Rabbinic Reflection: Rabbi Eliza McCarroll

May All The Trees Be Like You

 In the depths of the cold and snowy Toronto winter, it can be hard to believe that we celebrate the cycle of nature, with Tu BiShvat taking place next Sunday evening. 

My favourite Tu BiShvat text comes from the Talmud, from Taanit 5b. It relates that when taking leave of one another, Rav Nahman would ask his teacher, Rabbi Yitzchak, for a blessing. “Let me tell you a parable,” Rabbi Yitzchak replied. “It is like one who was walking through a desert, hungry, tired, and thirsty, and came upon a tree with sweet fruit, beautiful shade, and a stream of water beneath it. He ate from the fruit, drank from its water, and sat in the shade of the tree. When he got up to depart, he said: ‘Tree, Tree, with what shall I bless you? If I say to you that your fruits should be sweet, your fruits are already sweet; if I say that your shade should be pleasant, your shade is already pleasant; if I say that a stream of water should flow beneath you, a stream of water already flows beneath you! Rather, I will bless you as follows: May it be God’s will that all saplings which they plant from you be like you.’” Rabbi Yitzchak turned to his disciple and said, “So it is with you. With what shall I bless you? If I bless you with Torah, you already have Torah; if I bless you with wealth, you already have wealth; if I bless you with children, you already have children. Rather, may it be God’s will that your children shall be like you.” 

In other words, perhaps Tu BiShvat is not really, or is only partly, about the trees! 

What it might really be, in accordance with our prayer, is about the potential to blossom with goodness that a tree represents. 

So, as we anticipate Tu BiShvat, there is so much goodness on the horizon, whether it is joining with our local Israeli community for Kabbalat Shabbat, joining our Young Families for camp-style Tu BiShvat activities with our friends at URJ Camp George, or joining for our celebration of Shabbat Shira that same weekend with our partners at Opera Atelier. 

All of the details for Tu BiShvat and Shabbat Shira can be found HERE. 

May these meaningful opportunities to gather bring you, and all of us, nothing but blessings.