Tu B'Shvat
Tu B'Shvat is a date which marks the New Year for Trees. Mishnah, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1, 1. This day is date set for some fruit tree-related staff, such as Neta-Revai (When planting a tree in Israel, must not eat the fruit of the tree for the first four years. In the fourth year taking the fruits and eat them in Jerusalem.) And donations and tithes. Customary to eat on this day seven species, special fruit blessed Land of Israel, and practices to make "The Tu Bishvat seder".
New Year for Trees
the first quotation that mentioned ' Tu B'Shvat' it is in the Mishnah:
"There is four New Year around the year.
One of Nissan, New Year for kings and festivals.
One of Elul, Rosh Hashana for tithing cattle. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon says, in one of Tishri.
in one of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah for years, and 'Shmita' and jubilees, for planting and for vegetables.
In one of Shvat, the New Year for trees, according to Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel say, on the fifteenth it. "
Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1, 1.
Although all the others New Year are on Rosh Chodesh, then as in most other cases where there is a dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, Bet Hillel established law.
Rashi reasoning it out date selected New Year of Trees "has already passed most of the rainy season, which is time waterlogged soil, and leaf resin in the trees, and fruit were embalmed now," that is the beginning of the natural farming year of the trees. Hence, any fruit embalmed after Tu B'Shvat (15 of Shvat) are countryside a New Year's for the fruit.
In the First place, Tu B'Shvat is determined only as the date for implementation of laws related to fruit tree - And in particular laws of donations and tithes that the farmer have to do as taxes. As explained by Maimonides in his book 'Hayad Hachzakah': "no donate from fruit of this year for last year, and don't donate from the fruit of last year for this year. And if he did it, it is not consider like donate…. And Tu B'Shvat is Rosh Hashana for tithes tree". Rabbi Yehuda Halevy, a poet who lived in Israel before the year one thousand AD, wrote a poem - a prayer "Eighteen New Year of Trees".
The festival of trees
Becoming time for the holiday of Tu B'Shvat, is unclear. Some speculate that this was already the Mishna, the first expression that we see from Hhgaonim sources. It seems that during this period and before the day is celebrated as the Day of Judgment Trees ". This is a day of special prayers and blessing were said liturgical poems tree.
Dried fruit plate
Be remembered holiday Tu B'Shvat, preserved in Ashkenazi Jews is evidenced by the ruling of Rabbeinu Gershom not declare a fast to the public on Shvat fifteenth, because what this day called New Year's and it seems that the rest of New Year which is not fast. Rabbi Joseph Caro sentenced from it's that not hold fast on Tu B'Shvat, indicating since Tu B'Shvat as holiday.
In Maharil first mentioned that we do not say "Tachanun": "Shevat is the king, because that 15 Shevat is the New Year for Trees ... And on the fifteenth it does not say pleading ...
Custom of eating fruit was common only among Ashkenazi Jews, Rabbi Issachar Susanoo from Morocco who settled in Safed, wrote in his book "conception years": "... day ... Tu Shvat New Year for Trees, so there is no prayer face down fall in prayer... And Ashkenazic custom is to eat species fruit trees in honor of the name of the day.
Holiday customs
eating fruits
Ate plenty of fruits of seven species, special fruit blessed Land of Israel, especially dried fruits and nuts such as figs, dates, raisins, carob and almond. Traditional source of dried fruit actually is that in the past, before the days of refrigeration, it was the only way Diaspora Jews could eat the fruits of the Land of Israel during the holiday.
"The Tu Bishvat seder"
Tu B'Shvat is a tradition that developed by the sages of Safed in the 17th century to instill the love of Israel and Diaspora Jews hasten the redemption. Even today there are many who celebrate Tu B'Shvat dinner party with special psalms holiday reading.
Rabbi Chaim Vital, pupil Ari says, there are thirty different kinds of fruit in the country - Israel, ten of them eaten peel and into. Ten, their peel is eaten and inside discarded, and ten of which was eaten and peel discarded. And thirty of these types existing ten counts against each of the three worlds: the world of creation, world of formation and world of activity. Eating the fruits of the tree corresponds to progress to correct the person and the spiritual worlds, and its purpose "influence the abundance of the Holy tree - the tree of life".
This is determined by special Seder Tu Bishvat, which eat thirty different kinds of fruit, drink four glasses of red wine and white and passages from the scriptures say, expressing the equivalence between tree growth and the return of people to its land, the revival of nature revival of the people, and have thus a symbol of human repair , as "that man is like a tree of the field."
This Seder Tu Bishvat also printed in a separate book, called "citrus fruit", and had a wide circulation in the communities of the East. This soon became a habit that many Diaspora custom of Israel.
Additional customs
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The law was given to this day very few signs of festival: prayer does not say that Tachanun, and Rabbeinu Gershom Maor Hgolah ruled forbidden to fast on it.
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Engage in depend Holy land commandments.
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The book ' Isaskhar Sons' brought the custom to pray for an etrog from the four species, talisman to find fancy citron for the following year.
