#shevat

[extollingtheeveryday]

Danez Smith // "I'M GOING BACK TO MINNESOTA WHERE SADNESS MAKES SENSE" [ID in alt text]

[thejewitches]

Did you know that Judaism has a New Year of the Trees?

I see the ancient groves of olive trees and my heart breaks, it twists in my chests to see our community say it’s worth it to flood the land with sea water, to salt the earth, and destroy one another, somehow claiming this in the name of Judaism.

Judaism teaches magic in the trees; teaches that the roots ground us, that the branches bring us to HaShem and HaShem to Us. There is a famous Jewish idea that we are not in the business of going to heaven but in bringing Heaven to us.

Tu B’Shevat is this week 🕯️🌱 how will you be celebrating?

Read the blog

[fancyfliers-fr]

Commission for @/wildewinged on FR of their Gaoler ore merchant, Shevat! She had so much shiny jewelry to render~

If you're interested in commissioning me, check out my Commission Post or my USD commissions thread on FR~

[zebratoys]

My Tu Bishvat Moments. 🌷💕✨

[theheshinc]

Happy New Month, everyone.

Moonhenge, Long Beach, NY, 2-1-2025. Photo by Nick Masselle.

[thisischaosmagicmoogle]

Shevat, The Wind is Calling (Xenogears) - Zohar piano arrangement

[fancyfliers-fr]

oh!

The reference I downloaded for a recent commission of mine!

Since FR is down

Reblog and add the last dragon.png you saved to your phone or pc

here's mine! A dragon I ended up selling

[arasou]

[xenogearsjoe]

Nearly finished watching someone play xenogears, so I might become insufferable should I decide to talk about what I feel about it

[nycreligion]

Sun Feb 12- Mon Feb 13, Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish Arbor Day

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[extollingtheeveryday]

Liz Ahl // "Aquarium, February"

[girlactionfigure]

the (Jewish) New Year of Trees

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

THE JEWISH NEW YEAR...OF TREES?

You are probably familiar with Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, which takes place in the fall. But did you know that there are four new years in Judaism...one of which celebrates the “birthday” of trees?

Tu Bishvat is somewhat of a Jewish equivalent to Earth Day. It’s observed by religious and secular Jews alike, and often used to highlight environmental and natural causes. It’s also traditional to plant trees in Israel on this holiday.

SPARKNOTES HISTORY LESSON

The origins of Tu Bishvat can be traced back to ancient Israel. This is because the Torah warned the Israelites that, upon entering Israel, the fruits from a tree should be regarded as “forbidden” for the first three years of the tree’s life. After five years, the fruit could be consumed. 

However, this prohibition created a conundrum for the farmers: how do you mark the “birthday” of a tree...let alone all the trees in the Land of Israel?

This is how the rabbis eventually agreed to mark a date as the “birthday” for all trees. This date was the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, or Tu Bishvat.

TU BISHVAT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Tu Bishvat is one of many Jewish land-based holidays that highlight the strong territorial links between the Jewish people, identity, culture, tradition, Judaism, and Eretz Israel, or the Land of Israel. 

The Jewish people became a nation in the Land of Israel, some 3000 years ago. Like other ancient nations, Jews have long revered their ancestral homeland, including its natural elements. It’s for this reason, for example, that the Seven Species -- wheat, barley, dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives -- feature so prominently in Judaism and Jewish culture. Many Jewish holidays assign special spiritual significance to fruits native to the Land of Israel, like the lulav and etrog during Sukkot. 

Unfortunately, after centuries of foreign conquest, the Land of Israel, once the land of “milk and honey,” underwent a process of desertification that depleted the local ecology due to man-made erosion and malaria. 

Since then, however, Israelis have gone through great lengths to rehabilitate the environment, restore its water, and even bring long-extinct ancient trees like the Judean date palm back to life.

TU BISHVAT IN MODERN ISRAEL 

Though Tu Bishvat is considered a “minor” Jewish holiday, it’s enthusiastically celebrated by religious and secular Israelis alike. Every year, over a million Israelis participate in tree-planting activities during Tu Bishvat. 

The tradition of planting trees in Israel on Tu Bishvat dates back to the late 19th century. It likely originated with Rabbi Ze’ev Yavetz, who, in 1890, took his students to plant trees at a moshav (Israeli cooperative agricultural community). This new tradition was quickly adopted by the Association of Hebrew Teachers in Ottoman Palestine in 1906, which made it mandatory for schools to participate in tree-planting activities on Tu Bishvat. 

In addition to planting trees, many Israelis observe a “Tu Bishvat seder,” reviving a Kabbalistic tradition from the 16th century. 

Finally, Tu Bishvat is used as a day to highlight important environmental and ecological causes.

THE STORY OF THE JUDEAN DATE PALM: WHERE ANCIENT ISRAEL MEETS MODERN ISRAEL 

The Judean date palm is a plant native to Eretz Israel. In ancient times, its fruit was not only a staple in Israel, but it became a spiritual symbol during the period of the Kingdom of Judah (930-587 BCE), and was even used medicinally. It is also mentioned multiple times in the Torah and adorned ancient Jewish currency. 

But by the 13th century, thanks to the environmental abuse of foreign empires, the Judean date palm became fully extinct. 

In 1963, Israeli professor Yigal Yadin uncovered date palm seeds from ~155 BCE-64 CE preserved in an ancient jar while carrying out archeological excavations at Masada. 

Then, in 2005, scientists at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies were able to sprout several seeds. Three of the seeds were planted, and 8 weeks later, one of the seeds sprouted. The plant is known as “Methuselah,” named after the oldest-lived person in the Hebrew Bible.

"And you, mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and you shall bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they shall soon come."

Talmud Sanhedrin 98a

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT ON BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL PROGRAMS

In keeping with the spirit of the Jewish dedication to the preservation of the Land of Israel and the environment, Birthright Israel is one of the Israeli organizations taking important steps to pursue a sustainable and environmentally friendly future through Greening, their dedicated sustainability initiative. Some initiatives within Greening include:

Successful completion of the pilot project offsetting carbon emissions through tree planting, with plans to scale up to 5,000-10,000 trees annually.

The Birthright Israel Onward Green Energy cohort facilitating internships for 30 US college students in Israeli environmental companies.

Birthright Israel Excel participants engaging in sustainability internships with prominent organizations, contributing to real-world impact.

Growth and development of specific “Green” modules for participation on 10-day trips.

Contributing to a network of greening sites along key trip routes, highlighting environmental sustainability while seamlessly integrating Jewish content.

You can learn more about the Israeli ecosystem and experience Israel for FREE on Birthright Israel.

rootsmetals

This evening marks the beginning of Tu Bishvat, also known as the “New Year of Trees,” one of the many holidays proving the ancient connection between the Jewish people and Israel. To sign up for your free trip and learn more about Israel, visit the link in my bio. Chag sameach!

[linnaealyn]

Imagine living a lonely 500 yrs unaging and then two of your friends suddenly show up again & dont recognize you. One who sacrificed herself to save people & the other who turned traitor, releasing a PoW, & caused immense destruction, killing millions before disappearing forever.

Poor Elly was probably worried and nervous the whole time she was in Shevat. If she's in your party when you talk to Yui, when Fei & Yui start talking about Lahan, she hides from her, runs to the other side of the room and faces the wall 🥺

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

Tu BiShvat: What and How

By Naftali Silberberg

The 15th of Shevat is the New Year for Trees, known as Tu b'Shevat.

According to Biblical law, there is a seven year agricultural cycle, concluding with the Sabbatical year. When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, on years one, two, four and five of this cycle, farmers were required to separate a tenth of their produce and eat it in Jerusalem. This tithe is called Maaser Sheni, the Second Tithe, because it is in addition to the (two percent which must be given to the Kohain, and the) ten percent which is given to the Levite. On the third and sixth years of the cycle, instead of the owners eating the Maaser Sheni in Jerusalem, they gave this second tithe to the poor, who were permitted to consume it wherever they wished.

[On the Sabbatical year, no tithes are separated. All produce which grows during this year is ownerless and free for anyone to take.]

It was therefore of vital importance to ascertain when the new year started for produce. Our Rabbis established that a fruit which blossomed before the 15th of Shevat is produce of the previous year. If it blossomed afterwards, it is produce of the "new year." [By comparison, grains, vegetables, and legumes have the same New Year as humans, the 1st of Tishrei.] Why is this so? In the Mediterranean region, the rainy season begins with the festival of Sukkot. It takes approximately four months (from Sukkot, the 15th of Tishrei, until the 15th of Shevat) for the rains of the new year to saturate the soil and trees, and produce fruit. All fruit which blossom beforehand are a product of the rains of the previous year, and are tithed together with the crops of the previous year.

Although this day is Rosh Hashanah for trees, we attach special significance to this holiday because "Man is [compared to] the tree of the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19). Through cultivating strong roots – faith and commitment to G‑d – we produce many fruits—Torah and Mitzvot.

Observances and Customs

On this day it is customary to partake of the fruit with which the Holy Land is praised (Deuteronomy 8:8): olives, dates, grapes, figs and pomegranates. If tasting any of these fruit for the first time this season, remember to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing. (A blessing recited on joyous occasions, thanking G‑d for "sustaining us and enabling us to reach this occasion." This blessing is recited before the standard "Ha'etz" blessing recited on fruit.)

Due to the festive nature of the day, we omit the Tachanun sections (petitions for forgiveness and confession) from the prayers.

Source: Chabad.org

[timolech]

Commission Round-Up! 10/?

Fire Emblem GBA-styled Portraits for Fei Shevat and Liu Dahcris over on Kofi! Thank you so much for your support!

I still have slots open for commissions if anyone is interested and would like portraits for their OC's or anything at all! See the pinned post or go to my Kofi for more details!

[wsoupofpain]

i think sam manson would enjoy celebrating her birthday according to the jewish calendar purely to keep people on their toes about when it is every year.

First of all you are SO correct thank you for saying so

My headcanon is that Sam was a valentine's baby because it would aggravate her, so assuming she was born before sundown in 1990 (making her 14 the year the show started airing), her Hebrew birthday is the 19th of Shevat

Secondary fun fact, that's just a few days after the Jewish holiday Tu B'Shevat (on the 15th), which is a bit like Jewish earth day! So I think some years her English birthday would fall on Tu B'Shevat, which I think she would just love. Environmentalism AND getting to confuse people? Perfect