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Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir

5 Reasons to Celebrate Tu BiShvat

look their best, at the height of their educate children, or build relationships, the mitzvah of taking lulav on Sukkot,
blossoming beauty. But we celebrate or educate ourselves and build our own which should come to us for a good and
during the winter, when the trees are characters, without the slow rhythm of peaceful life, as You have commanded
bare. Rabbi Ya’akov Edelstein found patience, waiting and love. us in Your Torah through Moshe
deep meaning in this: “Specifically on
Tu BiShvat, in the winter, we mark the We are now in the United States, as Your servant, “And you shall take for
New Year for Trees. Most of the year’s World Mizrachi’s shlichim in North yourselves on the first day…” (Vayikra
rains have already fallen, the earth has America. One of the great innovations 23:40).
absorbed the rain, and on a superficial we’ve seen here is “Amazon Prime,”
level, the tree looks dead. When a service that brings whatever your And may it Be Your Will, our L-rd G-d
looking from the outside, nothing is order to your door within 24 hours. and G-d of our Fathers, that You help
happening. But it is precisely then that It’s amazing but scary. Wonderful us and aid us to observe this mitzvah
the tree is absorbing and planning its but dangerous. You can get used to a of taking the lulav, hadas, arava and
growth power for the entire year to world in which you can get anything, etrog as it should be observed, in the
come. We see what’s happening on the here and now. You don’t need to wait, correct time, on the holiday of Sukkot,
outside, but the reality inside is that to put in any effort, or work hard. But
this time of barrenness is the time that life is not Amazon Prime. Meaningful that should come to us for a good and
ensures the tree’s future development. things demand more than 24 hours. peaceful life with joy and goodness of
So it is with our children too. We must We need that balance of “Tu BiShvat heart, and order a very beautiful, clean
believe in the flowers and fruits that Prime” – processes that are slow, long and perfect kosher etrog for us.
will eventually emerge, and never stop and authentic.
praying and putting in the effort. And And may it Be Your Will, our L-rd G-d
likewise with the Jewish people. Even and G-d of our Fathers, that You bless
when we see the people detached from 5. THE HOLIDAY OF PRAYING FOR FRUIT all types of trees and make their fruit
Torah, complaining, dry and void of Let us end with a wonderful prayer grow and multiply, juicy and good, and
all blossom, that’s just external. Inside written by the Ben Ish Chai, Rabbeinu bless the vines to extract many grapes,
every Jew is a spark of holiness, and the Yosef Chaim from Baghdad. He sees fat and good, so that the wine that
light of faith will burst forth from those
depths.” the whole Jewish year as a journey comes from them should be readily
through different fruits. On Tu BiShvat available for all of Your people Israel
we need to think about the Four to observe the mitzvah of kiddush and
4. THE HOLIDAY OF MODERN MAN Species, about the wine we use for the mitzvah of havdalah on Shabbatot
kiddush and havdalah, etc. These are
All these Tu BiShvat messages are the main stations in our life, this is the and Yamim Tovim, and may the verse
particularly relevant to our times. On purpose of all agriculture. And this is be fulfilled in us and in all of Israel: “Go
the face of it, we’re no longer dependent the prayer: eat your bread with joy and drink your
on nature. We live in cars, malls and wine with a glad heart, for G-d has
planes. Technology detaches us from “May it Be Your Will, our L-rd G-d and already approved your deeds.”
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nature. Tu BiShvat is the day that G-d of our Fathers, that You bless all
reminds us not to forego the lessons the etrog trees to produce their fruits Amen!
that nature can teach us. Not to at the right time, and to produce good,
become lazy and spoiled. Everything beautiful and pristine etrogim, free
happens so quickly and easily today. from all blemish. And may they have 1 Kohelet 9:7.
Hence the process of planting and no lichen, and may they be perfect
sowing is a lesson in faith. In the with nothing lacking, even the prick
important areas of our lives, we are of a thorn. And may they be available Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir are
asked to use the pace of nature, not for us and all of Israel our brethren popular Israeli media personalities and
the speed of the smartphone. We can’t wherever they may be so they can fulfil World Mizrachi's shlichim to North America
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