Tu B'Shevat for a Green and Healthy World

Introduction:

Tu B'Shevat is celebrated on the 15th of Shevat. The School of Hillel and Shammai disagreed regarding the day. The School of Shammai said it started on the first, but present custom is to follow the tradition of Hillel. "Tu" represents the numeral fifteen when it is spoken, Hence Tu B'Shevat.

There are actually four years within the Jewish Calendar, each commerorating an aspect of life. Why does the Year of the Tree fall on this date? There are two responses. By now the rainy season has ended and the new growth of trees has begun, expressing the potentiality of fruit. The second is that the almond is about to flower, just as the cherry begins flowering in the United States and so heralds the new year of crops.

Tu B'Shevat also defines the fiscal year for the tithe of harvests, so that there is a clear delineation of payment, just as the IRS in the States has it's annual Sweat Deadline for that All Important Tax Return Filing. A mandatory gift was given to the Kohen, called the "terumah." Secondary gifts included tithes of the harvest , "Ma'aser Rishon" for the Levites who lived in designated cities throughout the land. Without this support, the Levites would severely restricted in means for survival. Other tribes had land designated to them as an inheritance, but the Levites, being a priestly class had no title to land, but were given twenty-two cities. Their chief purpose was to protect the rituals and learning of the culture so that traditions could be transferred from one generation to another. The cities they inhabited, severed as centers of worship and education as well as cities of refuge and courts of justice for someone accused of manslaughter.

The Second tithe, "Ma'aser Sheni," was to be taken from the field to be eaten in Jerusalem and the last, "Ma'aser" is "Ma'aser Ani," was a tithe to support the poor. As you can see, the social structure was very complicated, but maintained a balance between the wealthy and poor through applied religious law. This is in addition to setting aside the Corners of the Field, so that the poor could reap from the edges of the field, thus sustain themselves through gleaning and honest work.

Unfortunately, contemporary society has the tendency to deride the poor of being lazy or worthless scum of the earth while at the same time exploiting them for cheap labor that cannot cover the basic costs of survival and at the same time depriving them of the ability to glean of the wealth of the earth. Through social laws regarding care of the poor and the Shabbat Year and Year of Jubilee, ancient society of Israel was able to maintain a more balanced society in which the poor could redeem themselves or be redeemed. Emphasis within Jewish social law is the obligation to care for one's neighbor, even if it meant returning an ox or ass to one's enemy.

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