Celebrating Tu Bishvat 5783 | 2023

For generations, the Jewish tradition and teachings have discussed the importance of a healthy environment, been outspoken in favor of the need to preserve the earth and ensured that fruit trees are not destroyed in warfare. Rainfall and dew are central elements of our Jewish liturgy and daily life, and we are obligated to regenerate the Land of Israel itself every shemittah year (sabbatical). 

When the Temple stood, Tu Bishvat a date simply dated to the age of the trees to give taxes to the government and allow the first three years of undisrupted growth. But after the Jewish people lost sovereignty over the land of Israel and the Temple was destroyed, this practice was lost.

In the 16th century, Kabbalists (mystics) of Safed, Israel created a new ritual to celebrate Tu Bishvat modeled on the Passover seder; participants would read selections from the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinic literature and eat the seven special species of Israel as well as fruits associated with the land. When the Jewish people regained sovereignty over the land, they were able to make the desert bloom. Jews began to delve back into agriculture and be in touch with their roots, which has a history of respect for the land.