ...]
There's different types of people in the world. There's serious yeshiva learning types who don't see any value in celebrating a holiday with no mitzvot. And there's the less serious, fun people (many of whom would be called dati-lite by the first group), who enjoy Tu B'Shvat as a day to connect to Hashem and nature in a special way. If you ask which Hashem appreciates more, I have a feeling its the second group.
ReplyDelete