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Tu B’Shvat

By: Mrs. Avital Levy

To our beloved students:

Rosh Chodesh Shvat has arrived and in Eretz Yisrael the winter is at its peak. In this month, we celebrate the New Year for Trees on Tu B'shvat. The Bnei Yissachar discusses the idea brought down by Chazal, that we should daven on Tu B'shvat for a beautiful, mehudar, and kosher etrog that Hashem will make available for us in time for the mitzvah because on this day, Tu B’shvat, the trees begin to produce sap according to the merit of all of Bnei Yisroel.  It is therefore befitting that a person daven on this day for an etrog, because it is the first day of tree growth and our prayer should help cause the trees to grow fruit.

Based on this, we have two questions to ask: First, why do we celebrate the new year for trees on Tu B'shvat, when the leaves are bare and have not yet started to show life, and not spring, the season in which the trees are blossoming? And second, what is the significance of the tefilah for the etrog on Tu B'shvat when Succot is not for another eight months?

The answer for both these questions is connected to the idea that during Tu B'shvat, "the trees begin to produce sap." From the external point of view, it seems that in this month the tree has no sign of life. But from an internal look, Chazal are telling us that things are not always what they seem, and that Tu B'shvat is indeed the beginning of the powers of growth and life that start to revive the tree. These powers are still unseen at this time, but they will come to fruition during the next two months until the blossoming of spring in Nissan.

Pay attention! Some people judge others by the results of their work. Chazal, however, are emphasizing that this is not where we should place our focus. Rather, we should look at the beginning of the process of completion, when "the trees produce sap." In Judaism, we observe every action by the intention and not by the result. Sometimes the result is disappointing, but if the heart had pure intentions: "Hashem considers a good thought as though you performed the action" even if nothing comes out of it. Beyond the intention, Hashem takes notice of the effort a person puts into his work.  Often, in the regular world, effort is not deemed particularly important. Marks on a report card are important, while sadly, the way in which they were achieved is not given much value.  

Consequently, people try to gain results with minimal time and effort, an unfortunate situation. But in Judaism it is really the opposite. The small acts are considered equal in value to the large acts as long as they are lishem shamayim. And we do not get reward based on the result, rather we receive it based on the intention and the effort we put into everything.  The celebration of blossoming is not at its apportioned time, but it takes place well in advance of the time when we see the first signs of the fruit growing.

But we are still left with the question of why we daven for the etrog on Tu B'shvat. The etrog symbolizes our Avodat Hashem at the peak of its beauty. Chazal say that we should understand the internal significance of Tu B'shvat and recognize how we can be Ovdei Hashem most beautifully. Rather than looking at the fruits, see the seeds that produced the fruit. Based on this, the etrog symbolizes the heart, which is what "Hashem yearns from us." Work that comes from the heart and is done with effort is what Hashem wants from us and is considered one of the holiest ways to serve Hashem.

I would suggest that this is connected to what you are doing this year. Over the past few weeks, many of you who studied with us last year visited us in order to benefit more words of Torah. This was incredibly exciting – your very presence gave us chizuk. And, in the course of learning and talking, it became clear that the year of university study is difficult because of the stark contrast between this year’s studies and the studies at SFW. This year, some of you feel like you are missing out on spiritual opportunities. 

Against this backdrop, it seems that it is befitting to learn about Tu B'shvat and to understand it completely. It is not the number of shiurim one attends, it isn’t about the length of one’s tefillah. Rather, you should focus on the effort – even the smallest effort. Sometimes the struggle to learn even something short, or to daven even in a shorter amount of time is greater than the longest shiur or the longest tefillah here in Eretz Yisrael. And it is the effort that determines the reward. Remember: “Echad Ha’Marbeh V’Echad Ha’Mam’it, U’bilvad Sheyechavein Libo LaShamayim.”

Your own personal etrog this year is different than your etrog of last year. Focus on making it mehudar.

 

Categorized under: 1: Chagim > Tu B'Shvat