Special: Tu B'Shvat (5766)Tu B’shvat
Towards the end of Az Yashir we praise Hashem saying, “T’vi’aimo v’si’ta’aimo b’har nachalascha”- You will bring them and implant them on the mount of Your heritage. Implant, like by trees!
The Gemorah Rosh Hashanah says Tu B’shvat is New Years for trees. Rav Wolfson asks, Why did our Sages make such a big deal about this day?
From a verse later in the Torah we learn, “A person is a tree of the field.” Our Sages expound that although like a tree, we are an upside down tree. We are rooted in the heavens and we blossom and spread the fruits of our deeds down here on earth. What is it about Tu B’shvat that makes it the New year for trees? Our tradition tells us that this is the day the sap begins to flow. Even though the tree may be barren and seem stripped of all life, the reality is that deep in its roots there is a resurgence of life!
Our Sages also tell us that this day is the time to pray for the perfect Esrog for Sukkos. We beg Hashem that when Sukkos comes around and we go shopping for our 4 species, Divine providence should cause it that our hand reaches for a box with a perfect esrog inside! May all 4 species be perfect!
In a Rav Wolfson vort from Sukkos we learned… allow me to plagiarize…
Vayikra 23:40> "And you shall take yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of the Hader tree, of the date palm, the leaves of the hyssop and willow..." Before we recite the blessing on these 4 minim- species, most siddurs have a Y'he Rotsone, a brief prayer as a preface to the mitsvah. In it we say, "...osiyos shimcha hamiyuchad tikarev echad el echad v'hoyu l'achadim b'yadi v'laidah aich shimchah nikrah alai..."- the letters of Your Name [Hashem’s four letter Name] may You bring close, one to one, and unite them in my hand to know how Your Name is called upon me..." Very nice. Problem is that the Arizal says that the 5 books of Moses parallel the FIVE elements of Hashem’s name! The last 4 books parallel the 4 letters and the first book parallelthe kotes- a point of the inscribed letter yud! If Hashem's 4 letter name is really 5 parts, then why not take 5 minim?
Rav Moshe Wolfson says the answer is already revealed in the Y'he Ratsone quoted above, "...to know how Your Name is called upon me..." ME! That’s YOU! Hashem's Name is on the 4 minim and on us too! WE are the 5th specie paralleling the sublime kotes of the Yud!!
After bringing ourselves back into Hashem's domain with the month of Elul, after accepting He is King with Rosh Hashanah, after repenting and the spiritually cleansing service of Yom Kippur we have now perfected ourselves just like the 4 minim we drive ourselves nuts over, searching for the perfect ones. Our hopefully perfected spiritual state and that same condition which we seek in our 4 minim are one in the same. And this brings us back to the verse from Vayikra, "Take yourselves, the fruit, the palm, etc." Not “take for yourselves” but “Take YOU yourselves”! This Sukkos, when someone greets you while putting out their hand, give them a real shake! [Careful not to poke the person behind you.]
So putting all our ideas together we get a glimpse of the depth of wisdom of our Sages. When we pray for the perfect species for Sukkos, we are praying for ourselves! We are the trees of the fields. We are the 5th specie for Sukkos. During this time of Shovevim, again, a time for introspection and repentance, the Chesed of Hashem gives us yet another booster shot. Along comes Tu B’shvat. We think our sins are too great and there is little hope? Chas v’shalom! There is a resurgence of life within! Physical life! Spiritual life! Now is the time to pray that when we get to the ‘real’ New Year we merit perfection, we merit being sealed in the book of life, health and prosperity. And shortly thereafter, on Sukkos, may we merit that our perfected selves and the perfect species, which we had prayed for, all come together on Sukkos, in the sukkah, the mitsva which requires our whole being to perform it.
The Bnei Yissaschar adds that 40 days before a new life comes into creation a Bas Kol- a Divine voice announces who that child will be, rich or poor, smart or average, weak or strong, etc. There are two opinions in the Gemorah of when creation was. One says Adam was created the first of Tishrei, the other says on the first of Nissan. Backing up to the first day of creation makes it either the 25th of Elul or the 25th of Adar. 40 days prior to that creation a Bas Kol would have gone out. That brings us to either, respective to Tishrei or Nissan, Tu B’av or Tu B’shvat! Just before the Bas Kol goes out to describe the world created for us this coming year we are given the opportunity to offer up a prayer that we are given the wisdom, strength, and means to emulate the ways of Hashem and bring ourselves closer to Him.
This Shabbos the time to direct our prayers and thoughts towards all this is during the Silent Prayer, when we read the words, “V’tahair Libainu L’avdecha B’emes”- And purify our hearts to serve You sincerely. Not just because these words are the synopsis of all we’ve been talking about but also because the first letter of each word are the 4 letters in LuLav!
And Tu B’shvat falling out on Shabbos means that the first day of Sukkos falls out on Shabbos! The day we don’t take our lulav and esrog for fear of breaking Shabbos! Ironic? NO! Because in the time of the Third Temple we will take the 4 species on Shabbos! So with our prayers for our own spiritual growth and for our fitting placement with our 4 perfect species in the protective walls of the sukkah, we simultaneously pray for the perfection, fulfillment and redemption of all Israel! That the Mashiach comes and takes us from this 50th level of impurity and builds the Third and everlasting Temple!
Get your candles, your two challahs and your bag of fruits and make sure you have a Y6K bug free Shabbat Shalom! |
