Rabbi Shefa Gold

Seeing Deeper into the Tree Reborn

The Dreamer and the Rising Juice of Tu B'Shvat

On the Full Moon of Shvat, we understand, the juicy sap begins to rise again in the trees, and in the Tree of Life. Through the winter and as it begins to rise again, this sap is the dreaming of the tree. While the tree seems to sleep through winter, the secret juice keeps it alive. This energy is not publicly manifest but is the quiet, secret life, energy for the next spiral of the tree's growth.

Just so, Martin Luther King the Dreamer ("I have a dream...") and not only himself but more deeply his dream of justice, peace, and nonviolent courage to change the world were and are for America & the world the new juice rising for the next life-cycle.

Since Tu B'Shvat always comes near to Martin Luther King Day, let us praise the Creator of time Who brings us such confluences, and bless the Tree of all trees, the Dreamer of all dreams Who dreams us into being, that even in a time of winter You rouse the dream in all of us to rise again, giving in its very quiet new life to us, to justice, to peace and peacefulness, and to the flow of life throughout the planet.

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The Meal of Eden

The Tu B'Shvat Seder is the one Jewish sacred meal that in principle is not only vegetarian, not only vegan, but fruitarian: eating only nuts & fruits that fall from the tree, thus not requiring the destruction of any life at all. This is the food of Gan Eden. Not surprising that we eat the food of Eden to celebrate the New Year of the Tree of Life.

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From "Tu" B'Shvat to "YAH" B'Shvat

We say "Tu" B'Shvat for the 15th of the mid-winter moonth of Shvat, using the letters Tav and Vav (9+6) — lest we use the letters we would usually use to count with : Yod & Hey (10+5), because that combination makes one of the Divine Names.

So let us keep in mind at every full moon, but especially this one which calls our attention to the numerals, that at every full moon YAH — the God Who is the Breath of Life — is fully present.