The holiday of 15 Shevat, known as the “New Year for Trees, marks the beginning of the year’s new season of agricultural growth. This year, it’s celebrated from Tuesday night, Jan. 30, through Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Commonly known as Tu B’Shevat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is one of the four heads of the year recorded in the Mishnah. The holiday is celebrated through Jewish gatherings and by eating fruit, particularly those singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, as well as foods containing wheat and barley. On this day, the Jewish people remember that “man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19) and reflect on the lessons that can be derived from this arborial analogue.
The day serves to demarcate between the fruit of one year and the next. While its practical relevance is limited to tithes, orlah (forbidden fruit from the first three years of a tree’s growth) and other laws relevant almost exclusively to orchardists, the lessons of the holiday remain universal.
For articles about the many different aspects of the holiday, visit Chabad.org’s 15 Shevat page. For events at your local Chabad center, visit the Chabad locator.
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