Rabbi's Message
TU B’SHEVAT—NEW YEAR OF TREES
Tu B' Shevat, the New Year of the Trees, falls on Monday, February 10th, just a few days after Groundhog Day, February 2nd, when the furry woodchuck, Punxsutawney Phil, inches out of his hollow in search of his shadow and winter's end. Both occasions hint of the green promise of spring, just as we, in New York State, are growing weary of the winter season's short days and frigid nights.
About twelve weeks from now, root systems will burrow deeper into the ground, buds will appear on barren branches, and the wintry sun will give way to a succession of increasingly warmer days. We'll marvel once again at the earth's potential for renewal and the resurgence of new life.
Hand in hand with renewed appreciation of the wonders of creation comes the realization of our responsibility as stewards of the Earth. While the liturgy of Tu B' Shevat recounts God's hand in creation, its rituals underscore our partnership. And so, on Tu B' Shevat, we taste the sweetness of God's work - dates, grapes, figs and pomegranates - and join in the work, planting saplings in the arid desert soil and contributing to Jewish National Fund to plant trees in Israel. But our responsibility ultimately extends far beyond a one-day observance.
Deadly chemicals pollute our state's water supplies; toxins poison the air we breathe. We deplete precious natural resources, often giving little thought to their protection, much less their regeneration. We act as if the earth, in all its fullness and immense variety, is ours alone to use.
Of course it is not. If there is an overriding Tu B'Shevat message, it is that we are no more, and no less, than custodians of the Earth, responsible for protecting, preserving and replenishing its bounties.
Tu B' Shevat prompts us also to acknowledge the unending cycle of life, season to season and generation to generation. This year, on the New Year of the Trees, take a moment to imagine their roots furrowing deep into the ground, and to look skyward at their branches reaching toward the stars. Then, remember who planted them, and resolve to act so that our children and grandchildren can sit in their shade and enjoy their leafy splendor.
