Tu B'Shevat has arrived, the holiday for the trees ...

Tu B'Shevat (literally, Fifteenth of Shevat) is one of those Jewish holidays that means very little to many Jews. Most don't even know it is called a Rosh Hashanah (one of four), or why.

Halachically, Tu B'Shevat is the day of the year that separates the previous year from the upcoming year with respect to fruits grown on trees because most of the rains have already fallen in Israel by then. As a result, any trees planted at that time are sure to take root in the already rain-saturated ground. Therefore, this is the day the rabbis designated to determine the fruits of the previous year's crop, for purposes of titheing.

For this reason, Tu B'Shevat is a day of judgment for the trees, to determine how bountiful they will be in the upcoming year based upon the merits of the Jewish people.

Tu B'Shevat is also a day that bespeaks the praise of the Land of Israel, and it is therefore imbued with a festive sense. Work is not prohibited, but there is a tradition to eat fruits of the Land of Israel, especially of the seven species for which Israel is praised (wheat, barley, grapes,

Tu B'Shevat is not simply a non-holiday, to be marked merely by the consumption of carob. It is a time of deep contemplation, of developing a spiritual unity with Torah and Eretz Yisroel. Like on Purim after it, the festive mood of Tu B'Shevat is to help us elevate our consciousness to tap into God's master plan for creation, and find our place within that plan.

In doing so, we bring the Tree of Knowledge closer to unification with the Tree of Life, which, according to the Zohar, began as one tree until Adam and Eve ate from it causing a branch to fall off and grow into the separate Tree of Knowledge.

Not only this, the Pri Tzaddik (how appropriate -- his name means: Fruit of the Tzaddik!) points out, but the Jewish people are referred to as apples hanging on the Tree in the orchard, the Tree here referring to G-d Himself.