Rabbi Warren G. Stone

By Rabbi Warren G. Stone

Source of Creation and Life of the Universe, we gather together on Tu B'Shvat, as Jews of conscience, with a deep spiritual bond to your natural wonders, to affirm and preserve creation.

We are grateful for creation in all its majesty: the ever-flowing waters, the azure blue skies, the complex life of Earth's forests, the myriad of life forms--amoebae and falcon, black footed ferret and wild turkey, human being and soaring eagle.

The life of all creatures and our own lives are One, profoundly dependent upon each other.

We call our ancient scroll of wisdom, the Torah, an "eytz chaim," a tree of life, for it, like the Earth's great forests, sustains us. Torah teaches us that creation, in its great diversity, is harmoniously interconnected. Like the trees, we too need strong and deep roots for nourishment. The uplifted branches of trees point to our future. God let us be strong, as strong as ancient trees. The Psalmist was right when he said, "like a tree planted by the waters, we shall not be moved."

We are grateful for the life we are lent. We pledge to lift up our voices both in praise of You and in defense of Your Creation.