The holiday, a Jewish-legal New Year for trees, falls on the 15th - "Tu," according to Hebrew numerology - of the month. It is customary to eat fruits of the land, including especially the Seven Species "by which the Land of Israel is praised" - wheat, barley, grapes/wine, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
Tu B'Shvat is considered a day of joy, as well as - especially since the beginning of modern Zionism - a day of planting. The date was designated by the Sages as the "cut-off date" between one agricultural year and another. The Jerusalem Talmud explains that this is because most of the year's rains have already fallen by this date. The choice of date has ramifications on Land of Israel agricultural laws such as tithing and forbidden fruit of trees under four years old.
A practice that has been increasingly adopted in Israel of late is a Tu B'Shvat seder, or ritual-festive meal. Originally started in 16th-century Tzfat by scholars of the Kabbalah, it is modeled after the Passover seder, but concentrates on concepts such as national and personal renewal, charity, and the sanctity of the Land of Israel and its fruits.
Tree-planting ceremonies marking the day have been held this past week all over the country. In the religious Nir Etzion school near Haifa, Noam Shalit - father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit - planted citrus saplings together with hundreds of pupils. The planting ground is to be called the "Forest of Hope."
Mr. Shalit emphasized the importance of the Biblical commandment of redeeming captives. "This is a prized mitzvah that even the government must fulfill," he said. He noted that the battles in Gaza between Fatah and Hamas are not comforting for him and his family, saying, "We are following very carefully the news from Gaza."
In the community of Eli, just north of Shilo in Binyamin and west of the Jordan Valley, trees were planted in memory of three of the town's sons who fell in the recent war in Lebanon: Ro'i Klein, Amichai Merchavia, and Gilad Zusman. Fallen soldiers Yehuda Greenfeld of Maaleh Michmash and Ohad Klausner of Beit Horon were also remembered in similar ceremonies in their towns. Family members and school students took part in the plantings.
Former residents of Gush Katif, thrown out of their homes a year and a half ago, planted saplings this week in the Kisufim Forest, on the road to the now-closed Kisufim entrance to Gaza and Gush Katif.
The planting symbolized the people's deep faith that they will return one day to their beloved homes. "What, do you have the slightest doubt?" asked MK Tzvi Hendel, formerly of Ganei Tal and now living in Yad Binyamin. "Everything is pointing in our direction - Hamas and Fatah are killing each other, the fall of Ramon yesterday and Olmert soon, the continued rockets from Gaza on Sderot and Ashkelon which will soon wake up our leadership to the obvious need to return; just have a little patience."
Teenager Nataf Ayoubi of Kfar Darom, whose father was murdered by Palestinian terrorists 12 years ago, told Arutz-7 television's Gabi Neuman of her yearnings to return to her "life of Paradise" in Gush Katif.
Oz Kadmon, also expelled from Kfar Darom, said, "It's perfectly clear to me that we will return. It may take some time, possibly a year, or two, or even more - but we will definitely return."
Tu B'Shvat is considered a day of joy, as well as - especially since the beginning of modern Zionism - a day of planting. The date was designated by the Sages as the "cut-off date" between one agricultural year and another. The Jerusalem Talmud explains that this is because most of the year's rains have already fallen by this date. The choice of date has ramifications on Land of Israel agricultural laws such as tithing and forbidden fruit of trees under four years old.
A practice that has been increasingly adopted in Israel of late is a Tu B'Shvat seder, or ritual-festive meal. Originally started in 16th-century Tzfat by scholars of the Kabbalah, it is modeled after the Passover seder, but concentrates on concepts such as national and personal renewal, charity, and the sanctity of the Land of Israel and its fruits.
Tree-planting ceremonies marking the day have been held this past week all over the country. In the religious Nir Etzion school near Haifa, Noam Shalit - father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit - planted citrus saplings together with hundreds of pupils. The planting ground is to be called the "Forest of Hope."
Mr. Shalit emphasized the importance of the Biblical commandment of redeeming captives. "This is a prized mitzvah that even the government must fulfill," he said. He noted that the battles in Gaza between Fatah and Hamas are not comforting for him and his family, saying, "We are following very carefully the news from Gaza."
In the community of Eli, just north of Shilo in Binyamin and west of the Jordan Valley, trees were planted in memory of three of the town's sons who fell in the recent war in Lebanon: Ro'i Klein, Amichai Merchavia, and Gilad Zusman. Fallen soldiers Yehuda Greenfeld of Maaleh Michmash and Ohad Klausner of Beit Horon were also remembered in similar ceremonies in their towns. Family members and school students took part in the plantings.
Former residents of Gush Katif, thrown out of their homes a year and a half ago, planted saplings this week in the Kisufim Forest, on the road to the now-closed Kisufim entrance to Gaza and Gush Katif.
The planting symbolized the people's deep faith that they will return one day to their beloved homes. "What, do you have the slightest doubt?" asked MK Tzvi Hendel, formerly of Ganei Tal and now living in Yad Binyamin. "Everything is pointing in our direction - Hamas and Fatah are killing each other, the fall of Ramon yesterday and Olmert soon, the continued rockets from Gaza on Sderot and Ashkelon which will soon wake up our leadership to the obvious need to return; just have a little patience."
Teenager Nataf Ayoubi of Kfar Darom, whose father was murdered by Palestinian terrorists 12 years ago, told Arutz-7 television's Gabi Neuman of her yearnings to return to her "life of Paradise" in Gush Katif.
Oz Kadmon, also expelled from Kfar Darom, said, "It's perfectly clear to me that we will return. It may take some time, possibly a year, or two, or even more - but we will definitely return."