Page 53 - HaMizrachi #26 Tu Bishvat USA 2021

TU BISHVAT READING

Rabbi Berel Wein Rabbi Judah Mischel

More Than The Tree

Just a Date of Life

ebbe Yosef Yitzchok, the Freidiker Ba’al Shem Tov vividly perceived the Torah learned, every letter, every mitz-
(Previous) Lubavitcher Rebbe, interconnectedness of Creation with vah. Connecting with just one idea or
Rwas on a leisurely walk through a supernal ecosystem, where all things verse of Torah, uttering a single word
the forest with his father, Rebbe Shalom share the same root and all pulsate of prayer, we are bound to the entirety
Dov Ber, when young Yosef Yitzchok with the same Divine heartbeat. All of of the infinite universe of Jewish expe-
absentmindedly plucked a leaf off a tree. Creation are branches of one tree. rience and knowledge.
Surprised, the father turned to his son The Torah itself is called םיִּי ַ ח ץ ֵ ע, “a Part of the Torah is the whole of
and admonished him for his seem- Tree of Life for all those who grab Torah. Every detail is equally con-
ingly harmless action: “The leaf you onto it” (Mishlei 3). When we grab nected to the Source and the same
tore from its branch was created by hold of a single leaf at the very edge of Divine current flows through every
the Ribbono Shel Olam for a specific the tree, a small twig, flower or fruit, nekuda, and every authentic commen-
purpose! It’s alive, its physical struc- we are “ocheiz bekula,” holding on to tary and chidush throughout time.
ture is akin to a body, it’s imbued the entire tree as well, connected to The Shabbat after Tu BiShvat, Shab-
with a Divine life-force, it’s guided by the whole of Truth and Wisdom. bat Shira, features the Song of the
hashgacha pratit (Divine Providence). In the same way that the Rebbe, Reb Sea at Kriyat Yam Suf, the Splitting of
Every blade of grass, every leaf on Sholom Dov Ber, was sensitive to the Sea. In the midst of Az Yashir, the
every tree is invested with G-d’s own every blade of grass, every petal, so song of praise celebrating the Exodus
vitality, created intentionally, each do we need to cherish every word of from Egypt, Moshe has a vision of the
with a Divine spark, part of a ‘soul’ End of Days: ך ְ ת ָ ל ֲ חַנ ר ַ ה ְּ ב ֹומ ֵ ע ָּ ט ִ ת ְ ו ֹומ ֵ א ִ ב ְּ ת,
ָ
that has descended to earth to find its “Bring us to and implant us upon the
correction and fulfillment. How can mount of Your inheritance…” He envi-
you be so callous towards a creation of sions us “planted” on Har HaBayit,
G-d?” flourishing with Temple conscious-
The Ba’al Shem Tov taught: the ness, rooted in the headquarters of
all-encompassing Oneness of Divine space, time and awareness,
G-d is the fundamental real- drawing from the infinite Source
ity underlying all Creation. of All Life. So may it be!
Everything is an expres- A meaningful and sweet New
sion of the singular, Divine Year for the Trees to all who
whole, the Ein Sof, the strive to cling to any and every
Infinite. part of it!
Therefore, coming Tu BiShvat Sameach!
into contact with even
one part, one element of
Creation, is connecting to Rabbi Judah Mischel is Executive Director
of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for
the entirety. Far beyond the Tran- Special Children. He serves as an educa-
scendentalist thinkers and writers of tional consultant to schools and synagogues
the 19th century (lehavdil), the Holy in the United States and Israel.

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