Zohar Sparks – 00019 – Tu B’shevat – New Year for the Tree!
On Wednesday night, we celebrate Tu B’shevat. It is the 15th day of the month of Shevat. The full moon on that night tells us that there is a great revelation of Light. This day is the Rosh Hashanah for the Tree. In Hebrew ‘ראש השנה לאילן’. It is said in the singular form to indicate that we connect to the Tree of Life. Six months later we celebrate the 15th of Av, a day of ‘Love’, when Malchut and Zeir Anpin join for complete unification.
Tu B’Shevat is the seed level for the Tree, and it’s a good day to plant positive ‘seeds’ for the future. It is a custom in Israel to plant trees on this day. To make a proper connection, we gather different fruits and make blessings while connecting the different fruits to Bible verses.
Some drink four cups of wine (white and Red). Some use meditations to climb from the world of Asiyah (our world) to the world of Yetzirah, to Beriah, and to Atzilut, which is the top of the Tree. Check with your local rabbi for local custom, and do your best!
Explore the following links to study more about this special day.
Deep: https://dailyzohar.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Tu-Bshvat-Seder.pdf
Short: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/627021/jewish/Tu-BiShvat-in-a-Minute.htm
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_BiShvat_seder