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    Everybody has heard that Tu B’Shevat is the New Year for the trees. Most of us, however, would be hard pressed to explain exactly what significance of this date holds in the Jewish calendar. Aside from giving us an opportunity to appreciate trees in general, not to mention a chance to eat some of their more interesting fruit, most of us have wondered at one time or another just what Tu B’Shevat is all about, anyway?

    The ‘Tu’ in Tu B’Shevat stands for the gematria of the number fifteen.   Hence, Tu B’Shevat is the fifteenth of the Jewish month of Shevat. The Mishnah explains that there are four dates that are called Rosh Hashanah, the head of year. Three out of the four, including Tu B’Shevat, are the heads of year regarding tithes and other agricultural halachot of Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara explains that by the time Tu B’Shevat arrives, the rainy season in Eretz Yisrael is almost over and most of the rain has already fallen. Rashi explains that since trees grow from rain water, Tu B’Shevat is really the time when the trees first begin to blossom. This blossoming, which, in essence, is the formation of a tiny fruit, is why Tu B’Shevat is known as the Rosh Hashanah for the trees.

    The Torah tells us that in Eretz Yisrael there exists a seven year agricultural cycle in which there are four different types of tithes that a person is obligated to give from his crops. Terumah and maaser rishon are given each year of the seven, with the exception of the Shemitta, the Sabbatical year. Terumah is the portion of one’s crops that must be given to a kohen. From the remainder, a person gives maaser rishon, a tenth which goes to the Levi. The other two tithes, maaser sheni and maaser ani, are given in alternate years of the cycle. Maaser sheni is given during the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the cycle, while maaser ani is given on the third and sixth years of the cycle. In order to insure that one does not combine the maaser of the produce from one year to the next, a cutoff date or a Rosh Hashana is needed. Additionally, one has to be careful not mix up the produce which is required to be maaser sheni, the tenth of the crops taken to be eaten in Yerushalayim, with maaser ani, the tenth of the crop to be given to the poor. Thus, Tu B’Shevat, the date when the trees start blossoming with the new fruit serves as that cutoff date.

    It’s interesting to note that aside from the halachot of terumot and maser, Tu B’Shevat is hardly mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law. In the halachot of the tefilla of tachanun, the Shulchan Aruch writes that because Tu B’Shevat is a joyous day, tachanun is not recited. The Magen Avraham, Rabbi Avraham Gombiner (1633-1683 CE) quotes a very old kabalistic book called the Tikkun Yissachar which brings down that it is the custom to eat fruits of various trees on Tu B’Shevat. Some even have a custom to specifically pray for a beautiful etrog on this day.

    To summarize then, we see that Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for the trees, is the day when the trees of Eretz Yisrael begin to blossom. Practically and halachicly it serves as the date which separates one year’s fruit from the next which is very relevant with respect to the halachot of terumot and maasrot. For us, however, living outside Eretz Yisrael, perhaps the greatest significance of Tu B’Shevat is that it is a day that connects us to the Land of Israel by focusing our attention on its trees and its fruit. In the merit of our doing so, may our bond to Eretz Yisrael be strengthened and may we all witness the final redemption and return to our land, speedily and in our days.