A Tree of Life
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3) The month of Shevat, the 11th month on the Jewish cycle of months, begins the turn from winter to spring in Israel. This is the time of year when the earliest blooms appear on some trees. The fifteenth day of this month is called Tu b'Shevat and is celebrated as the New Year for trees. It is a day to give thanks for the abundance that the Lord...
TOPICSfruit, new year, shevat, trees, Tu B'Shevat
The Trees of Shevat
As winter drones on, one often feels that the cold will never end. Thoughts of the warm sunshine seem like a distant memory. For those in more snowy climates, cabin fever takes effect. In the Land of Israel, the winter season is somewhat different. At this time when there is plenty of rain, the hills and fields all over the country turn a lush and emarald green as some new crops appear. Grasses and weeds also flourish and can turn the dry and arid landscapes into beautiful fields of green. As we enter into the month of Shevat, particularly in...
TOPICSfruit, new year, shevat, trees, Tu B'Shevat
A Good Land
Shevat is the eleventh month of the biblical calendar year. "Shevat" is the Babylonian name of the month. In the Bible, it is referred to as both "the eleventh month" and "Shevat" (or Shebat), as in Zechariah 1:7, "On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah..." The month of Shevat contains a minor festival on 15 Shevat known as Tu B'Shevat. This day is one of four days considered to be a Rosh Hashanah (New Year) on the...
TOPICSbarley, figs, fruit, new year, olives, providence, shevat, sustenance, trees, Tu B'Shevat, vines, wheat
