Seeing the Potential

15 Shevat, the New Year for Trees, is when the sap is just beginning to flow, and the trees awaken from their winter sleep. But if the fruit is not yet growing, why do we celebrate the occasion by eating fruit?

The Answer: Specifically by enjoying the fruit before they have grown, we celebrate the as yet unlocked potential within the tree. We commit ourselves to bring out this potential by nurturing the tree through the spring and summer, until it brings its fruit. As human beings, like a tree, we must recognize the wonderful potential within each person and every event, and commit ourselves to bringing out that potential.