Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked,
or taken the path of scorners
or joined the company of the insolent;
rather the teaching of the Lord is his delight,
and he studies his teaching day and night.
He is like the tree planted besides streams of water,
which yields fruit in its season,
whose foliage never fades,
and whatever it produces thrives.
Ps 1:1-3
Tu B'Shevat celebrates the diversity and wealth of the world. We are nourished by the fruits of the earth. In Deuteronomy, seven fruits are named, identifying the richness of the promised land: Wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey. (Dt 8:8) Obviously honey does not grow on trees like peaches or apples, but is a byproduct of bees which pollinate flowers and blossoms. The mishkan was made of acacia wood, trees that attract bees to the blossoms heavenly scent.
"Kennst du das Land wo die Zitronnen bluehn,
im dunkeln Laub die Goldorangen gluehn,
ein saufter Wind vom blauen Himmel weht,
die Myrte still und hoch der Lorbeer steht.
Kennst du es wohl? Kennst du es wohl?
Dahin! dahin! moecht' ich mit dir, O mein Geliebter ziehn."
Goethe, Mignon Lieder: Kennst du das Land?
The acacia is not only biblically famous for the mishkan, but for innumerous Lieder including the Vier Letzten Lieder by Strauss with lyrics set by Herman Hesse and Eichendorf as it seems to be the transcendental plant of nirvana, the promised land where there are no more tears or sorrows. The Goethe Lieder above, intimates that the Land of the Zitronnen is Paradise, the land beyond in the World-to-Come. There are more than 350 species of the acacia which of great commerical value as they produce resin for gum and lac that is used for shellac as well as being a hardwood and having fragrant blossoms that attract bees. In addition to these praiseworthy qualities, the acacia is relatively hardy, growing in relatively tough areas that might be otherwise considered dry or unfriendly to succulent crops such as cucumbers or strawberries.
Equally so, the Zitron, citrus fruit, has its romantic catalog of Lieder as very frequently it represents the Isles of the Blessed in classical mythology and reappears in resurrection myths. Nearly everyone knows the story of Persephone and the seeds of the pomegranate, and although the myths of classical literature are not biblical, they originate from the Great Sea and were widespread throughout western civilization. They reflect our appreciation of the gifts of the earth and man's yearning for redemption, for the World-to-Come.
