Tu Bishvat: When Evolution Meets Religion [יתרו/ Exodus 18:1-20:23]

B”H

This week’s parshah is Yitro (יתרו, lit. “Jethro” who is Moses’ father-in-law). It’s a family reunion of sorts in which Jethro, Moses’ wife Tziporah, and her kids Eliezer and Gershom, meets up with Moses. Jethro tells Moses that he needs to make a system of magistrates to assist him in various judicial affairs. And then, Jethro departs.

Three months of wandering the desert has finally let Moses and his people to the Sinai desert. G-D tells Moses that his people will be a “kingdom of princes and a holy nation,” so long as they obey the word of G-D. As the entire people stand trembling at the base of Mt. Sinai, the shofar’s blast beckons Moses to climb the mountain and approach G-D. The famous Ten Commandments are revealed to Moses. The pomp and circumstance of G-D’s presence, however, frightens the Jews, who ask Moses to speak to G-D on their behalf for the rest of the revelation. And so ends this week’s Torah section.

Yitro coincides with the celebration of a very interesting holiday: Tu Bishvat (ט"ו בשבט, literally, the fifteenth of Shvat). Colloquially, it’s been deemed the Birthday or New Year of the Trees…a Jewish Arbor Day of sorts (literally so in Israel)! Tu Bishvat is an odd holiday, even in Jewish circles. If asked about the holiday, most Jews would probably do one of three things: (1) quite frankly admit they have never heard of the holiday (or vaguely remember it from religious school but have NO idea about it), (2) confidently (but mistakenly) confuse it for Tisha Be’av—one of the most solemn days on the Jewish calendar a few months down the road that has nothing to do with trees, or (3) say “it’s the Birthday of the Trees,” and leave it at that.

Well, I say, that’s not very fair…especially for such a vibrant, relevant holiday, even in today’s time.

A bit of history on the holiday: Tu Bishvat is actually one of four “new years” celebrated in the Hebrew calendar. The most famous of “new years” is Rosh Hashanah, on 1 Tishrei, as the “new year of seasons” for the civil calendar. 1 Nisan refers to the season of remembering the exodus from Egypt, and a few legal accoutrements surrounding house rental and vows. Finally, 1 Elul is the fiscal “new year” for tithing cattle.

Tu Bishvat, between Rosh Hashanah and 1 Nisan, marks the “new year” for labeling fruits for tithing and, in some rabbinic opinions, as orlah – (literally “ uncircumcised,” referring to a prohibition that fruit that may not be eaten in the first three years of the tree’s planting). Ecologically, Tu Bishvat typically comes at a time when trees finally begin to bear their fruits in the warmer climates of the Holy Land. It marks a time of offering fourth-year fruits (the first year which they are edible legally) as sacrifices, and of a tithe given to the poor.

In “contemporary” times by Jewish standards (i.e.: during the 16^th century CE), the famous Kabbalist Rabbi Luria created a Tu Bishvat meal, in which ten fruits and four cups of wine were consumed in a specific order so to bring people towards spiritual harmony. Such sederim (lit. “orders,” but refers to the meals and prayer associated with certain occasions) are a trending avenue for revived celebration of this agricultural new year. Additionally, in the tradition Mizrachi Rabbi Ze’ev Yavetz, many will plant trees for reforestation efforts and ecological awareness.

Great, I’ve bombarded you with information about Jewish Arbor Day….but Herbert, you ask, how does Yitro link to Tu Bishvat?!?!

Tu Bishvat revolves around the handling of fruit. So what is a fruit? Biologically speaking, it is the ripened ovary or ovaries of a flowering plant. The seeds of the fruit are the potential descendants of the plant, assuming its environment is optimal for growth. This fruit contains the DNA of its parental roots, and, in a way, is the plant’s offspring. Thus, a fruit can be seen as the child product of a particular plant. But a fruit isn’t always the same. That is to say, an apple, try as it might, cannot be 100% genetically identical to its parental counterpart. Even self-pollenizing plants have some genetic mismatch due to random genetic events, such as homologous recombination. (Well, in nature at least...sadly, we’ve corrupted the beauty of nature in the creation of genetically modified foods).

But, the point is…the fruits are a new organism with a different genetic makeup.

Like these fruits, Jewish traditions and customs are finding new “phenotypic expressions” as the religion evolves over time. It’s interesting that such a holiday like Tu Bishvat has taken on such new meaning and great traditions in the sederim and planting of trees. And politically, Tu Bishvat is a wonderful time to think about one of the most pressing issues of our generation: global warming and natural preservation. Many a Tu Bishvat sermon has discussed the concept of rebuilding nature (often accompanied with “Plant a Tree in Israel” donation cards through the Jewish National Fund).

Yitro is a period of evolution for the Jewish people, namely in the establishment of the legal magistrate system which codifies an early sociopolitical system for the newly-freed Jews and in the revelation of the Ten Commandments. In such way, the Jews in the Sinai desert are the fruits of their descendants. G-D promised to free the Jews from enslavement and establish them as a nation. Finally, in this generation of Jews depicted in Yitro, we finally begin to see the creation of a more established and autonomous society. Thus, I find a great spiritual connection between the biological, physical, and cultural ties to fruit on Tu Bishvat and the metaphorical evolution of the newest seeds of the Jewish people in this week’s parshah.

In this season of growth, may you and your loved ones find happiness in the joy of new adventures and allow these journeys to permeate your soul. And may life always change you for the better.