Tu B’Shevat Seder
A Story:
Two men were fighting over a piece of land. Each shouted that the land was his. Finally, to settle their
differences, they called for their teacher and agreed to abide by the teacher’s decision. The teacher listened
carefully to the first man, and then to the other. The teacher announced the question to be solved: “To whom
does the land belong?” The men agreed, “That is the question!” “Since the question concerns the land,” the
teacher said, “Let’s hear what the land has to say.” The two men walked the teacher to the disputed land. To
the men’s surprise, the teacher got down on the ground, pressing into the grass, and listened. Nodding
thoughtfully the teacher said, “I have listened to the land, and it says it belongs to neither of you.” “What?!?!”
shouted the men in unison. “The land said that you belong to it,” said the teacher. “The earth belongs to noone but God.”
History of Tu B’Shevat
Tu B’Shevat is first recorded as a date of significance in the Mishnah, a major piece of Rabbinic commentary
dated 220 CE, also known as the “Oral Torah.” According to the great Rabbi Hillel, Tu B’Shevat marks the
new year for trees. Jewish law recognizes four different new years. The existence of four new years shows
an awareness and sensitivity to the fact that humans operate in many different time cycles and rhythms. We
feel this as students when we have to navigate the academic, Jewish, and Gregorian or “secular” calendars.
In the Land of Israel, Tu B’Shevat marked the start of a new agricultural tithing cycle. Each year of a sevenyear cycle corresponded to a different type of agricultural tithe.
After the destruction of the Temple and expulsion of Jews from Israel in 70 CE, Tu B’Shevat became a
relatively dormant holiday. The Jews weren’t living in the land of Israel, and thus the primary purpose of the
holiday – marking the new tithe – was not longer applicable. In the sixteenth century the holiday was revived
by the Kabbalists or “Jewish mystics,” living in Tzfat. The Kabbalists believed there were many worlds, with
the human world being the most distanced from God. The Kabbalists saw nature as the best way to garner
insight into the Divine realm. Unlike philosophers, for whom nature allowed for an appreciation of God, the
Kabbalists believe that nature was a symbolic representation of the ultimate divine realm.
The original goals of Tu B’Shevat again became relevant with the advent of Zionism and the settling of the
land of Israel at the end of the nineteenth century. Tu B’Shevat was soon adopted as a national arbor day.
Jewish school children living in Israel would plant trees to commemorate the day. Jews not living in Israel
would hold fundraising drives and tree campaigns.
More recently, with the rise of the modern environmentalist movement and an increased awareness of the
earth’s vulnerability, Tu B’Shevat has been adopted by Jewish environmentalists as a day to examine what
Judaism has to say about protection of the earth and of nature. As we gather together today to celebrate Tu
B’Shevat, all of the elements described above converge to inform our seder.
Structure of the Tu B’Shevat Seder
The word seder means “order.” Similar to a Passover seder, the Tu B’Shevat seder is framed by the drinking
of four cups of wine. At a Tu B’Shevat seder, each cup represents a different season, a different type of food,
and a different realm of creation as understood by the Kabbalists. We begin by saying a blessing over the
wine and then drinking it. After the blessing is said, the nature of the food and what it represents is briefly
contemplated, the blessing over the food is said, and the food is eaten.
Although there are many foods that could be used to represent the four different grouping outlined by the Tu
B’Shevat seder, the traditional seder highlights the seven species or “fruits” of the Land of Israel mentioned in
the Torah.
For Hashem is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks, fountains and springs, flowing forth in
valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and grapevines and figs and pomegranates, a land of
olive oil and date honey...” (Dvarim 8:7-8)
Our Tu B’Shevat seder links us with the Land of Israel. Our ancestors treasured its stones and dirt. How
much more so must they have treasured its trees and fruit?
Another way to look at the Tu B’Shevat seder and the seven species is thus: Passover marks the Journey; Tu
B'Shvat celebrates the Arrival. Passover is about planting; Tu B’Shevat is about the harvest. Passover is
about yearning for the Land of Israel; Tu B'Shvat is the appreciation of it.
First Cup
Pour the first cup of wine. The first cup of wine is white, which corresponds to the world of assiyah (action),
the material world, winter, and the element of earth. The fruits associated with assiyah, and thus the first
fruits of the Tu B’Shevat seder, have an inedible peel or shell. These typically include nuts, such as almonds,
walnuts, and peanuts, as well as pomegranates, oranges, coconuts, pineapples, bananas, etc.
The realm of assiya is the furthest from perfection in the Kabbalistic scheme. Symbolically, this realm
requires the most protection, and therefore we eat fruits that have a shell on the outside – to protect them
from the external elements.
Hold the cup of white wine and say the following blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Boreh peri ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of the vine.
The pomegranate, one of the seven species, corresponds with assiyah because it has an inedible peel. The
pomegranate is often referenced in Jewish texts. When Jews wanted to appraise beauty, the pomegranate
was their measuring-stick. The pomegranate’s unique and aesthetic shape, along with its ruby-red color,
have given it a special place in Jewish literature and art. Its numerous seeds, so carefully arranged in neat
rows, led the pomegranate to become a symbol of abundance. Additionally, it is said that the perfect
pomegranate contains 613 seeds, the number of mitzvot or Jewish commandments. Over the generations,
this fruit's likeness decorated the staves of the Torah scrolls, and served as artistic motif in synagogues, on
coins, in mosaic floors and in wall reliefs. Ironically, since it’s the only one of the seven kinds with an inedible
rind, the pomegranate became not only a symbol for outside beauty, but a symbol for inner beauty as well.
Hold a piece of pomegranate and say the following blessing:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam Borei peri ha-etz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of trees.
On Rosh HaShanah it is customary to bless each other that we will be "filled with good deeds like the seeds of
the pomegranate." So now at Tu B'Shvat, the Rosh HaShanah of the trees, what are those good deeds that
we have begun to make a part of our daily routine? What good deeds do we hope to still accomplish during
the rest of the year? As we celebrate the realm of assiya and all that it represents, we are reminded to peel
off our metaphorical shells and share some of ourselves with the community.
Second Cup
Pour the second cup of wine. The second cup should be primarily white with a little bit of red. This
corresponds to the world of yetzira (making), or spiritual formation. It also corresponds to spring, and the
element of water. The fruits associated with yetzira have no outer shell or peel, but do have an inner pit that
we don’t eat. The pit or seed is a means of regrowth, symbolizing the earth’s reawakening. These typically
include olives, dates, cherries, plums, apricots, etc.
Hold the cup of wine and say the following blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Boreh peri ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of the vine.
Two of the seven species correspond with yetzira: the olive and the date. Our ancestors used olives mainly
for olive oil. However, olive oil can be used for many things, including but not limited to food, light, medicine,
lotion, cooking, soap, shampoo, and sunscreen. The olive tree can live hundreds of years, sometimes even
thousands of years, and can give fruit the entire time. This, along with the tenderizing lotion of its oil, made it
a symbol of vitality. An olive branch is also a common symbol for peace.
Because of the great importance of olive trees, cutting them down was forbidden. An olive tree could only be
cut down when it had stopped giving much fruit, or was utterly decayed. It was not permitted to light fires of
olive wood, even upon the Temple altar. For workday kindling, it was permissible only if the tree from which it
was taken had become decrepit and dried up.
The olive is the only fruit of the seven species here that cannot be eaten "as is" right off the tree. It has to be
processed; it takes time. Additionally, in order to make olive oil you have to first crush and press the olives.
This reminds us that although sometimes we may feel squashed by life’s burdens, we will triumph, and benefit
from our labors.
Like olives, date palms have numerous uses. The fruit is eaten both fresh and dry. Sweet honey is prepared
by squeezing the juice from very ripe dates. Fibers from the fronds and trunk are woven into ropes, baskets
and trays, while the hard ribs of the fronds are cut into thin sticks, like bamboo, to make boxes, crates, etc. In
Biblical Israel, every part of the tree was useful and had a purpose, thus making the palm tree into another
symbol of the Jewish People. The palm tree’s shape - straight and tall - made it a symbol for righteousness.
Since the palm tree often grows in a desert oasis with running water, sweet fruit and generous shade, it also
symbolized all good things. Today, the date palm tree is sometimes used as a symbol of sustainability.
Hold a piece of date and say the following blessing:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam Borei peri ha-etz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of trees.
During yetziah we focus on the pit of the fruit, which we normally throw away. Today we recognize that the pit
is a means for re-growth, and it is through the pit that there is fruit and produce for the next generation.
Today, we will celebrate the olive during our festive meal. We will also celebrate the two non-fruit species –
wheat and barley – which do not directly correspond to a cup of wine. In Jewish tradition, wheat and barley
are considered the staples of the daily diet: wheat for humans, and barley for our animals. In Israel, barley
ripens earlier than wheat, perhaps reflecting the Jewish tradition’s sensitivity to animals. For example, Jewish
law forbids us to eat until we have fed our animals. Food that is eaten daily can be easy to take for granted.
Judaism helps us keep our sense of appreciation by instituting blessings to be said before and after eating.
Many Jewish sources concerning grain stress this idea of gratefulness.
Third Cup
Pour the third cup of wine. The third cup should be half red and half white, corresponding to the world of
beriah (creating), the world of creation. It also corresponds to summer, and the element of air. In this third
realm, the realm of creation, the tree has grown into a full being and is blooming. No protective shells are
needed within or without. The fruit of the realm of creation has no shell or pit, and may be eaten as is. This
Fruits from this realm include: grapes, figs, apples, lemons, pears, quinces, carob, etc.
Hold the cup of wine and say the following blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Boreh peri ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of the vine.
Two of the seven species correspond with beriah: the fig and the grape. The fig is a traditional symbol of the
Torah, of Jewish education, and of the Jewish People. There are many commentaries on why this is so. One
of the most common commentaries states that while most trees – such as the olive, date, and grapevine – are
harvested all at once, the fig tree is picked little by little. So it is with the Torah, which is learned in little bits,
one day at a time. Another commentary states that just like a fig tree, in which the more one searches, the
more figs one finds, so are the words of the Torah - the more one studies them, the more wisdom one finds in
them. Additionally, the Torah is likened to a fig because whereas other fruits have something inedible, the fig
is good to eat in its entirety. Likewise, all the words of the Torah are valuable. Nothing is worthless.
Jewish sources also refer to the People of Israel as a grapevine - full of beauty, fruitfulness, and diversity. All
parts of the grapevine are vital to its entire existence. In order to paint a picture of peace and serenity for the
Jewish People, Jewish texts often referred to “sitting under one’s grapevine.”
Jews have put wine on their tables for thousands of years. At every happy event (almost), we drink wine, we
bless wine, and we celebrate with wine. We make “Kiddush” over wine, a blessing that literally means:
“making holy”.
Hold a piece of fig and say the following blessing:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam Borei peri ha-etz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of trees.
Note that we will be blessing the grapevine through our four cups of wine drunk this evening.
Fourth Cup
Pour the fourth cup of wine. The fourth cup should be almost all red with a drop of white, corresponding to the
world of atzilut (nobility), and complete development. It also corresponds to autumn, and the element of fire.
There is no fruit associated with this cup. The world of nobility represents pure spirituality, and it cannot be
embodied in anything physical. Sometimes this world is represented through fragrant spices.
Hold the cup of wine and say the following blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Boreh peri ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates fruit of the vine.
If you choose to do so, hold the fragrant spices and say the following blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Boreh minei besamim.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe Who creates different types of spices.
The world of nobility is often ritualized through meditation. Meditation is designed to allow us to connect to
that which is beyond us, and to gain a sense of this ultimate world. For the Kabbalists, it was a way to attain a
higher level of spirituality and closeness to Hashem.
Conclusion:
We have now completed the Tu B’Shevat seder. Tu B’Shevat allows us to think about our relationship to
trees and the physical world around us. It also allows us to think about our social responsibility to the
environment, to the world, and to the future. Tu B’Shevat introduces us to the Kabbalisitic understanding of
the world and of God. Tu B’Shevat also allows us to concentrate on the land of Israel and its fruits. And in
the United States, it reminds us of the beauty and complexity of nature, even in the darkest season.
We wish everyone a happy and healthy year, and look forward to gathering together again.