“If you are holding a seedling in your hand and you hear that the Messiah is coming, plant the seedling and then go and greet the Messiah.” These are the words of the 1st century c.e. scholar Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai. He understood that just sitting and praying for the messianic era was not sufficient. As partners with God, we have an obligation to work toward a messianic goal and maybe that process begins by the simple act of planting a tree.
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin writes, “Imagine paradise without trees. Imagine lullabies, summer camp, the grand sweep of a boulevard, or autumn’s canvas-imagine any one of them without trees. Is it any wonder that God chose to put the first people in the garden of trees? Tending to the trees was Adam and Eve’s only divinely ordained task.”
This weekend, Jews observe the yearly celebration of Tu BiShevat-the new year of the trees. When the ancient Temple stood in Jerusalem, Tu BiShevat (or, the 15th day of the Hebrew month Shevat) was the occasion for reminding farmers to start considering the annual tithing of their forthcoming fruits. In the year 70 ce, Roman forces destroyed the Temple. Its destruction marked an end to agricultural tithing in Israel.
In the 10th century, Jewish mystics revived Tu BiShevat as an occasion for Jews who lived outside of Israel to celebrate the land by eating the fruits that were grown there. As Jews returned to Israel, especially during the late part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century, they were greeted by a barren landscape. The Jewish National Fund was established to raise money for the reforestation of Israel. Planting trees became the new focus of Tu BiShevat.
Today, Israel is a tree-laden country and now the focus of Tu BiShevat has become our stewardship of the environment. Global warming and climate change is a constant reminder of why God made the tending of trees the only ordained task of Adam and Eve. Our health, and the health of this planet, is inextricably connected. Some may wish to believe that humankind plays no role in the alarming increase in the earth’s temperature. This does not excuse one from still working to protect the environment we live in for the generations to come.
I conclude with the tale of a legendary Jewish character known as “Honi The Circle maker.” On one occasion, Honi saw an elderly man planting a seedling. He said to him, “Old man, why do you plant this tree? You are too old to ever enjoy its fruit or shade!” The old man responded, “When I was young, I remember playing beneath large shade trees, being protected by them from the rain, and enjoying their fruits. I don’t plant for myself, but so future generations may cherish the same experience.”
Tu BiShevat reminds the Jew that a relationship with God means a relationship with the earth.
Rabbi Howard Siegel