COMMUNITY
TU BI-Shevat THE YEAR OF THE TREES
New Year trees
Many of the Jewish feasts serve to remind the natural cycles. A feast particular, dedicated to the trees is the Year of the trees, Rosh Hashanah-Lailanot, also known by the Hebrew date in which it falls: Tu bi-Shevat , that is the fifteenth of the month of Shevat. In Hebrew each letter has a numeric value and Vav and Tet forming the word "you" are equivalent in number to 15. Tu bi-Shevat falls in the days when the weather is particularly cold in Israel, where generally the climate is warmer, this day is referred to as the day when the almond trees begin to bloom, and you can begin to hope for a imminent arrival of spring. This festival is mentioned
in Talmud, and gives rise to one of the many disputes between Masters. On the date on which you celebrate bi-Shevat confront the two great schools of the two great masters: Hillel and Shammai. In the opinion of the first New Year trees had to be celebrated on the first day of the month of Shevat, in the opinion of Hillel and was to be celebrated on 15. As is well known in this and many other cases we follow the opinion of Beth Hillel. Interestingly, as the two points of view, however, are the mirror of a different and opposing conceptions of power and place: the school of Shammai believes that things must be taken into account already in "power", while that of Hillel considers only what is "effective". Specifically, the problem is whether to shoot what is not already visible, but there is only power. A little 'as in some cultures count the years until the moment of conception and not by birth. Speaking of births and trees, in the Jewish tradition when a child is born is used to plant a tree. In due course, the branches of that tree will be used to build the Chuppa, that is, the wedding canopy.
In the past the tenth anniversary was used to determine which should be submitted to the sanctuary in a year: the benefits accrued before 15 of Shevat considered as belonging to one year, those completed after that date, deemed to belong to the following year. The holiday is also needed to determine when they passed the first three years of life of the tree, during which it was forbidden to enjoy the fruits.
This festival is very popular among children in Israel and you see entire schools armed with pickaxes miniature excited to bring her home to the land each sapling. But it is also used to eat a fruit "new" and makes the Seder Tu Bi-Shevat, a sort of meal of fruit, which during the process, as is done in the best-known Passover Seder, should be read in traditional tunes and recite special prayers.
Midrash (a story or moral judgments)
If you're planting a tree and tell you that the Messiah has come, first finish planting the tree and then go to welcome the Messiah.
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